ABB Ltd, a leading multinational technology company, hosted the first of four symposiums in Västerås, Sweden. The event was attended by twelve prominent professors who were invited to discuss the crucial role of energy efficiency solutions in mitigating the effects of climate change. Together with senior researchers from ABB Corporate Research, they spent two days delving into research challenges related to energy efficiency in industry, transportation, and buildings, examining technology, and design processes, as well as business models.

The twelve leading researchers came from Aalto University, Chalmers University of Technology, Imperial College, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lunds University, Malardalens University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the University of Nottingham.

This symposium event aligns with the Energy Efficiency Movement, a global forum launched in 2021 by ABB that brings together more than 320 participants from different industries worldwide to share ideas and raise awareness about the opportunities for increased energy efficiency. Similar events will take place in the US, Germany, and Switzerland in the coming months. Finally, the results of the symposiums will be compiled and used to help research funders and the EU research agenda.

“This is the first time such a symposium has taken place on this scale. Working on energy efficiency is crucial for sustainable development, and we were able to define challenges and opportunities together. For ABB Motion, it is important to be an enabler for collaboration between industry and academia,” said Matti Laitinen, Motion Business Research Manager, ABB.

Stating that in order for us to get away from the need for fossil fuels, Hans-Peter Nee, Professor, KTH, commented, “The electrification of society is extremely important, either we bury our heads in the sand or we invest in being at the forefront. By investing in industry and focusing on research and education, Sweden can gain an advantage over the rest of the world.”

Opportunities to reach climate goals exist on many fronts. In parallel with increased use of renewable energy, investments in low-carbon processes, and the development of circular business models, energy efficiency stands out as the fastest way for industry to cut energy costs and immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But despite enormous opportunities, little is happening. “It is important that we spread awareness about the opportunities,” said Tomas Kåberger, Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers.

“It is frustrating when energy-efficient technologies are rejected even though they offer lower costs. They see the investment cost but ignore the operation cost. I hope for better dialog between technology suppliers and customers, leading to better procurement.”

Stressing that energy efficiency is one of the most strategically important areas to address in the energy transition, Cathy Yao Chen, Electrification Business Research Manager, ABB, shared, “At the symposium, we have worked to find ways forward where we can contribute to society together. And this two-day exercise has been really productive.”

To this end, Mikael Dahlgren, Head, Research, ABB Sweden, added, “We had two days of beneficial and important discussions, where all participants contributed to building on and further developing each other’s ideas. Together we can highlight the importance of working with energy efficiency, find joint research projects, and we can influence both national research financing and the EU’s research agenda to invest more in an area where you gain competitiveness and achieve climate goals.”

For more information: www.global.abb/group/en