Partnership for sustainable energy solutions

The world is still reeling from the pandemic and geopolitical unrest. At home,  Storm Hans damaged critical infrastructure and private property. This underscores the importance of our work in developing sustainable energy solutions for the future. 

The EU is increasingly prioritising the economy, migration, and defence. Although the Green Deal received less attention, energy remains a crucial theme for Europe's economy and security. Our international collaboration, primarily through the EU framework programs, positions us well to exchange knowledge and drive innovation across borders. 

The energy system is undergoing a non-linear transformation. New forms of production are introduced, consumption is changing, and distribution must be adapted. In this transformative process, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly central role for us and our customers. By harnessing the power of AI, we can improve the efficiency and reliability of energy systems, from predicting demand to optimising distribution networks. SINTEF Energy Research, with its multidisciplinary expertise, is at the forefront of exploring and implementing these groundbreaking technologies. 

Through our established model of collaboration with other research environments and industry customers, we are ready to lead this transition. SINTEF Energy Research cooperates particularly closely with NTNU in projects and laboratories and through summer jobs, student assignments, and PhD scholarships. The partnership is based on a shared will to meet challenges with openness and determination, resulting in an internationally excellent research environment and numerous innovations. 

The large centres in the FME scheme illustrate how effective this collaboration model is. One of the innovations from FME HighEFF has resulted in the establishment of the spin-off company Cartesian, which develops solutions to optimise energy consumption using phase-change materials (PCM). The technology can be used for both cooling and heat storage, and helps reduce energy consumption and costs in various industries. 

SINTEF Energy is well positioned to develop safe, profitable, and sustainable solutions with our partners. Thank you for the great collaboration this year. I am looking forward to working on upcoming tasks together. 

Best regards, 
Inge Gran 
CEO, SINTEF Energy Research 
May 2024