On 13 November 2024, the Cluster Workshop with IWGs and ETIPs Secretariats on Task Forces was held in Budapest, Hungary, as a side event of the SET-Plan Conference. In response to a call from the SET-Plan, ETIP HYDROPOWER has delegated the following experts to the newly established Task Forces, which bring together technical experts to address cross-cutting topics:

• Hervé Romano (EDF, France) - Task Force 1: Circularity and Materials Substitution
• Anton Schleiss (ICOLD-EPFL, Switzerland) - Task Force 2: Research and Innovation for Societal Needs
• Eduard Doujak (TU Wien, Austria) - Task Force 3: Digitalization 
• Emmanuel Bouyge (EDF, France) - Task Force 5: Access to Market

For Task Force 4 concerns “Skills” which should foster collaboration between industry and academia, no expert from our forum manifested an interest to be part of this Task Force. However, the Scientific Advisory Board of ETIP HYDROPOWER has launched an initiative regarding the assessment of the hydropower education at universities in Europe in collaboration with EERA Hydropower.

On behalf of the Secretariat and to represent the hydropower view, Anton Schleiss participated to the cluster workshop on 13 November 2024, which goal was to identify the priorities of the cross-cutting topics in order to inform the future works of the respective Task Forces starting their work in 2025. The workshop was attended by 54 participants. The workshop outcomes can be downloaded here.