Towards an alignment of national research programmes and funding for CST technologies in Europe

Abstract

One of the STAGE-STE project work packages aims to develop relations with public bodies relevant to Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) research, such as national research funding agencies, ministries and other leading decision making bodies, in order to foster coordination and alignment of research programmes and funding at European level. Working groups have been created in eight European countries and concept notes were prepared regarding each group’s position on national CST research and funding programmes and its possible alignment at European scale. General trends and main conclusions drawn from the concept notes are presented, aiming to provide clues and common themes to the development of aligned CST research and funding programmes. Although the National Working Groups present different approaches there are coincident points, thus a common Research and Technological Development agenda for CST can be achieved at European scale. The alignment of CST research funding represents an harder task and will demand the improvement of available funding schemes or the development of a new one. However, there is some convergence regarding the general characteristics of the scheme and the kind of projects to be funded.