At the end of March, ABB invited 12 distinguished professors from various fields to attend a seminar in Vasteros, Sweden, to discuss the role of energy efficiency solutions in the current context of climate change. This is the first in a series of four symposia. Over two days, they worked with senior R&D staff from ABB’s research centers to explore the challenges of research related to energy efficiency in industry, transportation and buildings, and to discuss relevant technology and design processes as well as business models.

Matti Laitinen, R&D Manager of ABB’s Motion Control Division, said: “This is the first time we have held a workshop of this scale. Energy efficiency is essential for sustainable development, and at this meeting, we identified the challenges and opportunities for energy efficiency in related areas. It is important for ABB Motion Control to promote collaboration between industry and academia.”

Professor Hans-Peter Nee of the Royal Institute of Technology said: “The electrification of society is extremely important in order to move away from dependence on fossil fuels. When it comes to energy efficiency, it’s either head-in-the-sand or investing in cutting-edge technology. By investing in industry and focusing on research and education, Sweden can make significant gains in energy efficiency.”

The opportunity to meet climate goals lies in many ways. With the increasing use of renewable energy, investments in low-carbon processes and the development of circular business models, energy efficiency is one of the fastest ways for industry to cut energy costs and immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While opportunities abound, they are underutilized.

Tomas Kaberger, Professor of industrial energy policy at Chalmers University of Technology, said: “It is important that we make people aware of the opportunities for energy efficiency. Although energy efficiency technologies can help reduce costs, they are still not widely adopted, which is frustrating. People look at the investment costs, but they ignore the operating costs. I hope there will be a fruitful dialogue between technology suppliers and customers, leading to more informed purchasing.”

Cathy Yao Chen, R&D Manager of ABB’s Electrical Division, added: “Energy efficiency is one of the most strategic areas of the energy transition. At the workshop, we strive to find ways forward that we can contribute to society together. These two days of meetings have achieved remarkable results.”

The 12 principal researchers were from Aalto University, Chalmers University of Technology, Imperial College London, Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Meladalen University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the University of Nottingham.

Mikael Dahlgren, Head of ABB’s Research Centre in Sweden, said: “Over the two days of the conference, we had useful and important discussions, with all participants actively speaking and sparking new ideas. By working together, we can highlight the importance of energy efficiency efforts, identify joint research projects, and influence national investment in R&D and the EU’s R&D agenda to increase investment in areas that are competitive and contribute to meeting climate goals.”

This meeting is an important part of the Energy Efficiency Initiative. ABB has launched the Energy Efficiency Initiative globally since 2021 to encourage participants to contribute ideas for improving energy efficiency and raise awareness of energy efficiency opportunities. More than 320 companies and organizations from different industries around the world are now participating in the initiative. The series of workshops will also be held in the United States, Germany and Switzerland in the coming months. The results of the workshop will then be compiled and used to help research funders and the EU’s R&D agenda.