EIA Nordic’s Participation in Annual Mobility Workshop 2024 in Norway

Oslo, Norway – October 2-3, 2024: The Nordic Energy Informatics Academy Network (EIA Nordic) participated in the Annual Mobility Workshop organized by Nordic Energy Research, aimed at fostering collaboration across the Nordics in the field of energy informatics. The workshop gathered researchers and PhD students to explore the added value of international collaboration in tackling the challenges of climate change and energy transitions.

The EIA Nordic core team members who attended the workshop included:

• Professor Dr. Zheng Grace Ma, SDU Center for Energy Informatics, University of Southern Denmark (Project Leader of EIA Nordic)

• Professor Dr. Bo Nørregaard Jørgensen, Founder and Head of SDU Center for Energy Informatics, University of Southern Denmark

• Professor Dr. Ivo Martinac, Chair of the Building Services and Energy Systems Group, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

• Professor Dr. Rúnar Unnþórsson, Head of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland

The workshop was a platform for presenting EIA Nordic’s vision for establishing a cohesive network that fosters research exchanges, annual conferences, and summer schools in energy informatics. As explained by the EIA Nordic team, the project aims to address the gap in energy informatics networking within the Nordic region, which currently impedes leadership in sustainable energy systems. By leveraging the unique climate, economic, and social characteristics of the region, EIA Nordic seeks to establish robust connections that contribute to the green energy transition.

The EIA Nordic team highlighted the importance of data in building smarter energy systems: “We talk about data-driven systems, which are all running on fuel—data. But there is no fuel—the data for the analyses and improvements isn’t there. We're interested in joining forces to define what is needed to get better data.” The EIA Nordic team further stressed the need for funding to kickstart these initiatives, and pointed out that openness and inclusiveness are vital for sustainable growth.

The agenda of the two-day workshop featured a range of sessions, including presentations from Nordic research networks, group activities to explore Nordic added value, and a special focus on citizen engagement in energy projects. These sessions provided a rich context for interdisciplinary connections and knowledge exchange among participants.

In the interview by Elina Sjölinder, Communications Adviser at Nordic Energy Research, the EIA Nordic team also discussed the challenges faced in maintaining long-term academic capacity and the importance of nurturing junior researchers to ensure a sustainable future for energy informatics in the Nordic region. They discussed the challenges faced in maintaining long-term academic capacity and the importance of nurturing junior researchers to ensure a sustainable future for energy informatics in the Nordic region.

The workshop concluded with a commitment to continue strengthening energy communities across the Nordic countries. With plans already in place for the next Annual Mobility Workshop in October 2025, Nordic Energy Research looks forward to expanding collaboration and ensuring the Nordic region's leadership in sustainable energy transitions.

The EIA Nordic project stands as an essential initiative in addressing the challenges of the green energy transition, with a focus on energy informatics as a strategic component for planning and managing future energy systems. The network aims to sustain leadership through robust collaboration, data-driven research, and capacity building across the Nordics.

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