FREED (Funding Resources for Innovation in Energy Enterprise Development) is a three year project funded under Interreg’s Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, which has its focus on energy innovations. The project will provide SME’s in the program area with the support network required to introduce and develop energy innovations, which would otherwise be unavailable to them. The FREED project partners are: University of Oulu – Finland, Western Development Commission (WDC) – Ireland, Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) – Ireland, South West College (SWC) – Northern Ireland,  Green Angel Syndicate (GAS) – Scotland, European Institute for Innovation EIfI) – Germany. You can contact any of the freed project partners HERE. 

During the beginning phase of the project the partners have researched, identified and mapped the shared energy innovation needs of their regions. These include such fields as energy storage and IoT solutions, but there is also differences between the needs of the participating regions, as well as similarities. The project reports are available  HERE. In addition to this, the global technology breakthroughs in the energy sectors have been reviewed to put the energy innovations in context. The aim of this study was to establish how technology is trending in the different energy sectors insofar as it relates to the energy innovation needs and priorities identified in the FREED project NPA region.

Based on the information gathered from the FREED partner regions an open call for energy innovations was issued in February this year. SMEs were asked to submit their tenders about innovative solutions that addressed the following themes: Intelligent Grid (IoT), Energy Storage, Smart and Efficient Buildings and Environment and Renewable Energy Solutions. Six individual calls were issued by participating project partners and innovations implemented in their home regions. The selection of the successful bidders was made during Spring and many of the innovations have been busy in setting up their systems since then. The details of each Energy Innovation can be accessed by clicking the company logos below and we will be bringing you more information about them later on. Stay tuned!