{"id":61124,"date":"2026-01-26T10:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T10:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sfc.ac.uk\/?p=61124"},"modified":"2026-01-26T10:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T10:47:12","slug":"international-day-of-clean-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sfc.ac.uk\/gd\/international-day-of-clean-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"International Day of Clean Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"group

Photo: SPEERI<\/p><\/div>\n

Today is International Clean Energy Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness and promoting action towards clean, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.<\/p>\n

It has also been almost a year since I started my role as Deputy Director (Energy) at the Scottish Partnership in Energy and Engineering Research & Innovation (SPEERI). So, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on the last year, on the clean energy sector and the role of academia and penned a few thoughts.<\/p>\n

When reflecting, the one thing stands out\u00a0above all else: I am genuinely impressed, every single day, by the depth of academic talent we have across Scotland in the clean energy space. Whether\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0speaking with senior professors who have shaped their field for decades, or early career researchers and lecturers who bring fresh drive and\u00a0new ideas, the passion within Scotland\u2019s academic community is unmistakable.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0infectious, too. You\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0spend much time around this level of enthusiasm without feeling encouraged about\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0possible for Scotland\u2019s energy future.<\/p>\n

What strikes me most is how consistently researchers push boundaries\u2014not just in theory, but in practice. Across the country, academics are developing technologies that will form the backbone of tomorrow\u2019s clean energy systems. This includes advancements in floating offshore wind, such as Heriot-Watt\u2019s Frontline project, which uses autonomous underwater vehicles and satellite monitoring to study the ecosystem impacts of floating turbines.<\/p>\n

Researchers are also pioneering marine energy solutions, including a novel monolithic tidal turbine blade design developed at Edinburgh\u00a0University\u2019s\u00a0FastBlade\u00a0facility in Rosyth that reduces material use, manufacturing time, and costs. In addition, battery storage innovation at St Andrews\u00a0University is exploring novel solid electrolytes that enhance lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and oxide-ion conduction, boosting the performance, safety, and longevity of next-generation batteries.<\/p>\n

But the real strength behind these innovations isn\u2019t just technical excellence\u2014it\u2019s the culture of collaboration that Scotland is known for. Collaborative working to maximise impact is core to the SPEERI vision. Over the last year, I\u2019ve seen first-hand how SPEERI provides a collaborative platform which brings together the collective research strengths in energy and engineering of its 14 partner universities and connects them directly to the challenges and opportunities emerging from industry, government, and the public sector. These partnerships make sure that new ideas don\u2019t just sit on a lab bench as theoretical; they translate into real world applications that benefit people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

A good example of this is the work of the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes & Livelihoods (SRAEHL), a partnership of 4 Scottish Universities including Stirling, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Strathclyde. Funded by SFC, its vision is to create a collaborative research environment that breaks down silos and delivers practical solutions for energy transition. The alliance focuses on evidence-based policy engagement and real-world impact, tackling challenges such as decarbonising heat, developing financial pathways for large-scale home retrofits, and empowering households to adopt sustainable practices.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0collaborative spirit also drives major hydrogen initiatives. The\u00a0University of Glasgow\u2019s leadership in the HI-ACT hub and RGU\u2019s role in the METASIS programme show how Scottish\u00a0universities are working across the UK to solve complex global challenges in hydrogen production and integration.<\/p>\n

This spirit of collective problem solving extends well beyond academia. Scotland has always been a country of entrepreneurs, a country that has born some of the greatest innovations the world has seen that are still in use today, Penicillin, telephones and a firm favourite of mine \u2013 the television!<\/p>\n

This spirit of entrepreneurism has extended into the clean energy space and so many early stage companies I have encountered have either come through the university system or maintain active links with researchers. That connection\u2014between research insight and entrepreneurial drive\u2014is one of Scotland\u2019s greatest strengths and really helps to move ideas from concept to commercial reality at a speed that genuinely makes a difference. This is coupled with a strong innovation support landscape, with organisations such as the regional Enterprise Agencies, the Innovation Centre programme and centres such as the Net Zero Technology Centre, Power Networks Distribution Centre, National Subsea Centre and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland to name but a few\u2026 and of course SPEERI!<\/p>\n

Another element that deserves recognition is the role our\u00a0universities play in nurturing talent. Scotland is training the future engineers, analysts, innovators, and policymakers who will deliver the clean energy transition. The opportunities available to students, whether through interdisciplinary programmes, doctorate programmes, industry placements, or hands on experience in living labs and test environments are exceptional.\u00a0And having spent time with many of these students and early career researchers, I can confidently say: the future of our workforce is bright.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on International Clean Energy Day,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0reminded that clean energy is a global challenge, but progress depends on local action\u2014on the people and institutions who show up every day to do the work. Scotland\u2019s academic community does exactly that. They ask\u00a0difficult questions, develop new possibilities,\u00a0collaborate generously, and push us all forward.<\/p>\n

As we accelerate toward net zero, their contributions will be more important than ever. For me,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a privilege to work alongside such committed and talented people. Scotland\u2019s\u00a0universities are more than centres of learning\u2014they are engines of innovation,\u00a0collaboration, and transformation and they are helping shape a cleaner, fairer, more resilient energy future not only for Scotland, but for communities around the world.<\/p>\n

Jennifer Smart
\n<\/strong>Deputy Director (Energy), Scottish Partnership in Energy and Engineering Research & Innovation
\n26 January 2026<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clean energy research in Scotland\u2019s universities radiates enthusiasm, passion and pioneering new ideas.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4277,"featured_media":61126,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInternational Day of Clean Energy - Scottish Funding Council<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfc.ac.uk\/gd\/international-day-of-clean-energy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"International Day of Clean Energy - 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