EDF Energy
The University of Sheffield has become an integral part of EDF UK’s innovation strategy and talent pipeline as their mutually beneficial partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
Founded on strong working relationships and mutual trust, this collaboration drives innovation at EDF and supports the development of a future-ready technical workforce. Simultaneously, it provides the University with vital industry insights and funding opportunities, while delivering real-world impact.
The partnership began with collaborations on the UK government’s Heat Pump Ready Programme, where the University’s breadth of expertise in clean energy solutions complemented EDF’s commercial perspective. Recognising the added value the University brings, it was then brought on board as a collaborator on Project Flash - a series of EDF trials exploring solar solutions for social housing, incentivised demand flexibility, and using electric vehicles and heat pumps for electric storage.
The success of the Project Flash collaboration cemented the fledgling partnership, leading to an official collaboration agreement formalising a closer working relationship between the Russell Group institution and the energy company. Expanding beyond its initial scope, the partnership is currently delivering impact through a number of active projects.
Strategic advantages for EDF:
- Diverse perspective and thought leadership: The University offers an academic viewpoint that complements EDF's commercial focus. This allows for deeper exploration of emerging trends, with university experts quickly bringing EDF up to speed on new technologies.
- Talent pipeline: The partnership provides direct engagement with the high-quality undergraduate and post-doctoral students who represent the technical workforce of the future. The collaboration currently supports three PhD students.
- Academic rigour and capability testing: The University provides the necessary academic rigour to thoroughly test and validate assumptions and capabilities. This includes advanced modeling capabilities and access to unique laboratory space, such as combustion testing for batteries - an activity impossible in a corporate office setting.
- Expanding networks and regional reach: The partnership extends EDF's network and provides a valuable regional connection in the North of the UK.
Katharine Baker, Senior Manager Zero Carbon Applications at EDF Energy, said: “Working with institutions like the University of Sheffield is vital because it offers a complementary perspective, allowing us to combine commercial strategy with the depth of academic insight needed to drive innovation on our journey towards net zero while delivering for our customers.
“Over the past couple of years, the partnership has gone from strength to strength and we are looking forward to further diversifying and deepening our relationship in the months and years to come.”
The partnership is very much a two-way street, providing researchers and students with invaluable exposure to the energy industry.
Solomon Brown, Professor of Process and Energy Systems at the University of Sheffield, said: “Working closely with companies like EDF grounds our students of all levels in the need to develop a skills base that is useful in a commercial environment.
“It’s about gaining that understanding of how a commercial environment works. For our research students, seeing their work used in a real-world environment and the impact this can have can be incredibly satisfying, while guiding the direction their careers will take.”
As a PhD student, engaging directly with the EDF R&D team is invaluable, as it adds a layer of realism and practical context to my research. Moreover, I really enjoy working with such a culturally and technically diverse group of professionals.
PhD student Ioni Kalospyrou
Institutional impact for Sheffield:
- Research impact and relevance: Applying research to real-world end-user challenges ensures commercial relevance and increases measurable impact.
- Funding opportunities: Having a major industrial partner like EDF makes the University a more attractive candidate for external research grants and funding bids.
- Strategic alignment: A more detailed understanding of EDF's commercial priorities ensures the university's research remains relevant and impactful.
- Broadened network: The University gains access to EDF's international network, opening doors to global collaboration.
- Policy and industry influence: By working closely with a major energy leader, the university gains a seat at the table in discussions that may influence regional and national energy policy and industry standards.
Looking ahead
The University and EDF UK plan to deepen the partnership and expand its reach as it explores larger collaborations on industrial decarbonisation and the expansion of technologies such as heat networks (shared heating systems that serve multiple buildings or whole communities). The partners are also expanding the reach of the partnership, bringing in EDF’s French and German research teams and other organisations in the university’s network.
"The core strength of this partnership lies in the level of trust, and this is something we will continue to build as we deepen our collaboration," Professor Brown added.
"That trust is what enables EDF to approach us directly and ask: 'We have a problem, can you help us solve it?'"