Picture caption: Frédéric Chandezon, Hervé Bercegol, and Vincent Artero from CEA, during their respective talks.
Over 75 stakeholders took part in the French SUNRISE Stakeholder Workshop under the aegis of ANCRE, the National Alliance for Energy Research on October 8, 2019, in Paris.
The event was co-organized with the ENERGY-X initiative. Indeed, both projects share goals for the conversion of renewable energies into commodity chemicals and alternative fuels, aiming at developing a large-scale research initiative in energy, environment and climate change.
The scope of the workshop was to inform the French stakeholders about the status of the SUNRISE and ENERGY-X projects and to provide a chance to share ideas, network, and talk about the French role, opportunities and challenges for a future large-scale research initiative.
Two main research points were discussed: the SUNRISE consolidated scientific vision, and the future steps beyond the upcoming joint ENERGY-X/SUNRISE initiative.
Attendees were representatives from the industry, ministries, government agencies, universities and research centers. The event counted on the special participation of ANCRE’s president Mohamed Benlahsen.
Oral presentations by national research centres, universities and industry representatives, gave an overview of the current scientific and industrial activities relating to the SUNRISE and ENERGY-X missions. They were live-tweeted by Pierre Ceccaldi, a researcher associated with the Swedish consortium for artificial photosynthesis at SUNRISE partner Uppsala University. He currently works on the microbial electrosynthesis of solar fuels.
The workshop closed with a round table, which was moderated by Fabrice Lemoine from the University of Lorraine, SUNRISE supporter. Xavier Montagne, representing the French Ministry of Research and Higher Education, SUNRISE deputy coordinator Hervé Bercegol, the French partner of ENERGY-X Tatiana Vilarinho-Franco, Frédéric Chandezon from CEA, Laurent Baraton from SUNRISE partner ENGIE, and Benjamin Herzhaft from IFPEN engaged with the audience in an inspiring discussion.
Similar workshops have taken place already in Italy, Poland, and Switzerland. The Finnish workshop will follow soon. Chances are that more such national SUNRISE Stakeholder workshops will take place in the near future to further shape the community along the roadmap of SUNRISE, also in view of the merge of the future joint ENERGY-X/SUNRISE initiative.
