About EVERY1

The International Cleantech Network (ICN) is an independent non-profit organisation for the world’s leading cleantech cluster organisations. Our purpose is to build a strong global platform that enables project collaboration, internationalization, and the acceleration of clean technologies to support the sustainable transition.The ICN does this by connecting cleantech clusters from around the world, facilitating cross-border cooperation, capacity building and knowledge sharing for clusters, and access to global cleantech ecosystems.

Role within the project:

The International Cleantech Network (ICN) is an independent non-profit organisation for the world’s leading cleantech cluster organisations. Our purpose is to build a strong global platform that enables project collaboration, internationalization, and the acceleration of clean technologies to support the sustainable transition.The ICN does this by connecting cleantech clusters from around the world, facilitating cross-border cooperation, capacity building and knowledge sharing for clusters, and access to global cleantech ecosystems.

INESC TEC is a private non-profit research association, with Public Interest status, dedicated to scientific research and technological development, technology transfer, advanced consulting and training, and pre-incubation of new technology-based companies. As an institution operating at the interface of the academic and business worlds, bringing closer together academia, companies, public administration, and society, INESC TEC typically applies the knowledge and results generated as part of its research in technology transfer projects, seeking value creation and immediate social relevance.

Role within the project:

INESC TEC will participate with two research centers: Center for Power and Systems and Center for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship. Together the two centres will be able to assess a complete picture related to energy digitalization state of the art and challenges, due to their experience in consumer engagement and services in previous H2020 projects such as Interconnect, Ambience, Pocityf and Intergrid as well as effective technology adoption influencing factors and initiatives.

JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (JOANNEUM RESEARCH) is a business oriented leading provider of innovation and technology. It is linked to a worldwide network and has been providing research according to the highest international standard for more than thirty years. With more than 480 employees in seven research units, the company is the second largest non-university research institution in Austria. JOANNEUM RESEARCH actively cooperates with businesses, the industry and the public sector to generate innovations. LIFE, the Institute for Climate, Energy and Society – one of the seven research units of JOANNEUM RESEARCH – addresses key issues related to climate change. It not only investigates the steps necessary to guide our society towards a low carbon development path in order to slow down climate change, but also deals with the question of how society can better cope with the (remaining) risks of global warming, i.e. adaptation, minimization of associated economic damages and exploitation of potential opportunities. In following LIFE’s overall aim to promote the transition to a low-carbon economy/society and to provide tools and strategies to strengthen resilience to climate and weather risks, the research efforts range from problem analysis to the design of concrete solutions.

Role within the project:

In Every1, JOANNEUM RESEARCH - LIFE, profiting from its multidisciplinary structure, contributes to several tasks: It participates in investigating stakeholder needs and ecosystems as well as identifying necessary technical requirements, enabling frameworks and already existing training materials. Furthermore, it supports the development of online and offline materials and uses its experience in stakeholder engagement and its networks to test these materials. Furthermore, it ensures the constant high quality of the project and its outputs by establishing a rigorous impact measurement and quality assurance system.

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. The Open University has pioneered distance learning for over 50 years, delivering exceptional teaching and outstanding support to students across the UK and around the world. Our mission is to make learning accessible to all, and together we’ve already helped over 2 million students to realise their ambitions. The Institute of Educational Technology (IET) is a global leader in the field of pedagogy, known for advancing open and distance learning globally. For over 50 years IET has established a world-class reputation for pioneering the way education can be advanced with innovative technology, driven by our researcher experts who lead in distance learning at-scale in learning, teaching and industry.

Role within the project:

IET will be leading on one work package – Work Package 3: From knowledge gaps over learning paths to identifying training material needs. This work package has two overarching goals: (1) Covering the gap in knowledge about digitalisation of energy services and contributing to reskilling and upskilling individuals and organizations; (2) Ensuring the Every1 project meets the training needs of a wide range of stakeholders, maximising the project’s impact and ensuring equitable participation in learning.three main objectives. These goals are related to three main objectives:

• Identifying key stakeholders' knowledge gaps, their linked training needs, and their learning preferences
• Identifying existing and emerging training material that could feature in the Every1 flexible open learning pathways
• Designing flexible and equitable open learning pathways that meet diverse key stakeholders' needs, preferences, and capabilities.

IET also has a key role in Work Package 4, leading on the development and updating of openly licensed training materials intended to support a wide range of stakeholders in gaining knowledge and skills related to energy digitalisaton. IET will also contibute to Work Package 5, offering training in OER use, reuse and adaptation.

RdA Climate Solutions is an advisory boutique specialised in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Our team includes world-class experts in climate change, energy transition and sustainable finance supported by relevant international experience. With a deep market knowledge and track record, we partner with our clients providing bold, integrated and independent solutions to address their business challenges, helping them to prosper with low-carbon and climate resilient solutions.

Role within the project:

Taking advantage of our deep market knowledge, RdA will be using its network to provide economic assessments, business model training, and matchmaking. RdA will actively unite solution providers and seekers to the matchmaking and unite cities and energy communities for joint procurement and collective purchase actions though matchmaking events inspired by the successful approach in the Smart Cities Marketplace.

Eindhoven University of Technology is focused on research and education in science and technology. The university is internationally known for its long-standing tradition of close research collaboration with industry and increasingly the social, non-profit sector. TU/e aims to contribute to applicable solutions for major societal challenges and boosting prosperity and welfare for all. TU/e’s research group Technology Innovation and Society (TIS) specializes on the interactions between innovation, technology and society. These interactions are often researched in the empirical context of just and sustainable energy transitions. Holding expertise in the social sciences, a key asset of the TIS group is to understand and act upon social aspects of technological and innovative transitions.

