The objective of the ResHil EnergIA project is to establish an innovation platform in the Pirkanmaa region that enables co-creation between different stakeholders and supports RDI activities closely networked with the business sector. The implementation of the innovation platform aims to advance regional and national energy-efficiency measures and carbon‑neutrality targets, as well as strengthen the security of supply and operational reliability of regional energy distribution.
To achieve this objective, the project will develop an advanced and versatile RDI environment at TAMK for SMEs that produce energy‑related technology and service solutions. The technological core of the RDI environment is a microgrid implemented within the project, capable of autonomous energy and power balance management, and designed to model a geographically limited section of an electricity distribution network. The microgrid includes diverse interface points, incorporating local renewable energy generation, energy storage systems, and equipment that simulates electricity consumption within the built environment and industrial sectors.
The project will also establish a shared operational model to support collaboration between stakeholders, enabling the target groups to fully benefit from the developed RDI environment. Together, the RDI environment and the shared operational model form a resilient, carbon‑neutral, and energy‑optimized innovation platform developed in close cooperation with the participating companies and other project stakeholders.
Additionally, the project will produce recommendations and tools for industrial SMEs to advance their own energy‑efficiency and carbon‑neutrality actions. The recommendations will be based on analysis conducted during the project, while the tools will be shaped from publicly available documentation recorded from the platform’s demonstrations.
Background
Companies in Pirkanmaa offering solutions that promote carbon neutrality and energy efficiency face challenges due to limited opportunities to demonstrate the competitive advantages of their products, systems, or services in real-world application environments.
Research and co‑development activities networked with industry require shared RDI environments and established collaboration models between stakeholders to accelerate the development of carbon‑neutral and energy‑efficient system solutions.
The ResHil EnergIA project directly supports SMEs in Pirkanmaa whose energy-system‑related technological and service solutions contribute to improving energy efficiency and advancing carbon neutrality at the regional, national, and international levels.
The outcomes of the project’s activities will enhance the capability of industrial SMEs in Pirkanmaa to assess their opportunities to adopt operational models that improve energy savings and energy efficiency, as well as solutions that support carbon neutrality, and to apply these within their own processes and facilities.
Goal
The project has three main objectives.
The first objective is to support the RDI activities, piloting, and commercialization goals of SMEs in Pirkanmaa through an innovation platform developed within the project. The technological and service solutions of these companies contribute to national and international efforts to enhance energy savings, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The second objective is to strengthen the capabilities of industrial SMEs in Pirkanmaa to develop carbon‑neutral operating models and to facilitate the adoption of solutions that improve energy savings and energy efficiency.
The third objective is to enhance TAMK’s capacity to collaborate with SMEs in Pirkanmaa in research and development related to improving energy efficiency, expanding the use of renewable energy sources, and diversifying modes of energy production.
Impact
The project has four measurable and targeted key outcomes.
The first outcome is a functional and fully implemented technological solution for the innovation platform — an RDI environment made available for use by SMEs in Pirkanmaa.
The second outcome is a shared operational model that enables SMEs in Pirkanmaa to access and utilize the developed RDI environment.
The third outcome consists of documented demonstrations showcasing the utilization possibilities of the innovation platform developed in the project.
The fourth outcome is a set of recommendations, formulated through the project’s analytical work, to support industrial SMEs in Pirkanmaa in developing energy‑saving and energy‑efficiency measures, as well as advancing carbon‑neutral solutions and operating models.
Funding source
EAKR Euroopan aluekehitysrahasto 2021-2027
Main funder
Pirkanmaan liitto
Contact persons
heikki.yli-rami [at] tuni.fi