Quadruple Helix Foresight Workshop on future developments in Photo-Electrochemical Cells and sustainable energy security | SOREC2

May 8th – 9th
Residence Palace, Brussels, Belgium

Novel Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) strategies are gaining traction as possible tools for mitigating C02 emissions in sectors of industry and transportation which has proven difficult to convert to other sustainable sources of power. The CINEA-funded Solar Energy to Power CO2 Reduction Towards C2 Chemicals for Energy Storage (SOREC2) project aims to develop one such CCU technology, specifically a functional and scalable Photo-Electrochemical Cell (PEC). You can read more about the project here.

The future independence of the European supply of sustainable energy and chemicals is more important now than ever. External threats and trade wars risk disrupting European supplies. In this new geo-political context, enmeshed within a sustainable transition, strategic foresight is needed. Therefore, the SOREC2 project is hosting a two-day Quadruple Helix Multi-Criteria Workshop on PECs and future applications of this technology, to explore and overcome technological, social, and environmental barriers to its development and implementation.

Research and Innovation are iterative processes. As solutions for challenges are found, new ones arise. Some challenges are solved through easy fixes or predictable steps in the development track. Others are different, more severe in their reach and consequences. Therefore, the purpose of this stakeholder workshop is to ensure that the respective societal and environmental consequences, barriers, and impacts of the SOREC2 PEC, are identified and taken into consideration in its further development. Through, facilitated exploration of and deliberation on a range of dimensions of the novel PEC technology, stakeholders will help identify possible impacts, barriers and opportunities of PECs. These dimensions include technical, political, environmental & planning, as well as security dimensions.

The Workshop invites stakeholders from Science, Policy, Industry, and Society, in accordance with the Quadruple Helix approach to innovation.

Democracy x, the hosts of the workshop, will reimburse your expenses for travel and accommodation up to 550 €. We can only reimburse travels on economy class (EU regulation). If you are hindered from traveling because of sickness or health related issues a medical certificate needs to be provided for travel reimbursement.

All original receipts/invoices (from purchase of e.g. plane tickets, train tickets and accommodation) must be enclosed in the reimbursement form. Additionally, if you are traveling by plane your boarding pass must be enclosed as well.

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1 – May 8th:
• 10.00 – 11.00 Arrival & introduction to the workshop
• 11.00 – 12.00 Keynotes
– Keynote 1 – Project partner describes technology
– Keynote 2 – Imaginary futures: the goal
– Keynote 3 – Industry actor contextualises the state-of-play
• 12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break
• 13.00 – 14.00 Group work – identifying challenges
• 14.00 – 14.45 Plenary scoring
• 14.45 – 16.15 Group work – sketching solutions
• 16.15 – 16.45 Plenary – evaluating solutions
• 16.45 – 17.00 Wrap up

Day 2 – May 9th:
• 09.45 – 10.00 Arrival
• 10.00 – 10.15 Recap on the events of yesterday
• 10:15 – 11:30 Group work – sketching solutions
• 11:30 – 12:30 Plenary rescoring of results
• 12:30 – 13:00 Wrap up and final scoring

The Multi-Criteria Assessment Workshop is hosted by DEMOCRACY X (formerly The Danish Board of Technology) as part of the SOREC2 project. DEMOCRACY X has over three decades of experience working with collaborative technology assessment and stakeholder engagement.

Click here to register for the Quadruple Helix Foresight Workshop – SOREC2

Please direct any questions about the event to Project Manager Thomas Richardt Ratje at trr@demx.dk.

This workshop is part of the project SOREC2, task 5.3 ‘innovative ecosystem, societal acceptance and multi criteria stakeholder impact assessment which has received funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under Grant Agreement no. 101084326