E.ON and RWTH Continue Cooperation
E.ON plans to continue a successful cooperation with the RWTH University Aachen and has thus extended the cooperation agreement by another five years. E.ON executive board member Karsten Wildberger and RWTH President Ernst Schmachtenberg signed a corresponding agreement today.
The essential goal of the joint venture is to examine potential energy savings and sustainable energy supplies and use the information to help develop new products and solutions for customers. The research is bundled at the E.ON Energy Research Center (ERC) and focuses on renewable energy, power grids of the future and efficient building systems.
“Since its founding, the E.ON Energy Research Center has become a nationally and internationally renowned research center examining future sources of energy. The E.ON ERC competencies are a perfect fit for E.ON’s strategic goals in the areas of power grids, customer solutions and renewable energy. We are looking forward to our continued work with the E.ON ERC and RWTH to explore innovative technological solutions for our customers,” emphasized Wildberger.
“Even before the German parliament passed the resolution creating the energy transition (“Energiewende”) in 2011 as the basis for national energy policy, RWTH was able to use the comprehensive support from E.ON to create this globally visible renewable energy research center. We now know such research efforts are needed to make sure the energy transition is a success. Germany’s energy transition involves disruptive changes, which include closely linked threats and opportunities. Research at E.ON ERC allows us to better recognize the threats and the opportunities. I am thrilled E.ON has decided to continue the cooperation after ten years of substantial research support,” says Schmachtenberg.
The E.ON Energy Research Center (E.ON ERC) is a forward-looking model for a public-private partnership between industrial companies and scientists. The project sets benchmarks for interdisciplinary and networked energy research. The E.ON ERC has been led by Rik W. De Doncker since its founding in 2006 and will celebrate its tenth birthday this year.
