ISFTA contributes to the following networks:

This thematic Network objectives are:
  • to facilitate research collaboration at European and national level
  • assess and define R&D strategy for new activities
  • facilitate exploitation and dissemination of results to the technical community
  • provide information to the EU and national governments towards policy making
  • map the centres of excellence to develop the European Research Area "Virtual Centre of Excellence" for CO2
  • develop training materials and organise educational activities towards increased public awareness and acceptability
  • assess best practice to lay the foundations for benchmarking and standardisation.

 
Energy Wood Production CHAINs in Europe aims at :
  • seeking optimal energy wood production chains from different perspectives - technical economic, environmental and social
  • studying state-of-the-art technological options and practices for energy wood production and combustion
  • contributing to the necessity of reducing the cost of heat and power generated from wood fuel (e.g. by identifying learning curves)
  • providing information for inherently complex public debates surrounding the acceptability of wood energy and its contribution to sustainable development
  • identifying and studying socio-economic issues surrounding energy wood production and providing market analyses
  • identifying market opportunities and promoting these to potential market actors
  • providing suggestions related to the actions needed for successful promotion of wood energy utilisation in Europe
  • studying the environmental effects of using wood as an energy source, including analysis of specific stages along the full life cycle of chains

 

 
Specific Supporting Action (SSA) within the European Commission’s Framework 6 Programme. FENCO is a governmental initiative of Germany, Britain, Greece, Portugal, Danemark and Austria that aims to lead to a Co-ordination Action (CA) that will create a Fossil Energy European Research Area Network (ERA-Net). Such a Europe-wide initiative will help the European fossil fuel industry compete in the expanding world market.

 

 
Network of Organisations for the Promotion of Energy Technologies. ISFTA has been certified by the European Commission, as a member of the network since 1996. ISFTA continued its activity in the OPET Network, as a member of the European Solid Fuels OPET (ESF-OPET) (1999-2001) and Cleaner Fossil Fuels OPET (CFF OPET) and Combined Heat and Power / District Heating Cluster (CHP/DHC OPET), dealing with the promotion and dissemination of Clean Coal Technologies in Europe and internationally.

In this context, ISFTA plans a series of co-operative activities with similar institutions from Balkan countries, China and India for the promotion of fluidised bed combustion technologies and coal and biomass co-combustion technologies.

 

 
Euroheat & Power. ISFTA is associate member of the union of European institutions, which construct or operate district-heating systems. Acting within this network, ISFTA aims at transfering innovative technologies and know-how in the Greek district-heating enterprises, taking advantage of
  • the easy access to information about district heating technologies and
  • the contacts with representatives of district-heating units that are currently in operation all over Europe.

 

 
SEEC Network. Agreement for co-operation with the aim to research, develop and implement new energy-efficient and ecologically acceptable technologies applied to power production and chemical and environmental engineering of the South-East European Countries. ISFTA is one of the 16 technological institutions and university laboratories that signed this agreement aiming at the development of various co-operative activities between the members, such as joint studies and projects, technical meetings, information exchange schemes, education and post-diploma training programmes, etc.

 

 
  Network of Research and Technology for the Greek Lignite. This Network, which has been established by ISFTA, already counts 11 members between Greek experts in the field of solid fuels, including professors and directors of university laboratories and research institutes from all over the country. The network aims at the collaboration of Greek institutions in specific research fields, as well as the development of a common national strategy for the promotion of solid fuels exploitation.

 

 

ISFTA is a member of several international organisations and collaborates with research institutions and organisations throughout Europe and Asia. Through exchanges of technical visits, co-operative and commissioned research, trade co-operation, technical export and personnel training, ISFTA has established a long-term co-operation relationship with many organisations in more than 20 countries.

On a national basis, the Institute provides also:

The experience gained throughout the years and the building of know-how, by undertaking large-scale R&D projects, co-ordinating consortia of organisations, being actively involved in dissemination activities and networks, may classify ISFTA among the Centres of Excellence and of equal importance to other European and non-European Centres involved in solid fuels technologies.

ISFTA research activities follow the National, European and international trends for the technological and economic development of the energy sector. The academic, technological and managerial goals of ISFTA at the end of 2004 are focused on the following fields: