María Blecua

CIRCE Foundation (Centre of Research for Energy Resources and Consumption) was established in 1993 as an independent Research Centre to create and develop solutions and scientific/technical knowledge and to transfer them to the business sector in the field of energy. CIRCE’s mission is to drive forward improvements in energy efficiency and to spread the use of renewable energy by means of the development of R+D+I activities and formative actions, thereby contributing to a sustainable development. Over 300 professionals with a broad variety of profiles compose the team of people working at CIRCE. Since 1993, CIRCE has conducted more than 2.500 R&D&I project at national and international level and has trained more than 1.850 professionals from 47 countries within the postgraduate courses CIRCE promotes. In year 2001, CIRCE was recognized as National Centre of Innovation and Technology. CIRCE maintains a national leadership position in the focus area of Low-carbon and climate resilient future, being the first national Research Centre getting more projects in competitive calls within H2020 in Spain according to the EC dashboard. The main research topics in CIRCE are: energy efficiency, wind and solar power, natural resources, biomass, electrical substations, smart-grids and storage, thermal power systems and emissions reduction, sustainable mobility and energy socioeconomics. CIRCE is also a very active actor in the R&D and Renewable Energy integration projects at Spanish and European level. As proof of its experience in international projects, CIRCE has participated in over a hundred of European projects. Currently CIRCE is involved in 76 H2020, being coordinator of 22; and 77 Horizon Europe projects, coordinating 22 of them. CIRCE joined in 2015 The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R), by means of which aims to reflect CIRCE’s commitment to continuously improve its Human Resource policies in line with the European Charter & Code, and to provide a stimulating and a favourable work environment. CIRCE carries out R&D&I activities with the ultimate aim of ensuring the energy efficiency of products, processes and services that contribute to reducing energy demand without compromising supply, comfort and safety, and to transfer these results to both technology providers and end-users. The concept of energy efficiency ranges from the search for better technology on thermal and electric systems in a broad scope of sectors (biomass heaters, process ovens, thermal power stations, industries with intensive energy usage, cogeneration and desalting systems, etc.) to changes in behaviour regarding energy usage, encouraging a wiser, more sustainable consumption.