June 2026 – Four new research projects are set to begin under the KIC call Data sharing for the energy transition: sociotechnical challenges. With €5.7 million in funding from NWO and additional co-funding bringing the total to over €8 million, the programme will tackle critical issues around data use in the energy transition, including privacy, interoperability, and trust.
The energy transition relies on high-quality data to make systems more effective and reliable. Yet challenges such as differences in standards, privacy concerns, and fragmented governance often slow progress. This programme aims to generate new knowledge and practical solutions, ensuring that data sharing supports the shift to clean energy.
The awarded projects bring together researchers, municipalities, provinces, companies, and other organisations in interdisciplinary consortia. Among them is TRUST-ET, which will build a participatory platform to strengthen trust in data sharing. FEDERATE will focus on fair energy data environments to empower renewable energy systems. Sharing the Warmth will explore how data can support urban heat transition planning, while SHARE will develop synthetic datasets that function like real energy data, enabling innovation without compromising privacy.
By addressing sociotechnical challenges, these projects will help ensure that data sharing becomes a driver of efficiency, inclusivity, and resilience in the energy transition. The initiative reflects NWO’s broader mission to align research with societal challenges, fostering collaboration between knowledge institutions, private companies, and government to create both economic opportunities and social impact.
