Javier Olarte, Director of Technology Transfer at CIC energiGUNE, has been selected by BEPA - Batteries Europe as Research Chair of one of the Association´s six Strategic Working Groups, which advise the European Commission on identifying priorities for battery research and innovation activities. Mr. Olarte will be the Research Chair of the Group on "Application and Integration: Stationary", which also includes Christina Noce, from Enel X, as Industrial Manager and Matthias Vetter, from Fraunhofer ISE, as Technical Advisor.
“We are at a decisive moment for the sector and it is very relevant and important that CIC energiGUNE is represented at the highest level in this forum,” said Mr. Olarte. “Moreover, I believe that this selection is recognition of the outstanding results that are being obtained at the research center, and the real expectation that we can contribute a great deal to Europe on the road to competitiveness”.
The main task of the Working Group of which Javier Olarte will be the Research Chair will be to publish technology reviews and roadmaps, and to identify, prioritise and draft key battery R&D topics for Horizon Europe´s work programmes. His task will reinforce the core objective of Batteries Europe, which is to accelerate and support the establishment of a globally competitive European battery industry, and to strengthen synergies and complementarities between EU initiatives.
More generally, this Working Group, entitled "Application and Integration: Stationary", will focus on different battery systems for stationary applications (ESS, static industrial machinery, second life), exploiting synergies between the different applications by developing new technologies at the battery system level, taking into account mechanical, electrical and thermal engineering aspects, as well as battery management software and hardware.
Together with Javier Olarte, the BEPA has selected some of the most renowned European experts to lead the Strategic Working Groups, such as Kristina Edström, from the University of Uppsala; Maja Vilkman, from VTT; Silvia Bodoardo, from the Politecnica di Torino; and Marcus Jahn and Michele de Gennaro, both from AIT. The involvement of these professionals in the Batteries Europe project further strengthens the commitment to establish an R&D&I ecosystem to enable the development of battery-related skills, knowledge and technology.
Javier Olarte has over 30 years of experience in the energy storage and power electronics industry. He has an extensive background in research and development of battery and storage systems, operations and engineering management, and is an expert in transforming strategic plans into tactical initiatives. Since 2018, he has combined the post of Director of Technology Transfer at CIC energiGUNE with that of CEO of the spin-off Bcare.
