The REsearch Center for Energy and New Technologies RECENT project is financed by EU within Seventh Framework Programme, Theme 4, Capacities (Research potential of Convergence Regions) and coordinated by Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Gliwice, Poland.

The scheduled duration: 1st February 2010 - 31th January 2013

The total project value: €1.84M (EU grant € 1.64M).

The ITT affiliated with the SUT, Gliwice, Poland, employs nearly 80 researchers among them 15 Professors. ITT enjoys national and international recognition in the field of energy research and education.

The University is located in Upper Silesia, a highly industrialized part of Poland, undergoing rapid transformation from heavy industry to high tech region of significant economic growth.

The three years project is executed in collaboration with four partner institutions:

• School of Process Environmental and Material Engineering, University of Leeds, UK

• CIRCE - Centre of Research for Energy Resources and Consumptions, University of Zaragoza, Spain

• Department of Energy Engineering, University of Florence, Italy

• VTT, Finland National Research Centre, Jyvaskyla, Finland

From the wide spectrum of research areas the staff or the Institute is engaged, three fields of cooperation with partner institutions have been selected:

• economic, first and second law analysis of large energy systems
• technologies for low carbon energy generation with special stress on oxycombustion and biomass utilization, CO2  separation and sequestration
• advanced computer simulation techniques in energy sector

Through commissioning of equipment, intensive bi-directional know-how exchange and networking, longer secondments of ITT staff at partner institutions, workshops, joint projects and twinning agreements the project aims at better integration of ITT in the European Research Area.

The outcome of the project will also be the reinforcement of the already existing and creating new cooperation links with the industry with an aim of enhancing their competitiveness and promoting high tech solutions. The collaboration with local and national administration will result in increased influence ITT on shaping of the local and national eco-energy policy. Increase the visibility of ITT at international level by successful networking with research entities not directly involved in this project are another outcome of the project.