ASSISTAL is the Italian business Association, created in 1946 and member of Confindustria, which represents companies specialized in the design, supply, installation, management and maintenance of technological systems, supply of Energy Efficiency Services (ESCo) and Facility Management.
ASSISTAL represents the sector of the installation of technological systems placing itself as a point of reference towards institutions, trade union organizations and, more generally, the economic world and civil society in Italy.
ASSISTAL represents and protects plant engineering companies, the Energy Efficiency Services and Facility Management sector in trade union negotiations and in the stipulation of the National Employment Contract. In particular, ASSISTAL is a signatory to the National Collective Bargaining Agreement for Metalworkers and to the Installation of Plants, together with Federmeccanica.
It promotes professional collaboration, information exchange and cultural development among its members, as well as collaboration between companies in the sector, in particular by supporting the establishment of consortia and business networks.
The Association supports and promotes training and technological updating activities and projects in order to increase the qualification of associated companies. In order to provide valuable services to associated companies, ASSISTAL makes use of the expertise of the staff of Assimpianti Servizi Srl, the Association’s services company, specialized in the implementation of training projects with high added value.
ASSISTAL participates, exercising a guiding and supporting function, in the activities of numerous national and international regulatory bodies, qualification boards and ministerial commissions.
ASSISTAL coordinates the activity at national level through the Milan, Rome and Padova offices with a professional staff composed by 16 persons and offers services and advice on technical, legislative, regulatory and economic matters.
2. FUNDACION CENTRO TECNOLOXICO DE EFICIENCIA E SOSTENIBILIDADE ENERXETICA
EnergyLab is a technology centre specialised in energy efficiency and sustainability. It is a non-profit private entity set up on 2008 as an initiative of the industry, the Regional Government and the three universities of Galicia. EnergyLab identifies, develops and promotes technologies, processes, products and consumption behaviours able to contribute to the improvement of the energy efficiency and sustainability through its applications in industry, domestic products, mobility and buildings.
EnergyLab is member of ATIGA (Galician Technological Alliance), SPIRE, ECTP and recognised by the European Commission as KET Centre in the European KETs map. The centre’s R&D activity covers four main areas:
Efficient Buildings: this area integrates the energy efficiency and renewable systems to implement in building. This area works on efficient technologies for heating, cooling and efficient lighting, and makes the studies to implement these systems in the sector.
Industry: this area implements energy efficiency and advances systems in industrial processes with technologies such as air compressed and adjustable speed drivers and, above all, specific systems for monitoring and data processing in industry process and buildings.
Bioenergy: this area develops projects related to different kind of renewable and alternative energy such as biogas, biomass, geothermal, wave energy or biohydrogen generation.
Mobility: this area studies new systems for sustainable mobility (alternative fuels such as biogas, biohydrogen, electricity, etc.) and infrastructure.
All of them are based on our technological knowledge and experience both in energy analysis and in the development of saving measures. Currently, in Energylab there are 23 paid staff, 52% of them are female, and 2 learners thanks to the collaboration agreement with the University of Vigo. In order to develop these projects, EnergyLab’s staff is highly qualified wiht 26% of PhDs. It is also remerkable the high percentage of female PhD representing 67%.
3. EYDITI ENERGEIAKOS KAI PERIBALLONTIKOS SCHEDIASMOS EPE
EUDITI Energy and Environmental Design Ltd was founded in 2003 by leaders in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency, for whom the promotion of renewable energy, energy saving technologies and the protection of natural resources is a life mission. EUDITI conducts studies, provides consultancy services, and carries out research and development.
The company has extensive knowledge and experience in energy investment projects and provides reliable and complete services to investors. Euditi has developed over 100 renewable energy projects, totalling over 145 MW, out of which the great majority has been financed, constructed and is now in operation. Currently, the company is participating in a consortium that is developing 20 m€ projects in energy efficiency leveraging private financing through Energy Performance Contracts.
In relation to energy efficiency, the company is also performing energy audits for the Industry and large buildings, among them the building of the Greek Ministry of Energy and Environment. It assists as a subcontractor the architectural design providing architects with energy efficient and sustainable solutions, building modelling and performance calculations. Services are provided mainly to the private sector but the company has also worked for municipalities, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, the Greek Government and in EU funded projects.
