ANSOLE´s 14th Anniversary International Online Conference (A2IOC 2025) & 1st WAITRO SDG7 Working Group Online Conference (WAITRO-WG7-25)
February 21-22, 2025, Jena, Germany, the ANSOLE´s 14th Anniversary International Online Conference (A2IOC 2025) and the 1st WAITRO SDG7 Working Group Online Conference (WAITRO-WG7-25) were hosted by ANSOLE brought together experts, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the world to discuss key developments in sustainable energy, scientific innovation, and policy advancements. The event was co-hosted by North-West University, Mahikeng Campus, South Africa, and Multimedia University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. It was partnered by Riga Photonics Centre, Riga, Latvia, the Institute of Polymeric Materials and Testing (IPMT) of Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria, the TEA@SUNRISE Network of Swansea University, Wales, UK, the Impulsouth Community of Practice, and the World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion. The conference served as a platform for collaborative dialogue, networking, and knowledge exchange to advance renewable energy research and innovation and beyond.
WAITRO Secretary General Dr. Paul E. Burrows gave a welcome speech, and he highlighted the vital role Africa and the African energy market play in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 because of the continent’s rising population and Africa’s unique position in a global partnership in Science and Technology. Dr. Burrows emphasized that the learnings from past success cases suggested the need first to create a market for new, innovative technologies before the industry enters a phase of competition on price. To empower research and technology organizations to increase their fundraising capacity and success in converting technology to marketable solutions, WAITRO has introduced new membership schemes and initiatives, like the WAITRO Summit, entrepreneurship training sessions, and the SDG Impact Award, to close the gap between research and industry. He also reaffirmed that WAITRO and WAITRO, e.v. in Germany, will continue with their efforts to support the global innovation network in partnership and capacity building in clean, sustainable energy research.
The conference featured over 50 presentations from 21 countries (Algeria, Albania, Austria, Barbados, Cameroon, China, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Madagascar, Netherlands, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom) covering general topics, ethical issues, diverse renewable energy topics (solar thermals, photovoltaics), electrochemical processes, and topics out of the box. Participants represented institutions from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, reinforcing the global significance of the discussions.
About the Author: Lei Hou
