Solar Thermal Technology Platform

On 30 May 2006, the European Commission announced the launch of the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform, an initiative of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation to facilitate the development of future research and development in solar thermal power generation. The European Solar Thermal Industry Federation is the umbrella of national solar thermal associations and includes over 700 members Europe-wide. The European Commission welcomed the platform by giving support to its secretariat through a Specific Supporting Action under the 6th Framework Programme. The results of this collaboration will help the Commission elaborate the future Framework Programme 7 strategic areas for research and development in order to ensure the full development of the EU solar market. European Technology Platforms are "bottom-up" initiatives launched by industry. They aim at bringing together all stakeholders and interested parties in a particular sector or technology area. Those platforms exist already for photovoltaic energy, smart grids, hydrogen and fuel cells, biofuels and clean coal. The objective of European Technology Platforms (ETP) is to develop and implement a common vision for the development of a certain sector or technology area. This includes the drafting of a comprehensive long-term programme for research and technological development in the area of the technology platform. Where the Commission shares the view that an area has adequate potential and that a technology platform would provide European added value for the development of the sector concerned, the Commission supports the initiative.

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