Paulo Ferrão, a professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, and president of the Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research (IN+), can now also introduce himself as co-chair of the Energy Steering Panel of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), whose mission is to inform both national and European Union policymakers on evidence in order to enable them to make fact-based, informed policy decisions.

Appointed by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences to join this Energy Steering Committee in 2024, Paulo Ferrão now succeeds, together with Paula Kivimaa of the Council of Finnish Academies, Neven Duić of Croatia and Hanna-Leena Pesonen of Finland, the previous co-chairs.

The EASAC Energy Steering Panel is responsible for monitoring key scientific, technological, and public policy developments in the energy sector, identifying priority issues, and advising other EASAC bodies on the studies and initiatives to be undertaken. Its impact will have a significant impact on two levels: at the European level, it will aid in informing policies and fueling debates within European Union institutions; and at the national level, it will involve academies that are part of EASAC and their interactions with respective decision-makers.

Paulo Ferrão highlights the importance of electrification in the energy transition as one of the most important topics for his term. “The electrification of transportation, buildings, and a growing portion of industry presents significant opportunities for decarbonisation, but it also brings major challenges for grids, storage, flexibility, and supply security”. He identifies another critical issue as the need to balance decarbonization with energy security, energy costs, and the competitiveness of European industry. “Europe is undertaking this transition within a complex international context marked by increasing technological and industrial competition and external dependencies—it is therefore essential to analyse the energy system in an integrated manner and understand how the transition can contribute not just to climate goals but also to a more competitive and resilient European economy”, he explains.

On this point, Paulo Ferrão argues that “Técnico plays a vital role in the energy sector due to the diversity and quality of skills it brings together, which range from energy systems and electrical grids to mobility, industry, buildings, the environment, and public policy.  Técnico has both the capacity and responsibility to combine excellence in science and engineering with an understanding of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the solutions developed.” He outlines three fundamental functions for the School, which include “generating knowledge and developing solutions, training the leaders of the energy transition, and ensuring that these solutions are adequately demonstrated and effectively reach society”.