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Top-level Research Initiative www.toppforskningsinitiativet.org Top-level Research Initiative www.toppforskningsinitiativet.org Top-level Research Initiative NordForsk www.toppforskningsinitiativet.org Top-level Research Initiative NordForsk www.toppforskningsinitiativet.org Top-level Research Initiative – a major Nordic venture for climate, energy and the environment 36 37 Editors and text TFI secretariat, Jakobsen & Amundsen Kommunikasjonsbyrå Translation Darren McKellep and Victoria Coleman Cover photo Alexandr Tovstenko/iStockPhoto (m) Design Jan Neste Design The Swan is the official Nordic ecolabel, introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1989. Printing Merkur. No. of copies: 3000 The Top-level Research Initiative Nordic collaboration on research and innovation – solutions to climate challenges 2 4 6 10 14 18 22 26 30 32 A joint Nordic research and innovation initiative Climate challenges Effect studies and adaptation to climate change Interaction between climate change and the cryosphere Energy efficiency with nanotechnology Integration of large-scale wind power Sustainable biofuels CO2 – capture and storage Cooperation yields synergy, quality and a broader perspective 32 The Top-level Research Initiative shall... The Top-level Research Initiative (TRI) is an effort on the part of the Nordic countries to find solutions to global climate challenges and is the largest-ever venture of its kind. The Nordic countries are taking a collaborative, large-scale approach to research and innovation. In addition to strengthening the position of the Nordic countries internationally, the TRI will promote value creation in the Nordic region. The Nordic countries have access to natural resources that many other regions do not have, and thus have great potential for developing sustainable solutions. It is essential to these countries that they manage their resources responsibly. Individually the Nordic countries are small, but their long history of collaboration paves the way for achieving impressive results. The TRI brings together the Nordic countries’ best researchers within climate, energy and the environment, the business sector and innovation communities to ensure the application of research findings. 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 Denmark Sweden Finland EU 15 Iceland EU 27 Norway 0 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 Development indicates positive trends in some countries, but efforts must be increased if we are to achieve the targeted reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The Top-level Research Initiative is part of the effort of the Nordic region to accelerate progress towards a low-emissions society. (Source: European Environment Agency 2009) The TRI comprises six sub-programmes encompassing the entire solution chain from research on climate change and its impact on society, to innovation and the development of solutions within environmental technology, energy efficiency and new forms of energy. 34 Historical development of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the Nordic countries, EU-27 and EU-15, in tonnes The TRI aims to develop reliable climate models to predict future climate change, while at the same time better preparing society to deal with the impacts of climate change. The TRI will extend over a five-year period, with the first funding announcements issued in autumn 2009. 35 Top-level Research Initiative – a major Nordic venture for climate, energy and the environment The Nordic prime ministers met in April 2008 at Riksgränsen, Sweden. They agreed to establish collaboration for research on climate, energy and the environment. From left: Geir H. Haarde, Jens Stoltenberg, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Fredrik Reinfeldt and Matti Vanhanen. Photo: Johannes Jansson/norden.org The Top-level Research Initiative (TRI) is the largest joint Nordic venture for research and innovation ever undertaken. Over the next five years, researchers in the Nordic countries will work together to generate new knowledge about climate, energy and the environment. In April 2008 the Nordic prime ministers met to discuss how Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark and Norway could collaboratively meet future climate, energy and environmental challenges. The TRI is the result of decisions taken at that meeting. 2 «The Nordic Region is in a strong position to pioneer efforts to combat climate change. We will therefore intensify Nordic cooperation and promote initiatives to ensure that a new international climate regime is reached in 2009. A sustainable Nordic model for meeting climate challenges will demonstrate the potential for combining reduced emissions with economic growth.» The Nordic Prime Ministers, 2008 3 Climate Challenges «One thing we know about the climate problem is that we must act! We need results, and results can only be achieved through research and cooperation.» Halldór Ásgrímsson, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, gave a clear message when he presented the joint Nordic Top-level Research Initiative. Photo: Bård Gudim The Top-level Research Initiative (TRI) seeks solutions to perhaps the greatest challenge facing the world today: the impact of climate change. The Nordic countries are global leaders in several types of renewable energy. The Nordic region is also home to research institutions and industrial companies in the forefront of several fields of energy research. These advantages can be exploited to even greater benefit through cooperation. Three Nordic institutions - NordForsk, Nordic Innovation Centre and Nordic Energy Research - act as secretariat for the initiative, contributing their combined competencies in the fields of research, innovation, technology and energy. The three institutions are all under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Top-level Research Initiative addresses six primary thematic areas and has a budget of DKK 400 million over the next five years. The following pages present the six thematic areas and the corresponding sub-programmes. Effect studies and adaptation to climate change Interaction between climate