Marie Curie Funding to GREEN Activities

TWO YOUNG SCHOLARS WILL JOIN THE RESEARCH CENTER THANKS TO THE EUROPEAN PROGRAM AIMED AT HELPING RESEARCHERS GAIN EXPERIENCE IN DIFFERENT WORKING ENVIRONMENTS WHILE DEVELOPING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Bocconi is part of the 14-strong network of universities and companies, led by the Universidad de Extremadura, which won a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN) grant for a research and training program on renewable electric energy systems.
 
The program, named SMARTGYsum (SMART Green energY Systems and bUsiness Models), is devoted to bringing together different scientific fields and industrial participation to enable 15 early stage researchers to contribute to fostering a new green energy economy in Europe. Two of the researchers, starting in October 2021, will work at GREEN, the Bocconi Center for Research on Geography, Resources, Environment, Energy and Networks, under the supervision of Professor Edoardo Croci.
 
The €3.78mln, 4-year program aims to overcome the various barriers that prevent an increased deployment of renewable electric energy systems in Europe. “The obstacles include market and social barriers such as price distortion through externalities and low priority of energy issues; financial barriers such as high up-front costs and lack of access to capital; information failures such as lack of awareness, knowledge and competence; and regulatory barriers such as restrictive procurement rules,” says Professor Croci. “Each organization will deploy its particular skills to reach the common objective, and the two GREEN researchers will work, in particular on the economic implications of sustainable energy transition and on innovative business models for decentralized renewable energy systems.”
 
Following the spirit of the ITN Grants, the two early-stage researchers, to be selected in the next months, will have the opportunity to work with the other researchers and supervisors involved, thus improving their knowledge and enlarging their personal network.
 
The five Marie SkÅ‚odowska-Curie Actions, financed by the European Commission, provide grants for all stages of a researcher’s career. One of their goals is to encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas between different industrial sectors and research disciplines – all to the benefit of the wider European economy.

by Fabio Todesco