This research area adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to explore, analyze, and develop innovative digital solutions that drive the evolution of the smart energy sector from a business ecosystem perspective. It delves into the complex relationships between various stakeholders, such as energy producers, consumers, regulators, technology providers, and market operators, to identify opportunities for synergistic collaboration, value creation, and competitive advantage.
Key areas of investigation within Smart Energy Ecosystems include:
- Business model innovation: Designing novel business models that promote the adoption of sustainable energy technologies, enable efficient energy management, and foster the growth of new market opportunities in the smart energy sector.
- Market design and regulatory frameworks: Analyzing and developing market structures, regulatory policies, and incentive mechanisms that encourage competition, innovation, and investment in smart energy solutions, while ensuring system reliability, resilience, and affordability.
- Stakeholder engagement and partnership strategies: Examining the dynamics of collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, with a focus on creating strategic partnerships, alliances, and networks that facilitate knowledge exchange, risk-sharing, and resource pooling in the smart energy ecosystem.
- Digital platforms and services: Investigating the role of digital technologies, such as IoT, cloud computing, big data analytics, and AI, in creating value-added services and solutions that enhance the efficiency, flexibility, and intelligence of energy systems, while also addressing challenges related to data privacy, security, and interoperability.
- Customer-centric solutions and user engagement: Developing customer-oriented strategies and tools that empower energy consumers to actively participate in the smart energy ecosystem, enabling demand-side management, energy efficiency improvements, and the integration of distributed energy resources.
By integrating insights from disciplines such as engineering, computer science, economics, management, and social sciences, the Smart Energy Ecosystems research area aims to foster a holistic understanding of the complex interdependencies in the smart energy sector, paving the way for transformative innovations and sustainable growth.