change and the cryosphere Energy efficiency with nanotechnology Integration of largescale wind power Sustainable biofuels CO2 – capture and storage Within the framework of these six thematic areas, the initiative will also include: • Advanced climate modelling • Social sciences and humanities • A focus on the Arctic 4 Diskobukta, Greenland. Photo: Pål Hermansen/SamPhoto 5 More precipitation. More frequent storms. Rising sea levels. How are we to adapt to these impacts of climate warming in the Nordic countries? Sub-programme 1 Effect studies and adaptation to climate change 6 Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty/Scanpix 7 Sub-programme 1 Effect studies and adaptation to climate change Climate change brings threats and opportunities As the climate in the Nordic countries changes, many complex issues will arise: How should urban planning take into account the increasing amounts of precipitation in the coming years? What can the agriculture industry do to adapt to more rain and wind? And how can the Nordic countries’ key forestry industry cope with more frequent rough weather and violent storms? Climate change may have impacts on nature, the ecosystem and the economy. So challenges must be met across a broad front, drawing upon the expertise of not only researchers within a variety of fields, but also participants from the industrial, political and community planning arenas. Under the sub-programme «Effect studies and adaptation to climate change», up to 10 new networks will be created. Each will comprise outstanding research groups from at least three Nordic countries. Together the networks will strengthen research and researcher training at the Nordic, European and global levels. Each of the 10 networks will receive up to NOK 300,000 annually for up to three years to fund workshops, conferences, seminars and researcher courses and cover administrative costs. There are many real concerns about future climate – but a warmer climate may also provide opportunities in the Nordic region. The growing season can be extended, with higher crop yields, and forests will grow more quickly. The objective of the sub-programme «Effect studies and adaptation to climate change» is to generate more knowledge about the impacts of climate change. What threats may arise? What are the adaptation capacities of society? What opportunities will emerge for the Nordic region? Three or four new Nordic Centres of Excellence (NCoE) will subsequently be established, which will better equip the Nordic countries to enter into further European cooperation. A total of NOK 90 million is planned to be invested in the new centres. Assessing the different aspects of climate change – negative and positive alike – will require cross-disciplinary research, which is why this sub-programme encompasses the natural, technical and social sciences. The aim is to put hard facts on the table, from which various scenarios can be created. 8 Photo: Bud Freund/Digital Stock 9 The ice is melting from under the polar bears. The permafrost is thawing. There is ample evidence that the climate is changing, but we still know too little about the impacts. What does the future hold for the Arctic? Sub-programme 2 Interaction between climate change and the cryosphere 10Glaciers along the coast of Greenland. Photo: Pauline Mills/iStockPhoto 11 Sub-programme 2 Interaction between climate change and the cryosphere Ice as an indicator of climate change The cryosphere – those areas of the earth where the water is in its solid form – is an especially important indicator of climate change. Therefore an entire subprogramme under the Top-level Research Initiative is dedicated to studying this area. Climate change is experienced early in the polar regions and bordering areas, so the Nordic countries are particularly well situated to find out more about what types of changes are coming and when. While the Nordic and Arctic regions will be the geographical focus of this subprogramme, the knowledge generated will also be relevant well beyond the borders of the Nordic countries. The sub-programme «Interaction between climate change and the cryosphere» will study all the areas where the water is in its solid form, such as glaciers, sea ice, permafrost and snow. Many of the questions dealing with climate change relate to the impacts of the thawing of massive amounts of the earth’s ice. This sub-programme will promote collaboration between existing, highlyskilled Nordic research groups on activities involving scientific observation, analysis and modelling. Research applicable to industry may also be included. Glaciers are receding in many parts of the globe – which is strong, observable evidence confirming that climate is changing. But we do not know for certain why the glaciers are melting. We also need to learn more about the impact on sea levels as the Greenland Ice Sheet declines. The melting Ice Sheet might affect ocean currents. The Top-level Research Initiative plans to fund up to three Nordic Centres of Excellence (NCoE) under this subprogramme, which has a budget of roughly NOK 100 million. The permafrost has also begun to thaw, which releases methane and carbon dioxide – gases which could be drivers of further global warming. But how serious is this threat and how rapidly can it develop? 