The 2nd Project Meeting of TWINN2SET

The 2nd Project Meeting of TWINN2SET (Twinning to Sustainable Energy Transition) between the 3 partners (UiS, IFPEN and FORTH/IG) took place in Chania, at the premises of FORTH/IG during 24-29/09/23.

During the 1st day a welcome dinner was held between the partners. The 2nd day of the meeting the coordinator of the project Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis presented the meeting agenda and a detailed presentation of the work packages was held as follows:

WP 1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT, FORTH/IG (Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis, FORTH/IG)

Overall progress & status of the project, critical risks & actions

WP 2: BUILDING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE OF THE FORTH/IG, UiS (Prof. Raoof Gholami/ UiS)

Progress, status, deliverables, next steps

WP 3: TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS & VISIBILITY, IFPEN (Director of Georesources and Energy Center/IFP Frederique Fournier)

Progress, status, deliverables, next steps, MOOCs modification to personalized coaching

WP 5: OUTREACH & SUSTAINABILITY, FORTH/IG (ESR Mrs Chrysoula Tallarou/ FORTH/IG)

Progress, status, deliverables, next steps/ Discussion on future plans for collaboration in upcoming EU calls

On Tuesday 26th the discussion focused on the research part of TWINN2SET, (WP4, Dr Spyros Bellas) and the internships held in IFPEN and UiS

-Establishment of an advanced core lab (status & next steps)

-Technical scheduling of PhD visit at UiS, Varg field data available and lab work planned

-IFPEN presentation on the microbes, research state-of-the-art & current developments

-Fellows’ presentations on their visits to Norway/France (tbc)

In the afternoon of the same day, the 1st TWINN2SET Workshop on Task 3.2.1 “Enhancing the Research Management and Administration Skills”, took place at the premises of Technical University of Crete/Speakers Katrine Peck Sze Lim (Research Support Adviser) and Konstantinos Vavekis (European Patent Attorney, PRAXI Network).

On Wednesday 27th a Geological field trip was organized in Chania region with various parallel social events (eg., visit to traditional olive mill, meal at a local taverna, etc). The Leader of this trip was the Principal Researcher of FORTH/IG and WP4 Leader of TWINN2SET Dr. Spyros Bellas.

Geological Interest Stops on specific outcrops: - Start from Chania

1. Agia Kyriaki-Koumpeli (Rhodolith ramp/New Member)

2. Kalyves (Diatomitic-Facies)

3. Shallow-water carbonates/Akrotiri Formation (Traditional Olive Mill)

4. Kalidhonia (Deep-water to reefal/Kissamou Formation)

5. Livadhi Bay (Pre-neogene)

· Falassarna a (Old strandlines/seismicity/carbonates)

· Falassarna b (Platform carbonates/Tripolis Unit)

· Falassarna c (Ancient Harbor/Pleistocene to Recent Uplift) 6. Potamidha (Deep-Water Facies) 

On Thursday 28th the Project Steering Committee Meeting was organized and in the evening the 1st TWINN2SET Workshop on citizen engagement also took place in the context of 40 Years Anniversary of FORTH, at Vlissidis Theater  accompanied by a photography exhibition on energy transition and climate change and a piano concert on the music of Charlie Chaplin’s ‘’City Lights’’. The key-note speaker on that day were the President of FORTH Professor Nektarios Tavernarakis and the IFPEN Scientific Director Dr. Olga Vizika -Kavvadia.

On Friday 29th of September an event was organized by the SPE Student Chapter of Technical University of Crete in collaboration with the School of Mineral Resources Engineering of Technical University of Crete and the Institute of Geoenergy (under the support of the TWINN2SET action) entitled ‘’Educational opportunities at the University of Stavanger’’ with the following agenda:

• 10:00 – 10.10:  Introduction, Chrysoula Tallarou, President of SPE Student Chapter of TUC & assistant coordinator of the TWINN2SET project
• 10.10 – 10.20:   Welcoming, Professor Galetakis Michalis, Dean of the School of Mineral Resources Engineering
• 10.20–10.40: Mr. Eleftherios Maragkoudakis, Department of Academic & Educational Mobility (Erasmus +) Technical University of Crete, European Union (EU) student exchange programme
• 10.40-11.10: Professor Alejandro Escalona, Head of Department of Energy Resources, Director of the NCS2030, University of Stavanger.Title: About the University of Stavanger, Faculty of Science and Technology and master programmer in Energy, Reservoir and Eart Sciences
• 11:10-11:25 Discussion with an undergraduate MRED student (Mr. Konstantinos Amvrosiatos) that participated in the exchange program in Stavanger (Erasmus+)
• 11:25-11:30 Closing

There was a great response of attendances to this project meeting from the partners involved.

• From University of Stavanger, Professor Alejandro Escalona Varela, the Associate Professor Tina Puntervold, the Research Support Adviser Katrine Peck Sze Lim and the PhD Fellow Veronika Abdulina were present. 
• From the IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN), Director of Georesources and Energy Center Frederique Fournier, Researcher Simon Poirier were also present. 
• From the Institute of Geoenergy FORTH/IG, Director of FORTH/IG Professor Nikos Pasadakis, Principal Researcher Spyros Bellas, Researcher Evina Gontikaki, Researcher and Coordinator of TWINN2SET Emmanuel Stamatakis, Post-Doc Researcher of TWINN2SET Anastasios Labropoulos, Technical Staff Kastrinaki Electra, PhD Fellows Georgia Charalampous, Efsevia Fragkou, Vayanna Makri, Chrysoula Tallarou (Ass. Coordinator), Dimosthenis Telemenis and Undergraduate Student of MRED Konstantinos Amvrosiatos (6-month internship in UiS) were present. 
• Professor Raoof Gholami and the PhD fellow of TWINN2SET Ali Toorajipour participated virtually.