YEREVAN, Armenia — On July 23, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment hosted the public launch event for Strengthening Research in Armenia for Energy Transition toward Climate Solutions (STREACS), a 36-month project funded by the European Union’s (EU) Horizon Europe program. STREACS brings together six research institutions and one company from Armenia, Italy, and Ireland to implement the project. The AUA Acopian Center is the lead partner of the project.
STREACS is an important initiative aimed at advancing research capacities in Armenia on energy transition from a fossil-fuel-based system to a system founded on efficiency and renewables. Both are essential components in making Armenia more energy resilient and secure. STREACS emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach in tackling Armenia’s energy, bringing together energy engineering, public policy, economic, and environmental disciplines.
The event commenced with a welcome address delivered by AUA Acopian Center Director Alen Amirkhanian, who introduced the University’s newly appointed provost, Dr. Alina Gharabegian. Dr. Gharabegian stressed AUA’s longstanding dedication to environmental sustainability, a commitment that has been integral to its mission for the past decades, including with the recent launch of the Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences program.
Dr. Gharabegian highlighted the fact that STREACS is funded by the EU Horizon Europe’s “Widening Calls,” which seeks to expand the European Research Area (ERA). The ERA represents Europe’s ambition to create a single, borderless market for research, innovation, and technology across the EU. Armenia has been part of this process for more than a decade, but efforts have intensified in the past several years. “We are actively pursuing the growing integration of AUA and Armenia in the European and global research areas and communities,” added Dr. Gharabegian.
Tigran Arzumanyan, chairman of the Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center (SIPAC) in Armenia, the national contact point for EU Horizon Europe projects in the country, followed with his own opening remarks, underscoring the importance of the project, particularly its role in enhancing research cooperation within both national and international institutions. STREACS partners include the AUA Acopian Center, the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, the Scientific Energy Research Institute of Armenia, Maynooth University (Ireland), University of Genoa (Italy), University of Campania (Italy), and Artemat, an Italian company focused on the development of simulations and serious games.
Next, Dr. Fabiano Pallonetto, professor at Maynooth University, discussed global trends in energy transition, emphasizing the integration of energy systems to achieve decarbonization goals, as well as the role of digital twins and data-driven insights in optimizing energy consumption and decarbonizing buildings and cities.
Dr. Mattia de Rosa, associate professor from the University of Genoa, highlighted the importance of personalized training for professionals through micro-credentials, which aim to address knowledge gaps and skill needs in the job market, particularly in energy retrofitting and renewable energy integration. Tommaso Terenzio, project manager from Artemat S.r.l, introduced innovative educational methods through gamification and serious games designed to enhance sustainability education. The developed suite includes various simulations and role-playing games focused on reducing energy consumption and adopting renewable energy sources.
Dr. Vahan Sargsyan, director of the Energy Strategy Center at the Scientific Research Institute of Energy, and Romik Avoyan, director of the Institute of Energy and Electrical Engineering at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, provided updates on the current state of national energy research capacity, including their focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Amirkhanian noted the importance of key stakeholders and their engagement at various stages of the project. Key stakeholders include early-stage researchers from Armenia, the Armenian and EU scientific communities, industry, policymakers, and society at large. “The primary objectives of stakeholder engagement are to involve multi- and transdisciplinary stakeholders with diverse perspectives on energy and climate security, enhance the quality of research through stakeholder input, and increase the applicability of research outcomes by prioritizing significant research problems based on stakeholder input,” said Amirkhanian. A series of co-design workshops, titled “Co-design, Co-create, Participate,” will be held in Yerevan to solicit input on energy and climate security from various stakeholders.
STREACS, which officially started in June of this year and will continue through May 2027, promotes research collaborations between project partners; supports study visits by young researchers from Armenia to Italy or Ireland; develops online asynchronous courses and micro-credential programs for established and young researchers, as well as for research administrators; fosters networks for researchers in Armenia, connecting economists, political analysts, data scientists, environmental and climate researchers, and energy experts; links Armenian researchers with peers in Europe; assists in the publication of joint papers in high-profile media outlets and peer-reviewed journals; and will host a global academic conference in Armenia on energy transition and energy resilience, to be held at AUA.
For additional information and updates on STREACS, please visit the project webpage at the AUA Acopian Center website.
The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, a research center of the American University of Armenia (AUA), promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. The AUA Acopian Center’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity protection and conservation, greening the built environment, sustainable energy, as well as information technology and the environment. Visit http://ace.aua.am.