12 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Photo: James Balog/Aurora/Getty 13 The emergence of nanotechnology is enabling us to custom-design new materials with e ntirely novel properties. Ice-free surfaces, reduced friction and more efficient batteries are just some of the possibilities. Sub-programme 3 Energy efficiency with nanotechnology Nanotechnology applied to steel construction. Photo: Alwyn Cooper/iStockPhoto 14 15 Sub-programme 3 Energy efficiency with nanotechnology Nanotechnology can raise our energy efficiency In the coming years, nanotechnology will bring advancements in technology to a number of fields – so we must take advantage of the opportunities ahead. The primary focus of this sub-programme is on energy savings. One example is the use of ultra-thin light-converting layers to increase energy efficiency in solar cells. In one such solution, nanotechnology is combined with solar heat – our most secure energy source for the future – to offer new heating solutions. Applying nanotechnology in energy transmission and storage can also raise our energy efficiency. The Nordic countries have a longstanding tradition in materials technology. In recent years, Nordic research policy has given high priority to new nanotechnology – which is why the Nordic countries are already making great strides in exploiting nanotechnology. The sub-programme «Energy efficiency with nanotechnology» will provide support to projects that can generate practical findings, and will allocate funding to userdriven research projects involving the participation of the business sector. Cooperation between the Nordic countries and within the EU creates even better opportunities, not least when it comes to applying nanotechnology to improve energy efficiency. Enhancing expertise is a key factor for continued success. The sub-programme has a budget of roughly NOK 50 million. Research on nanotechnology and new materials often leads to technological innovations with applications in a wide variety of areas. A major reason why the Top-level Research Initiative funds nanotechnology research is that it can help us to become more energy-efficient. 16 dra_schwartz/iStockphoto 17 Wind power holds significant potential as an alternative energy source in the Nordic countries. However, a number of research challenges must be solved if we are to capitalise on the benefits offered by wind power. Sub-programme 4 Integration of large-scale wind power 18Wind turbines in Ringkøbing, Denmark. Photo: Ingo Wagner/dpa/Corbis 19 Sub-programme 4 Integration of large-scale wind power Wind power has potential in the Nordic countries The objective of the Top-level Research Initiative sub-programme «Integration of large-scale wind power» is to help find solutions to various challenges associated with the widespread use of wind power. Wind power – especially offshore wind power – is perhaps the most promising alternative energy source of the coming decades. Within a few years, wind power may constitute 15-20 per cent of Nordic electricity production. Wind turbines produce electricity when the wind is blowing. But a major challenge is that this electricity cannot be stored – at present, it must be produced when consumers need the power. Perhaps someday we will be able to store this electricity directly or indirectly. The grids of the Nordic countries have been connected together to a certain extent in recent years, and will be further interwoven in the years ahead. Nordic electricity is also exported to the rest of Europe. How will the price and supply of power be affected when the electricity supply from wind power is connected to this grid on a large scale? Climate change, dwindling carbon resources and insecurity of energy supply have made the development of wind power more relevant than ever, both in the Nordic countries and in several other places in Europe. How can wind power facilities be erected at minimal cost, and what are the critical factors involved in proper turbine maintenance? How can the working life of wind turbines operating in severe offshore conditions or in extreme cold be extended? One major challenge lies in connecting a series of new wind power facilities to the grid. Offshore wind power involves special transmission challenges, so technical solutions must be found that enable the development of wind power using an absolute minimum of new transmission line construction. Research and development cooperation between grid companies and producers of wind power is essential. 20 jcamilobernal/iStockphoto These are some of the questions that will be examined under this sub-programme, and the various projects will incorporate the direct involvement of the business sector. The sub-programme has a budget of roughly NOK 30 million. 21 The Nordic countries are very advanced in the use of forest biomass for heating and electricity production. The sub-programme «Sustainable b iofuels» will focus instead on producing fuel from Nordic forests and Nordic agricultural products – a technology area rife with challenges and rich in opportunity. Sub-programme 5 Sustainable biofuels 22 A coniferous forest in Sweden. Photo: Mattias Hagström/iStockPhoto 23 Sub-programme 5 Sustainable biofuels The petrol of the future is growing in the woods Nordic forests are expanding. Since only a portion of this growth is harvested, each year yields more forest – providing a tremendous opportunity to exploit a renewable energy source. Denmark has little forest area but each year the country’s agriculture industry produces large amounts of agricultural residue that remains partially unutilised. Turning spruce, pine and birch into petrol is no simple matter. The chemical composition of biomass is very unlike fossil oil, so the list of research challenges is long. But the potential payoff is great, and much relevant research is already underway in the Nordic countries. There is much to gain from research collaboration between countries. Although some technology for converting forest to fuel exists, its efficiency is still far from adequate and the end product is still far from being competitive with traditional petrol or diesel. The outlook for success is very promising and Nordic companies could emerge as international leaders in the field. In Finland and Sweden, wood chips and pellets are commonly used for heating of homes and for producing electricity. Moreover, the amount of traditional firewood burning in both countries, as well as in Norway, is not insignificant. Nonetheless, the forest can provide us with even more sustainable energy – in the form of biofuels for motorised vehicles. The sub-programme «Sustainable biofuels» will allocate roughly NOK 30 million in funding to user-driven research projects. Biofuels already exist. But these are made from sugar, corn and vegetable oils that often could be used to feed people. The next generation of biodiesel and bioethanol should come from the forest or agricultural residue. Forest covers large expanses of the Nordic countries, an advantage that should be utilised far better than it is today. In addition, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian industry has a lengthy tradition of utilising wood as a resource. Although forest is scarce in Iceland, the country possesses knowledge about the use of enzymes in biomass conversion. 