EUDITI’s customers are in Greece and abroad. During the last ten years EUDITI had customers based in Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Cyprus, Philippines, UAE and Nigeria.
EUDITI is a shareholder of:
– EUDITI Middle East (engineering company registered in Dubai, UAE involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings and the industry)
– ENFINITY Hellas (operator and owner of 1 MW photovoltaic power plant).
The University of A Coruña (UDC) is located in the city of the same name, in the northwest region of Spain called Galicia.
It has three specialization campuses in A Coruña and one in the city of Ferrol. The UDC is a public institution whose primary objective is the generation, management and dissemination of culture and scientific, technological and professional knowledge through the development of research and teaching. The University explicitly expresses its commitment to the study and the integral development of Galicia, including its social, cultural and linguistic identity. It is also dedicated to promote its full integration into the European Higher Education setting, as well as its representation in Latin America. As part of its duty of service to society, the University is committed to: the creation, development, communication and critical analysis of science, technology and culture; preparing students for professional life through the teaching of scientific and artistic knowledge and practice; the transfer, dissemination and promotion of knowledge for the advancement of culture, quality of life and economic development; and the dissemination of knowledge and culture through University outreach and lifelong learning. In July 2018, the University launched its Sustainability Specialization Campus, as part of a strategy to strengthen research and innovation in sustainability transformations. The Specialization Campus, which gathers together more than thirty research groups, aims to promote inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration and research excellence in transitions towards sustainability and people-environment interactions, by focusing on four different specialization areas: sustainable urban planning, circular economy and sustainable social systems and environmental education, healthy active lifestyles. These specializations areas are aligned with the priorities established for the global community in coming years that target the Sustainable Development Goals and liked to the economic, social, historical, cultural, and environmental characteristics of the local community, in order to address social and economic contemporary challenges. Through the development of innovative social and economic models, the Campus supports the accumulation of knowledge to aid in the transition to sustainability, focusing especially, in the areas of teaching, research, and the communication of progress. One of the key objectives of the Campus is to support excellent and competitive research to strengthen specialization areas that respond to social interests, needs and problems and stimulate the creation of synergies among the different research groups that meet criteria of excellence.
The Specialization Campus also aims at fostering a quality innovative and specialized teaching and a cutting-edge knowledge, presenting new academic programs in the form of new degrees and ongoing training courses which offer reliable training pathways in its areas of expertise. These innovative education and training programmes are intended to develop an academic offering that promotes innovation, and solid, flexible training adapted to the current evolving job market with competitive qualifications at the national and international scale based on their unique specializations. In this context, the Campus has a wide experience in the design and development of on-site and online training courses both at the University and in the larger community of A Coruña. It also establishes cross-sectorial partnerships with organizations from the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations active in different fields, implementing ongoing training courses related with nature-based solutions, circular economy, sustainability and big data, among others. In conjunction with developing ties within the research community, the Campus encourages the creation of multi-stakeholder and transdisciplinary networks at national and international levels.
5. NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS – NTUA
The Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) is an educational and research unit at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). NTUA is the oldest and most prestigious Greek academic institution in the field of Technology and Engineering. NTUA is among the top-10 most active and leading European universities and research institutes in the EU-funded Framework Programmes. In particular LIEE/NTUA is the most active Greek research centre in EU-funded socio-economic research in the context of Framework Programmes. LIEE was founded in the late 1980’s and is now a well -established and active research unit in European and national socioeconomic, policy and strategy research focusing on the study of innovation, research networks, knowledge flows, firm’s dynamic capabilities and resources, industrial sectors, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, public procurement, international competitiveness as well as ICTs, new emerging industries, energy and environment. LIEE’s research activities are grouped in four main research areas: Economic and Strategic Analysis of Industry, Innovation and Technology, Energy and environmental policy, Operations Research and Management Science, and Information Society and Knowledge-based economy. LIEE’s research activities are entirely funded through national and European research contracts (more than 130 research projects during the last 30 years) assigned mainly on a competitive basis. LIEE plays a key role as coordinator or participant in a number of European and national projects. For thirty years, LIEE has established strong links and is working closely with government departments, industrial associations, local authorities and other partners both at the public and private sector. Furthermore, LIEE/NTUA has been the Organizer of the 15th International Conference of Globelics (the Global Research Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems) which was held in Athens (October, 2017), the first European city to host the Globelics Annual Conference.