Communicating internally and externally

Over 100 researchers and representatives from business and government met in Bern on September 4, 2024 for the third SWEET conference. The focus was on exchange and communication - within the research community, but also between the scientific community and stakeholders from business and politics.

How should researchers communicate with business and politics? In addition to the presentation and discussion of research results, this question was the focus of the SWEET conference. The tenor: researchers should get involved in the public discourse and more engineers are needed in politics.

Closer to the audience
Christophe Ballif, Head of the Sustainable Energy Center at CSEM and the PVLab at EPFL, reported on his experiences in science communication - for example, how flagship projects in Neuchâtel aroused interest in photovoltaics and created acceptance. The discussion questioned why universities invest so much in patents. "We also have a mission to create economic value," said the dedicated photovoltaics researcher. Sometimes it is only patents that make it possible to talk about inventions, otherwise the risk of being copied is too high. And what does industry expect from researchers? Martin Näf from ABB: "We need a basis for making investment decisions. But we don't have time to read countless papers." He demands that researchers focus on relevant content, take costs into account and communicate data and assumptions transparently. They should also disseminate their findings more widely via the public media. As a representative of politics, National Councillor Bruno Storni pointed out that it is not easy for researchers to communicate with politicians: "Politicians often only listen to what they want to hear." And politics is slow; you have to keep repeating your messages over and over again. Perhaps, according to the politician, it is easier to reach politicians via the business world. There was a tip from the audience: it is often easier to get your message across and make a difference at a local or regional level. The administration is also open to input.

Making energy research tangible
Communication with various stakeholders is an important pillar of the consortia's work. This was demonstrated at the "marketplace", where the consortia presented their work. In a simulation game, the Lantern consortium invited participants to discuss the impact of tourism on the environment and the challenges of climate change for mountain regions. The EDGE consortium focused on a tool for municipalities: the online platform shows them the composition of the building stock by construction period, how its energy requirements can be estimated and what share the various energy sources account for in the heat supply. The potential for photovoltaics or wood energy within the municipality is also shown. The data collection provides the municipalities with a sound basis for their energy planning. Another example: SURE was asked to find differences between two images - for example, between the current energy system and the energy landscape of 2050, which would require a climate protection scenario with net zero emissions.

Important platform for exchange
Short presentations on the current consortia showed where SWEET-funded research currently stands.

The lively discussions following the presentations and the animated conversations during the breaks showed how important a conference is as a platform for exchange between researchers from the various consortia and industry representatives.

The slides of the presentations and photos of the SWEET conference are available on the website.

SWEET - "SWiss Energy research for the Energy Transition" - is a funding program of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). The aim of SWEET is to promote innovations that contribute significantly to the successful implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050 and the achievement of Switzerland's climate targets

Irene Bättig, Sprachwerk GmbH on behalf of the SWEET office, Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)
Pictures: SFOE