24 Bertrand Collet/iStockphoto 25 Global CO2 emissions must be curbed drastically to avoid anthropogenic climate change. There is no time to waste in implementing new technology to capture and store CO2 – and the Nordic countries can take a leading role in this area. Sub-programme 6 CO2 – capture and storage 26 Photo: Peter Andrews/Scanpix 27 Sub-programme 6 CO2 – capture and storage The Nordic region can take a leading role in capture and storage of CO2 The Top-level Research Initiative sub-programme «Carbon capture and storage» brings together expert researchers, industry and the public authorities in the Nordic countries to pool their efforts in this critical field. Establishing networks between researchers, industry players and energy policy stakeholders will be a key component of the sub-programme. Keeping track of what is happening in the Nordic region in the field of CCS and the sharing of expertise will also be important tasks. One aim of the sub-programme is to prevent Nordic researchers from conducting redundant research. The Nordic countries are exploring CO2 management from different focal points. Norway is investing in research on CO2 emissions from gas-fired power plants and possible subsea CO2 storage in the North Sea, while Sweden and Finland have concentrated in particular on possibilities for CO2 capture and storage when burning biomass. International efforts focus on the massive CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. As the earth still has enormous coal reserves, purification of these emissions would be of major, lasting benefit. CO2 capture, however, requires substantial investments. Several technologies are being tested, and new ones can emerge. CO2 storage will also require large-scale initiatives and costly infrastructure. But in the longer run, the system of buying and selling CO2 quotas could make it profitable to manage CO2 emissions. And capture and storage of CO2 could open up new business opportunities for Nordic industry. «Carbon capture and storage» will explore topics of research and innovation where there is potential to benefit from collaboration and exchange of experience across borders within the Nordic region. By cooperating, the Nordic countries can also take a more active role in the increasingly wide-ranging research conducted within the EU in this field. The capture and storage of carbon emissions can greatly contribute to reaching the goal of dramatically reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 management is therefore high on the political agenda in several Nordic countries. The Mongstad petroleum refinery in Norway. Photo: Svein-Jørgen Wiken 28 The sub-programme has a budget of roughly NOK 40 million. 29 Cooperation yields synergy, quality and a broader perspective The issue of climate change is complex. But close cooperation and coordination between the research and innovation communities of different countries can help us solve the problems we are facing. Collaboration between the research and business sectors is also needed to ensure that knowledge is put to good use. We are firmly committed to our ability to contribute to solutions. Cooperation, as we know, generates synergy and leads to broader perspectives. Collaboration between Nordic researchers can also provide a platform for international cooperation. In this way the Top-level Research Initiative can gain influence beyond the Nordic region, particularly in Europe. Individually, each Nordic country is small, as are their research communities. The Top-level Research Initiative seeks to build visible, highly effective Nordic specialist research groups made up of the most dynamic players. Promoting collaboration between researchers, companies and industry will ensure that research findings are actually applied. Natural science research will be the main focus of the activities carried out under the Top-level Research Initiative’s six sub-programmes. But the climate crisis is complex, and the sub-programmes will also draw upon the social sciences. Much of the knowledge within climate research is fragmented, a problem that will be addressed. There is a great need for coordination of the various institutions and research groups of the Nordic countries. With proper coordination we could pool all our knowledge in the field, providing the best knowledge possible. The Top-level Research Initiative has a budget of DKK 400 million over five years and involves a variety of Nordic organisations and national institutions. In addition to its role as a Nordic effort towards solving the global climate crisis, the initiative will promote research and innovation within the region. It will focus on fields of climate and energy research of common interest to the Nordic countries, in which the region can contribute to international solutions. The Top-level Research Initiative emphasises close cooperation between the six sub-programmes and will include cross-programme activities. «Environmental policy involves both the environment and politics. On the one hand we have ‘molecules and wolves’, on the other hand we have policy which must be applicable to society. This is where the social sciences come into play. We need to know the costs of a policy, how to implement it, and the impacts it may have.» Rolf Annerberg, chair of the TRI Management Board 30 Photo: Terje Heiestad, Millimeterpress 31 The Top-level Research Initiative shall: • Profile the Nordic region as a leader within certain areas of the energy and climate sectors. • Strengthen national research and innovation systems. • Create larger professional communities which extend across borders and pave the way for greater mobility of competencies. • Ensure the highest quality in research and innovation by combining the strongest Nordic communities. • Provide a platform for increased international cooperation both within the EU and beyond. • Enhance Nordic participation in EU programmes. • Strengthen Nordic competitiveness by using research and innovation to counter economic downturns. 32 33