EPFL and UM6P extend their collaboration to green energy research
Anna Fontcuberta i Moral, Martin Vetterli and Hicham El Habti © UM6P
EPFL and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) have taken a new step in their collaboration by signing an agreement to expand their cooperation in the field of green energies.
This initiative will enable researchers from both institutions, active in the field of green energies, to benefit from support for joint projects. In response to growing needs and opportunities in this field, UM6P and EPFL are committed to developing synergies around this strategic theme.
The program aims to set up scientific tandems, composed of a professor from UM6P and a professor from EPFL working in the field of green energy. These tandems will help optimize synergies and develop collaborative projects. The agreement also paves the way for the establishment of joint infrastructures and technology demonstrators to serve both institutions. It also foresees a potential extension of this collaboration to other areas of research.
“Together, we are stronger: we have research excellence in sustainability; we have great potential among schools, centers and labs, in Switzerland and in Morocco. We have Swiss lakes and glaciers, Moroccan winds, sunshine everywhere: this enables us to test new technologies on a real scale,” says Martin Vetterli, President of EPFL. Anna Fontcuberta i Moral, future President of EPFL, adds: “UM6P and EPFL have the common will to contribute to a better world through education and innovation. Thanks to its youth, UM6P has contagious creativity and energy. I look forward to future collaborations."
Hicham El Habti, President of UM6P, adds: “This expansion of our collaboration with EPFL testifies to our shared commitment to advancing sustainable energy research and strengthening scientific innovation in Africa. By pooling our expertise, we aim to propose concrete, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and actively contribute to the continent's scientific development”.
Since the launch of the “Excellence in Africa” initiative in 2020, EPFL and UM6P have been working together to develop research excellence in Africa. Building on the success of this first phase, the two institutions have signed an extension of the program until 2031, enabling the already established research axes to be strengthened. A new axis dedicated to digital solutions for sustainable cities in West Africa has also been added. It aims at demonstrating the potential impact of digital and new technologies for the sustainable development of African cities and reducing the vulnerability of their inhabitants.