Gabriele CENTI – President ERIC aisbl (European Research Institute of Catalysis), Belgium

Gabriele Centi is a full professor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Messina, Italy, and President of the European Research Institute of Catalysis (ERIC). He was coordinator of the EU Network of Excellence IDECAT, and is actually President of IACS (International Association of Catalysis Societies). He received several awards, and is involved in various editorial activities. He is author of about 500 scientific publications and many books.

Title: Challenges in energy nanomaterials to substitute the use of fossil fuels

Abstract: Accelerate the rate of introduction of renewable energy in the EU energy mix and progressively phase out the use of fossil fuels (both as energy source and raw material for chemistry) are the two twinned necessary elements to achieve the targets for CO2 emissions and mitigate climate changes, but especially to create a new sustainable economy and society. Already today there are the economic bases for this transition, but the limiting factor is the still too slow progress in the development of the related technologies and energy nanomaterials. There is the need to accelerate the scientific and technological progress in this area by developing the necessary instruments.

Speaker of PILLAR 1: NANO for ENERGY. PARALLEL 1.1 Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials for a Carbon-neutral Society by 2050