Building Bridges: EIFER Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

With a comprehensive program of lectures, workshops, and discussions, the European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER) has celebrated its 15th anniversary at KIT end of September.

More than 100 guests participated in the celebration, among them numerous representatives of the EDF Group, and partners from research and industry. The event was inaugurated by Bernard Salha, Vice President of R&D at EDF, and Professor Dr. Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT, who both are members of the EIFER Board of Directors. Guests of honor were Jean-Jacques Pierrat, Counsellor for Research and Technology of the French Embassy in Berlin, Klaus Stapf, Mayor of Karlsruhe for Climate and Environmental Protection, and Dr. Chantal Pacteau, Co-Director of the European Hub Climate Change Research Network.

The French-German Institute EIFER which, among others, deals with sustainable urban planning and energy planning, integrated local energy systems, and hydrogen technology, was founded in 2002 by EDF and KIT.

According to Pascal Terrien, Director of EIFER, “building bridges” is the mission of the research institute. This was confirmed by Bernard Salha during his inaugural address: “EIFER has kept its promise: The institute builds bridges between France and Germany as well as between academic research and industry.”

Professor Hirth, in his speech, also emphasized the importance of French-German cooperation. “The KIT can look back on a long tradition of cross-border cooperation, and EIFER has been an essential part of that for 15 years.