The Ministry of Science and Innovation is promoting a Energy Research Alliance in Spain an initiative that is strategic at a critical moment in the development of both emerging technologies and in the deployment of pilot projects in more mature technologies. Already in a previous article, “Clean Technologies : Playing to win? Demonstration can prevent small players from successfully spanning the entire innovation chain.
From my point of view, Spanish scientific-technological agents must join forces in the face of major energy challenges: the electric car, offshore wind energy, carbon capture and storage, the smart grid… and more in the face of growing international competition in the development of these technologies. As I pointed out in the previous article, the investment from countries like China, South Korea, the US or Japan can dwarf European efforts.
Spain starts from a good position but cannot release the accelerator. The energy sector will undoubtedly be one of the most profoundly transformed in the upcoming sectors and the competitive advantages of the“early entrants” can be decisive. We have to be there and the Energy Research Alliance is good news.