RWTH a Key Partner for Future-Oriented Topics
RWTH Aachen University and the French energy company Total have now formed a strategic partnership for joint research and development projects.
Since the beginning of 2018, Total and RWTH have already been collaborating as part of bilateral research projects conducted at the Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer WSA, the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives ISEA, and the Institute for Machine Elements and System Engineering iMSE.
These projects include research activities in the field of electric mobility, with a focus on cooling systems for electrical drives, for example. This collaboration is now to be successively expanded through the key account management provided by RWTH Innovation.
“It means very much to us to strategically enhance our partnership with Total, and we’re looking forward to driving progress together in the fields of energy, e-mobility, and other areas of research,” said Professor Malte Brettel, RWTH’s vice-rector for Industry and Business Relations.
As Jean Parizot, R&D Vice President of Total Marketing and Services, emphasized, RWTH is considered one of the company’s key partners when it comes to the development of future-oriented topics for the German market: “RWTH is special in Europe, given the recent development of its research campus, for example. Our collaboration presents a number of unique opportunities for both partners. For Total Marketing and Services, it is a real milestone,” Parizot said during a visit to Aachen.
Total is one of the worldwide leading companies in the energy sector. While its core business is the production and provision of oil and gas, it has been increasingly active in the fields of renewable energies and storage technologies. Europe is the biggest market of the company.
Currently, Total is expanding research and development in a number of areas. “The collaboration with RWTH is a symbol of excellent future perspectives and a new dynamism in research and development – for both parties,” said Parizot. Research projects currently under preparation have a focus on new efficient fuels, lubricants, batteries, energy storage systems, as well as wind power and solar plants.
Photo (from left): Professor Georg Jacobs (RWTH), Gregoire Roux (Total), Jean Parizot (Total), Dr. Frank Strozyk (RWTH Innovation), and Achim Kramer (RWTH) visit the Center for Wind Power Drives at RWTH Aachen University.