NEFI Interview Series
‘Four questions for …’

Four questions for Peter Nagovnak

What is your role in the NEFI-Innovation Network?

I support the operational work in NEFI_Lab and I am the first point of contact at the University of Leoben for all matters relating to work package 3. This is the work package in which industry and infrastructure scenarios are developed and technology and infrastructure developments are supported. For this topic, we are in intensive exchange with industry representatives and other relevant stakeholders to be able to deliver scientifically high-quality and relevant results.

In your opinion, what are the advantages of working together in a network?

Besides the extremely amicable atmosphere among colleagues from all partners, which usually makes the work go by very easily, it is above all the large amount of expertise, of a technical-scientific nature and in terms of projects and workshops, that makes the job in the NEFI-Network so special.

How does your work benefit from the NEFI Network?

The intensive exchange with industrial partners and NEFI-colleagues allows me to continuously develop personally in many areas. Especially in the modelling of energy systems and their technical and economic evaluation, a constant exchange with all stakeholders is extremely important. Through my work in NEFI, I have been able to learn at least as much about the events and workshops that are necessary for this exchange, as well as their preparation and moderation, as about the scientific part of my project.

Outlook: Where does the journey go when the scenarios developed in the project have been finalised?

By developing our scenarios for the industrial energy system, we want to support the discussion and decision-making process in Austria. The comparison of the three scenarios with each other shows very well which levers still need to be moved to get on the path to achieve complete decarbonisation until 2050. If the technology options developed within the framework of NEFI are consistently further developed and the necessary framework conditions are provided, I am convinced that Austria and the Austrian industry can take on a pioneering role in climate protection and international competition.