Make your life easier with a MyHIE account. It’ll save you time, help you find and organise content based on your needs and interests.
The Outer Hebrides is to represent the Highlands and Islands in a multi-national research project putting local people at the heart of delivering a low carbon future for their communities.
The Responsible Research and Innovation Policy Experimentations for Energy Transition project, RIPEET, is looking at the impacts of bringing together communities, businesses, academia, government, and the environmental sector to deliver sustainable energy solutions.
The project is being funded from the EU’s largest ever Research and Innovation programme, the €80bn Horizon 2020. As well as the Highlands and Islands, RIPEET is working with communities in Extremadura in Spain, and Ostrobothnia in Finland. The Scottish project partners are Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Community Energy Scotland (CES).
Sarah Marshall, senior project manager at HIE, said: “The plan is to bring together a wide range of people in a ‘Transition Lab’. The participants will explore what ideal regional energy systems would look like locally in 15-20 years’ time. Then, what’s needed to achieve that energy vision: including energy needs; the barriers; and how to kickstart action to deliver the vision.”
Matthew Logan, CES Western Isles Energy in Motion Development Officer, said: “The Outer Hebrides Lab will be able to actively shape and create change. RIPEET includes €50,000 funding for an ‘open call’ for solutions to meet an identified regional energy need. This might be a social or technological innovation, the establishment of an organisation, or a piece of research as selected by the stakeholders.”
Throughout the project, research will be carried out to understand what common policies, drivers and processes are needed to promote the regional transition to low carbon energy. The project is starting this year and will run until February 2024.
The international RIPEET project team comprises representatives from 11 experienced organisations from seven European countries, led by the Austrian Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI).
Wolfgang Haider of the RIPEET Coordination Team at the Centre for Social Innovation in Vienna said: “Our aim is to provide responsible and place-based research on energy transition innovation and delivery models, learning from the experiences of the three Transition Labs as they explore options, barriers and solutions in their local regions.”
HIE and CES are currently compiling a list of relevant stakeholders interested in taking part in the project. Find out more and get in touch at www.hie.co.uk/ripeet
A new wind tower factory at Nigg is expected to create hundreds of skilled manufacturing jobs.
Business Park on North Yell set to expand and create jobs
Find out more about the Destination Net Zero programme.
Firms encouraged to consider Pathfinder accelerator programme
Business panel survey seeks views across Scotland.
£1.47m of net zero transition funding for Tourism
Cumhachd Shlèite launches micro hydro project
Another 22 young business leaders from around the Highlands and Islands have become the latest to take part in a year-long programme aimed at developing the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Two young people with family connections in the Outer Hebrides have been successful in securing graduate marketing roles in the Isle of Lewis.
Plans for Caithness to become the host site for a prototype generator for one of the world’s most efficient, cleanest and lowest carbon forms of energy have taken a step forward.
A development manager has been appointed to a new community organisation in the Outer Hebrides.
Work is underway to redevelop two former schools in the Isle of Lewis into community hubs offering social and economic opportunities for residents and visitors.
