Researchers

Johan Wasberg (Merinova)

Johan Wasberg
Development Director
Johan Wasberg
Merinova

In my opinion, the OpenInnoTrain secondments offer a flexible way of establishing new contacts and collaboration between both researchers, companies, and research institutes. Based on my own experience, I highly recommend others to take part in the OpenInnoTrain secondment program.

Seconded from Merinova to the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) and to RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia)

1 month, Spring-Summer 2019
1 month, Autumn 2019 & 2022
First Secondment: INESC TEC
Working as Development Director at Technology Centre Oy Merinova Ab in Vaasa, Finland, the OIT project provided me with an opportunity to visit INESC TEC – the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science – located in Porto, Portugal, for a total of one month during the period May – September 2019.
It was especially interesting to learn more about the research and four research clusters of INESC TEC, how they work closely with entrepreneurs and companies, the laboratory facilities, and potential future cooperation areas with the energy technology cluster in Vaasa. Participation in the SEST 2019 2nd Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies provided an excellent opportunity to meet and establish contacts to other European researchers and learn about their latest research results.

Second Secondment: a presentation at the Victorian Cleantech Expo 2022

During his OpenInnoTrain secondment at RMIT University in Melbourne Development Director Johan Wasberg provided a presentation at the Victorian Cleantech Expo 2022 in Melbourne. The presentation, Energy Sector Disruptions in Europe, focused on the present high energy prices in Europe. During the last year – from October 2021 to October 2022 – the average end user electricity bills in the EU capitals have increased by 69% and the natural gas bills by 111%. The causes for this are a stable demand combined by the closure of nuclear and fossil fuel-based power plants, especially in Germany and Sweden, without building enough new compensating power generation capacity replacing the closed plants. The Ukraine conflict, and associated import sanctions on Russian oil and gas and the sabotage on the North Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in September 2022, have added to the energy shortage and price increases. As a result, both domestic consumers and businesses are now facing very high energy costs which affect all levels in society. Several countries are planning energy price caps and various energy subsidy schemes to overcome the high costs. Electricity savings between 8-18 % have already been noted in some regions, but the severity of the upcoming winter will largely determine how Europe will be able to cope with the present energy disruptions.

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