Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has signed an agreement with Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), which specialises in engineering and technology.
The agreement will allow QEERI scientists to work closely with other world-leading scientists in addressing key research issues related to Qatar’s Energy Security Grand Challenge.
Mohamed Khaleel, executive director of QEERI, said the strategic collaboration with EPFL will enable the exchange of visitors and training for QEERI staff members regarding advanced tools and equipment.
“The agreement will also provide QEERI access to state-of-the-art laboratories until our own facilities are completed,” he explained.
As a key research and development entity of QF, QEERI supports the mission of QF to build Qatar’s innovation and research capacity and address critical national priorities concerning energy.
It does this by establishing the necessary facilities towards sustainable development and management of energy and natural resources that benefit Qatar and the rest of the world. The collaboration with EPFL in co-ordinating research efforts is a vital element of its work.
QEERI and EPFL’s joint research activities will specifically focus on development, fabrication and testing for Photovoltaics solar cell traditional and innovative materials.
Research collaboration also includes development of models and tools that will enable the integration of solar power into the grid, along with a study of how people’s practices and demand on buildings’ energy affect the grid.
EPFL is among the leading universities of science and technology in continental Europe, and among the top rising universities worldwide, with broad expertise in fields including computer science, life science, basic sciences, and environmental engineering.
Dye-sensitised (Graetzel) solar cells, thin-film solar cells, and innovative technologies for energy storage are some clean energy solutions that have emerged from EPFL. The university also has a strong culture of innovation and technology transfer.
