NAMEC Cluster
NAMEC is an overarching cluster currently managed by EMIRI that was set up in 2016 by the Industrial Technologies programme of Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, in order to bring together EU funded R&I projects focused on nanotechnologies and advanced materials for renewable energy, energy storage and energy efficiency technologies. Participation is on a voluntary basis.
NAMEC builds on the experience of the EU PV Cluster, which has run with success since 2010 to highlight the key enabling role of nanotechnologies and advanced materials for photovoltaics.
NAMEC has started with the clustering of European projects from the NMBP programme of Horizon 2020, but to date also gathers relevant projects from other programmes (European Research Council; Future and Emerging Technologies; Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions; Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy; Smart, Green and Integrated Transport; etc.) and funding instruments (EIT RawMaterials, EIT Innoenergy, etc.).
EMIRI and operates in close collaboration with key European stakeholders in the field of advanced materials for clean energy applications (such as the European Partnerships and EERA), and aims at:
- providing an up-to-date analysis of the European R&I project portfolio in several thematic areas (nanotechnologies and advanced materials for photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, wind energy, batteries, chemical energy storage, thermoelectrics, etc.)
- organizing thematic workshops gathering project coordinators, in order to disseminate the key results from the projects and identify common R&I priorities;
- addressing common challenges across the different thematic areas and projects (materials engineering and upscaling, characterization, modelling, standardization, safety);
- sharing best practices and transferring lessons between the different thematic areas;
- providing the European Commission with appropriate insights regarding R&I activities funded by the European Union in the field of nanotechnologies and advanced materials enabling the Energy Union.
NAMEC coordination
- Karim Sidi, CEA, France
- Philippe Jacques, EMIRI, Belgium
- Sophia Fantechi, European Commission, Directorate General for Research & Innovation