A strategic roadmap for converting solar energy into the production of important chemical compounds has been recognised by the European Commission. Its development was led by Prof. Joanna Kargul from the Centre for New Technologies at the University of Warsaw, among others. The achievement has been classified in the EC’s Innovation Radar.
Innovation Radar is a database maintained by the European Commission (EC) on the most innovative initiatives carried out by leading researchers and financed by the European Union.
In January, the EC announced that another achievement by scientists from the University of Warsaw would soon be presented on the platform. It is a strategic roadmap for converting solar energy into the production of important chemical compounds (Strategic Roadmap for Solar-to-X: Guiding R&I Investments and Policy Alignment). It was developed by a team led by Prof. Joanna Kargul from the Centre for New Technologies (CeNT) at the University of Warsaw and Dr Carina Faber from the European Innovation Council. Among the key institutions responsible for implementing this innovation, the EC also mentions two entities from Belgium: Belgisch Laboratorium van Elektriciteitsindustrie and Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum.
The future of renewable energy
The map is the result of the SUNERGY Community and eco-system for accelerating the development of solar fuels and chemicals (SUNER-C) project, which was implemented from 2022 to 2025 as part of the European SUNERGY programme. The main objective of this project was to create an integrated community and ecosystem, using the existing SUNERGY network and involving new stakeholders from across Europe. By combining the highest quality basic knowledge and implementations used in various sectors of society, as well as often unique infrastructure resources, the strengthened community prepared large-scale joint European actions. In addition to the aforementioned map, the team created a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, which sets out specific actions for the coming years, aligning technological innovation with climate goals and industry needs. A community mapping tool was also developed – an interactive platform that allows users to explore and filter R&D&I entities across the solar fuels and chemicals value chain, categorised by technology, infrastructure and cross-cutting competencies, as well as by country.
For those interested in clean energy, an open, interactive educational platform has been developed for all audiences, from secondary school students to industry professionals. In line with this objective, the co-authors of the SUNER-C project, including Vasile Parvulescu, Bert Weckhuysen, Siglinda Perathoner and Gabriele Centi, have written a book entitled Unlocking the Future of Renewable Energy and Chemistry through Catalysis.
The SUNER-C project received funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. In July 2025, during the summary of three years of activity, scientists declared the need and willingness for further action towards the goal of a climate-neutral Europe.
The University of Warsaw was represented in the SUNER-C project by Prof. Joanna Kargul, Head of the Solar Fuels Laboratory at CeNT UW, who has been a member of the SUNERGY board for many years. In recent years, she has participated in work that has resulted in, among other things:
- development of photocatalytic biohybrid nanosystems with significantly increased efficiency and stability based on innovative bioorganic platforms that improve electronic communication between photoelectroactive proteins and the electrode surface;
- cultivation of a new strain of extremophile microalgae (European patent) for special tasks (production of so-called high value products and bioremediation);
- the publication of a Strategic Research and Development Plan for Renewable Fuels and Chemicals;
- the imaging of a structured and rationally designed nanoarchitecture of sunlight-capturing proteins (biological photocatalysts) on the surface of graphene using cryo-electron microscopy.