Role within the project:

The team from Eindhoven University of Technology creates an understanding of the different actors in the digital energy system, and their needs, barriers and aspirations. TU/e will set up engagement strategies to connect with the different actors and ecosystems of actors, so that the learning material can be co-created with the different actors, and ecosystems can be supported.

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum stands for over 30 years of experience in innovation consulting and research funding throughout Europe and beyond. We stand by companies, start-ups, universities, research institutions and cluster initiatives on issues of innovation management, financing, EU applications, international markets, regional and social transformation and innovation policy. For all target groups, we offer further training on proposal writing, project management and innovation. Together with economic development agencies, representatives of the state ministries and the EU, we conceptualise and organise large congresses and information events, including international ones, bringing together innovation actors from the entire value chain.

Role within the project:

The team from Steinbeis Europa Zentrum will develop a set of tools in close cooperation with the other project partners to deploy the Dissemination and Communication Strategy. Furthermore, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum will support the information and engagement activities as well as the uptake of training material.

Eworx is an Athens-based digital agency (SME), using the multi-disciplinary expertise of its staff of almost 50, to put EU-centric messages across to all segments of Member State audiences. Striving to achieve gender equality and embracing diversity, the company maintains an equal split between genders. Its long-standing client list includes Institutions such as the EIGE in Vilnius, featuring its flagship digital product Gender Equality Index, the Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna, CEDEFOP in Thessaloniki, and DG EAC with its Erasmus+ mobile app to support student mobility across the EU, to name a few, building complex websites, mobile apps, and data visualizations, and rolling out targeted, KPI-d7riven campaigns that boost brands and amplify the intended messages. Eworx’s in-house R&D group leverages emerging tech such as blockchain, machine learning and IoT, instilling innovation in its services.

Role within the project:

Eworx’s role in the Every1 project, will be in design and development. The team will create the website that will host the learning material, news, events and case studies. The brand identity, logos and overall image are also within the scope of responsibilities of Eworx. The aim is to assist Every1 in communicating its message to all related parties.

The Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) is linked to the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the oldest and most prestigious educational institution of Greece in the field of technology. It is the research host of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Founded in 1989, the ICCS-NTUA aims to support the performance of top-quality research, development activities and the provision of scientific service to private and public bodies. SmartRUE, a Research Group of the ICCS-NTUA, belongs to the Electric Energy Systems Laboratory (EESL) of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens NTUA. It was founded by Professor Nikos Hatziargyriou and operates under his supervision. Smart RUE has coordinated and participated in a large number of European and national R&D projects and studies. It has organized several international conferences, seminars and workshops and it has published numerous papers in international journals and conference proceedings. It maintains excellent connections with many Universities, Research Centres, Utilities and Power Industries active in the area of Smart Grids, both at national and international level.

Role within the project:

The team of ICCS is the Leader of task T1.4 “Market enablers network” and T3.2 “Existing and emerging training material that could feature in the Every1 flexible open learning pathways.” ICCS aims at supporting the stakeholders' identification in the academic sector as well as setting up the interconnection between the relevant stakeholders with online joint interactive sessions. Furthermore, ICCS will participate in the collection and contextualization of the digital energy products and services and coordinate the mapping of the initiatives developing training materials and the evaluation process. Beyond that, there will also be contribution to the development of online training material as well as to the sustainability of the Every1 project. This will be further supported by the participation of ICCS in the development of a MOOC.

Th!nk E is an interdisciplinary study and policy consultancy on the broad field of energy in the built environment. Energy communities, collective actions on energy, energy flexibility, and user engagement (energy citizenship) are part of Th!nk E's expertise. They take a fact-based approach, looking at business models and policy advice from the point of view of the effective added value a certain behaviour can bring to the energy system and the socio-economic context of consumers. Th!nk E has expertise in renewable energy systems, storage, and smart charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Role within the project:

Within Every1 Th!nk E is in the lead for WP4 where training materials are developed based on the identified learning paths in WP3. They are co-designing openly licensed course materials as well as the engaging offline capacity building content. Th!nk E has a supporting role throughout the project such as the stakeholder mapping in WP1, the data collection on best practices in WP2, and the identification of knowledge gaps in WP3.

Flux50 is the membership organization that helps Flanders gain international recognition as a Smart Energy Region. The Flemish energy cluster facilitates cross-sector collaboration between energy, IT and building companies to enhance the competitiveness of the Flemish smart energy industry in the transition towards low carbon systems. The cluster brings together relevant players from industry, academia and government and provides them with project support, networking opportunities and a knowledge-sharing platform. Flux50 supports innovative energy products in the form of feasibility studies and research & development projects. To bring innovative and fully integrated energy products and services to the international market, Flux50 sets up and coordinates living labs in five ‘innovator zones’: Energy harbors, Microgrids, Multi-energy solutions at district level, Energy cloud platforms, Intelligent renovation.

Role within the project:

Flux50 organizes the operational management of the projects and delivers the financial and technical reports, manages the payments and organizes review meetings (WP6). Flux50 is also involved in WP1 for the mapping of the stakeholders in the local ecosystems. And being a cluster itself it participates in the communication and validation of the training materials.