Picture caption: The best choice of SUNRISE technologies (green box) and related transformation pathways requires a system understanding. This includes information on input materials and resources (blue box), infrastructure, processes and technologies (brown box), and the entailed products (yellow) (Illustration: A. Björnsen Gurung (WSL) 2019)
On September 27, 2019, more than 30 scientists and engineers attended the Swiss SUNRISE Stakeholder Workshop at Empa offices, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, in Dübendorf. The scope of the workshop was to inform the Swiss stakeholders about the status of the SUNRISE project and to provide a chance to share ideas, network, and discuss the Swiss role, opportunities and challenges for a large-scale research initiative. At this one-day event, three priority research directions were discussed: artificial photosynthesis, CO2 conversion, and solar ammonia production.
The attendees were representatives from industry, universities and government laboratories. Empa welcomed, in particular, Frédéric Chandezon from CEA in Grenoble, who represented the SUNRISE governance board; Emil Roduner, who represented University of Pretoria in South Africa, one of the many SUNRISE supporters; and Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Swiss partner of ENERGY-X project. There were 18 oral presentations and also several posters, which gave a snapshot of current activities relating to the mission of SUNRISE.
The workshop had a Q&A panel, with Michael Grätzel (EPFL - École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne), Artur Braun (Empa), Frédéric Chandezon (CEA), Sophia Haussener (EPFL), and Pierdomenico Biasi (Casale SA), which engaged with the audience in an inspiring discussion.
An interactive workshop, prepared by SUNRISE supporters Anna Roschewitz (Novatlantis GmbH) and Astrid Björnsen (WSL - Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research), involved all participants in casting their ideas and suggestions into the scope of the CSA initiative. Astrid Björnsen introduced this interactive workshop with a keynote talk about SUNRISE’s impacts on society: environment and landscape.
Similar workshops have taken place already in Italy and Poland. The French 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 SUNRISE and ENERGY-X towards a new initiative, with a new name.
