Q&A

Who we are? 

With a clear focus on the expected transition of the industrial sector in the upcoming decades, RENEW-Industry (REsearch NEtWork on Industrial Decarbonisation) tries to live up to its name. Our network shall be a platform for researchers in academia and research institutes working on the decarbonisation of the intensive emission emitting industries where participants from different sectors can share research questions and discuss their work or share their thoughts with a wider scientific audience. 

We are a network of researchers working on emission intensive industries, including energy and material intensive industries producing basic materials, among others, steel, cement and petrochemicals. 

What is our mission and vision? 

The network’s mission is to increase the academic collaboration on decarbonisation of the emission intensive industries through an international platform for internal and external knowledge sharing. Such “knowledge hub” will connect researchers from a broad range of disciplines, with varying methodological toolboxes that work on industrial decarbonisation. The focus is on the interface of “technology, policy & business”, which encompasses technological advances for the industrial sector, how these innovations can be fostered, which steps are necessary to support and develop pilot projects and the regulatory framework required to create lead markets for low carbon intensive products. 

Our vision is that such network can prove to be a valuable asset not only in supporting decarbonisation efforts of the industry, but also to support its members to improve the effectiveness of research, enhance cooperation and communication to relevant stakeholders. For the network, effective research is a team effort, which requires a close coordination with experts and scholars on an international level. The network considers international cooperation as key for the successful participation in major public research projects and aims to be an asset for its members in this regard. Research needs to be well communicated and the network understands that in the long run it can be a common voice of academia for propagating relevant research findings to relevant stakeholders in the industry, the public and policy makers. 

How are we different from other networks? 

RENEW-Industry exclusively aims at researchers in academia and research institutes to ensure that the knowledge exchange can take place independently from specific industrial interests or any political agenda. 

Why do we want you to become a member? 

The answer is quite simple. We think that your expertise as a researcher and expert in your field is a key asset for this network and that you, as proactive network member, can equally benefit from the network for your own work and research. However, you decide how much effort you put into this network. As a participant, you are invited, but in no way required, to contribute actively, share your ideas or participate in activities - we provide the platform, and you participate to the extent that it is beneficial to you and your current research activities. 

What we are planning to do? 

Initially, the emphasis will be internal activities to exchange news and updates about ongoing research, conferences, projects and other information relevant to the network members. For this purpose, the network will establish an internal newsletter edited by the network coordinators to distribute and share updates about ongoing research internally within the network. Content will mainly come from within the network, so network members are strongly encouraged to contribute with updates about their own or third party research of interest to the network. 

Additional internal activities shall aim at improving the coordination between the network members. The organisation of webinars can help researchers to present their work to an internal audience and receive feedback from a wider well-informed audience. A possible network member register including the mapping of research expert groups can serve as starting point for locally organised network events. 

How often are you going to receive mails from us? 

For the start, communication to the entire network is limited to a regular newsletter edited by the coordinators. While this might change over time, the motto shall always be “few emails with high value content”. 

Who is organizing the network? 

We are a team of researchers, whose research topics are dealing with different aspects of the decarbonisation of the emission intensity industry. 

Johan Rootzén, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Gothenburg, Sweden

Alla Toktarova, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden 

Léonard Lefranc, Institute for Research in Technology, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid, Spain 

Max Åhman, Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Lund University, Sweden 

How can you become a member? 

To participate and request your membership, please click on the following link and fill out our registration form: 

https://sites.google.com/view/renew-industry/ 

All members are encouraged to participate actively in the network by providing content for the newsletter. Content comes from within the network, so network members are strongly encouraged to contribute with updates about their own or third party research of interest to the network. Members can also opt for a passive participation in the network. Membership is completely free of charge and you can leave the network at any time by notifying us via email. 

How can I provide newsletter content? 

The newsletter presents news and updates as precise as possible. If you have a recent publication to share, an event to announce, an open position, or anything else you want to be included in the next edition, please provide us with a copy of your paper and we will include it in our next edition. Please keep in mind that we aim to publish our newsletter on regular basis and will send an invitation/reminder to provide content one or two weeks before sending out the next edition.

Who can participate? 

Admission is restricted to researchers in academia and research institutes working on the decarbonisation of the energy and material intensive emission emitting industries, such as steel, cement, petrochemicals etc. 

Can I “invite a friend”? 

We encourage all members to invite and suggest new members. Admission is restricted to researchers in academia and research institutes, who have a focus on any of the countless aspects of industrial decarbonisation. 

Are we open to any new ideas? 

Yes! Please feel free to mail us (renew.industry@gmail.com) and send us any suggestions on how to improve our work and make sure the network keeps growing. We will also need additional support for future tasks and will be more than happy to extend our coordinator team over time. 

Are there any costs related to participation? 

There is no cost of participation. Above-mentioned coordinators currently organize the network on a voluntary basis. We intend to keep network participation free-of-charge at any time. In case of growing administrative workload, we are aiming to acquire additional third party funding and we welcome any suggestions for possible funding sources (renew.industry@gmail.com). 

How do we treat your data? 

Data will be treated in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As a member of the network, we only use your data to send you our newsletter. We will ask you for your explicit permission for any further use within the scope of the network’s activities. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending a mail to renew.industry@gmail.com.