IREC has participated in the European Researchers’ Night 2024, a European Commission initiative under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions within the Horizon Europe program. This event, which has been running since 2005, takes place simultaneously in nearly 400 cities across Europe.

One of the main goals of this event is to bring these professionals closer to society. Often, society is unaware of the daily work that researchers do. Highlighting this work is a way of expressing gratitude, as well as showcasing the exciting career opportunities it offers.

This year, IREC’s participation involved different activities in CosmoCaixa during the RN event, while scholar talks took place around that week in the framework of the Els investigadors van a l’Escola initiative.

IREC’s activities in CosmoCaixa

On September the 27^th, IREC members engaged the public with three interactive activities at CosmoCaixa (in Barcelona), aiming to promote scientific knowledge and highlight the importance of renewable energy technologies in fighting climate change. All these activities were organised by ESCIENCIA and Fundació “La Caixa”, in coordination with Nit de la Recerca.

In an engaging “speed dating” format, Anna Magraso introduced IREC’s cutting-edge research in renewable energy and learned about the Gara OPEN project and how the institute’s work is contributing to a sustainable future by addressing climate change.

During the evening, a Researcher’s Fair took place with several booths showcasing different scientific and outreach activities from several universities and research entities. One of these was the workshop “Put a lemon in your battery!”, by Maria Castellvi and Maximiliano Merlo. This hands-on workshop introduced the participants to the basics of electric batteries using everyday materials such as lemons, potatoes, and coins.

Levon Gevorkov took part in a microtalk devoted to climate change and focused on this project “Cellmanager – A path for a sustainable green transition”. Levon discussed how hybrid battery storage systems are key to enabling the transition to green energy.

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IREC’s participation at schools

IREC researchers were also active in the “Els investigadors van a l’escola” initiative, involving a series of talks focused on renewable energy research at various schools in Barcelona, and coordinated by ACCC.

Francesco Chiabrera gave a talk about “Neuromorphic Technology for a More Sustainable AI” on September the 26^th at Col·legi Claret (Barcelona). This talk explored how neuromorphic computing can contribute to more energy-efficient artificial intelligence.

Olha Skurikhina compared “Solid-State Batteries vs. Post-Lithium Batteries” on September the 30^th at Col·legi Alemany de Barcelona. Attendees learned about the future of battery technology and how these advancements could revolutionize energy storage.

Juan Carlos González Rosillo and Alicia Ruiz discussed “What’s Inside a Battery? A Look at Solid-State Batteries” on October the 2^nd, at Escola Univers (Gràcia, Barcelona). This session offered an accessible look at the inner workings of lithium-ion batteries and introduce solid-state battery technologies.

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Acknowledgements

The project “RESEARCH NIGHT: BRINGING RESEARCHERS INTO THE LIGHT” is an event funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Call identifier: 101162311/HORIZON-MSCA-2023-CITIZENS-01 (Marie Skłodowska-Curie-European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at Schools Actions 2024-2025).

Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.