The Kick-Off Meeting of the ECHO Project was Held in Istanbul
Funded by the European Commission's Horizon Europe Program, the “Energy Communities Excellence Hubs: Catalyzing Energy Innovation Ecosystems” (ECHO) project aims to establish Excellence Hubs for energy communities and innovative energy services in Turkey, Greece, and Portugal. By adopting the quadruple helix model, the project brings together academia, industry, local and central government, and civil society. With a total budget of 5 million euros, the ECHO project will significantly contribute to building a resilient and fair energy system by empowering regional stakeholders. The project, which will run for 48 months, is set to conclude in December 2028.
The project's opening meeting was held on January 21, 2025, at Yıldız Technical University’s Davutpaşa campus. The opening speeches were delivered by the project's principal investigator (PI), Prof. Dr. Ozan Erdinç, Yıldız Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, and TÜBİTAK’s Head of EU Framework Programs Çağrı Yıldırım. Prof. Dr. Erdinç spoke about the project's role and significance in the field of energy communities. Prof. Dr. Debik emphasized the responsibility of leading the ambitious ECHO project and the opportunities it could create. Yıldırım highlighted the strategic success of the ECHO Project in the world of Excellence Hubs.
Following the opening speeches, ECHO’ Project Officer Françoise Dradin addressed the key aspects to consider within the ECHO project. Later, Dr. Sedef Budak from uSens Energy Solutions discussed the critical role of renewable energy, the challenges of transitioning to sustainable solutions, and the opportunities ahead.
In the second part of the meeting, roundtable discussions took place. The first round focused on the project's working details, while the second round covered the expansion and sustainability of the excellence hubs.
