The Mad for Energy (Bojos per l’Energia) course, an initiative led by the Catalan Institute of Energy (ICAEN) in collaboration with IREC, celebrated an informal closing event of its fourth edition on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, at the IREC headquarters.

This educational program, designed to introduce young students to the world of energy, is part of the Bojos per la Ciència initiative organized by the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation. This edition comprised 13 students, who participated in 15 theoretical and practical sessions from January to May. These sessions explored key areas in the field of energy, with a focus on research in renewable technologies and strategies for efficient energy resource management to support the ongoing energy transition.

Throughout the course, students deepened their understanding of energy transition fundamentals and were introduced to state-of-the-art research on decarbonization. Topics included solar and wind energy production and storage systems, digital energy technologies, hydrogen, and energy-efficient buildings, among many others.

A total of 36 researchers from diverse national backgrounds—Spain, Italy, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Macedonia, China, USA, Greece, Argentina, and Mexico—participated, offering students a rich and inspiring educational experience. Their enthusiasm and commitment to science played a key role in motivating the young participants.

The course was coordinated by Judith Frutos from ICAEN and Anna Magrasó from IREC. It included an introductory session by Lluis Morer (ICAEN) and 14 sessions led by IREC researchers from multiple departments:

• Solar Energy Materials and Systems: Marta Miró, Yudania Sánchez, Jacob Andrade, Diego Nistal and Alejandro Pérez-Rodríguez
• Nanoionics and Fuel Cells: Alex Morata, Kevin Castelló and Marc Torrell
• Functional Nanomaterials: Andreu Cabot, Jing Yu, Ren He and Linlin Yang
• Energy Storage, Harvesting and Catalysis: Maximiliano Merlo, Elías Martínez, Elena Martín, Alvaro Rolando, Martí Biset
• Power Systems: José Ignacio Rapha, Pol Paradell, Anzhelika Ivanova
• Energy Systems Analytics: Mikel Fadul, Maite Etxandi, Dimitrios Lagos, Josh Eichman
• Climate Neutral and Resilient Buildings and Communities (REACT): Cecilia Pérez, Jordi Macià, Marina Calcagnotto, Joaquim Romaní, Carlos Chang, Francisco Belío and Iván Bellanco

The course highlights the importance of fostering scientific and research vocations among young people, particularly in fields linked to building a cleaner, more sustainable, and democratic energy model. Through direct engagement with cutting-edge research, the course gave students a unique opportunity to explore potential careers in science and energy innovation.

A video-summary with interviews with all the students can be found in our YouTube channel: