Interview with Mr. Krisztián Edõcs, Coordinator of the Intuser Project

Please introduce the INTUSER project to us, what are its main objectives, what are your results achieved so far?

Krisztián Edõcs: The main idea behind the INTUSER initiative is that there is an increasing knowledge gap between scientists and the public. This has also been realised by the European Commission, who created a call for proposals for thematic networks aiming at what is called ‘bridging the gap between science and technology’ in the context of FP5.
What makes INTUSER a very interesting and unusual project is that it brings together scientists and representatives from all energy sources and lobbies to work towards one common goal: to give impartial information to the public. I believe that our ARENA is an ideal meeting point for all those who have questions concerning energy, the environment and sustainability.

INTUSER: Please tell us about your company, INNOTERM Energetics Ltd., what is your profile and main activity area?

Krisztián Edõcs: INNOTERM Energetics Ltd. (www.innoterm.hu) was founded in 1989 in Hungary. Our main goal at that time was to design and manufacture state-of-the-art energetic systems. Because during the nineties there were very few possibilities in Hungary for raising funds for our high R&D expenditures - which is the basis of any competitive technical development – INNOTERM very early acquired the necessary knowledge to take advantage of the initial possibilities provided by the Community research programmes. Accordingly, our first EC co-financed project dates back to the 4FP (1997). At that time Hungarian organisations were part of the group called third countries, so we had to apply through the INCO programme.
Based on that experience and knowledge we have developed several successful project proposals in the past and have been working on different energy, environmental and communication issues. Today, our International Project Development group is an internationally recognised team working on issues such as biofuels, geothermal energy utilisation, energy efficiency and auditing, as well as technology transfer and communication.

INTUSER: What other similar projects have you been involved in?

Krisztián Edõcs:INNOTERM Ltd., being one of the first Hungarian SMEs to take part in a European research project, today has a large network of international organisations and is a recognised project development company in Hungary and abroad. This has also been confirmed by one of our most prestigious projects; a study compiled for the European Parliament entitled ‘The Enlargement Process of the EU: Consequences in the Field of Energy.’ INNOTERM together with 3 international partners (ISQ, Auder and Fraunhofer UMSICHT) carried out the work directly for the European Parliament under a restricted invitation tender.
Besides several energy related national projects, where INNOTERM provides its clients with a complete service package of skills from proposal writing to technology design and supply as well as scientific and administrative project management, we have been increasingly taking part in international projects co-financed by Community Programmes and can be seen as the ideal link between the old and new EU member states especially for those who wish to cooperate successfully in the CEE region.

INTUSER: What was the main initiative to start the INTUSER project? How was the consortium established?

Krisztián Edõcs:The idea behind the INTUSER project is to initiate an impartial, open discussion between scientists and the public and to provide information that is available and sometimes self-evident to the scientific community in a way which is easy to understand for everyday people.
Accordingly, at the time of project proposal development we selected partners keeping in mind the above-mentioned goal. Our consortium comprises international professionals of different backgrounds and interest, who sit together at a table for one common goal – to provide accurate information to the public. Further to its complementarity one must also mention the internationality of our INTUSER team. Anyone who takes a look at the description of our team will immediately realise that we comprise partners from the EU15 and Accession coumtries (soon to be called: New Members) as well as Associated countries.

INTUSER: How would you describe the INTUSER project and the cooperation between the project partners? Have you experienced any difference from your earlier work and tasks? What makes the INTUSER project different from similar EU funded energy projects?

Krisztián Edõcs: As I mentioned before at several forums, the cooperation between project partners of the INTUSER consortium is exemplary. We have dedicated responsibilities and duties, which are well known and (almost always) respected. Though we have different backgrounds and may have different beliefs and interests we work well together towards a common goal. I believe this can be seen as new and unusual, since that way we are truly able to initiate an impartial dialogue, which cannot be expected from homogenous project consortia each comprising representatives of one specific energy source or geographical area.

INTUSER: As a Hungarian SME - what kind of advantages and benefits do you see through the participation of similar projects?

Krisztián Edõcs: INNOTERM Energetics Ltd. here in Hungary works at the forefront of international project development; and being a company of small to medium size, we consider it as a competitive advantage over other firms, who have not yet realised the importance of international cooperation. By now we have gained the necessary experience required by the EC and are able to work with and coordinate an international team of experts.

INTUSER: What do you expect from the third project year? What are your goals and tasks for 2004?

Krisztián Edõcs:This final project year seems to be the most interesting one. Up to now we have been able to gather, summarise and disseminate a lot of useful information to the public all over the EU15 and the New Member states. Accordingly, this year we will mainly focus on live, real-time dialogues, which - in terms of project management - means the organisation of so-called ARENA sessions. As somebody familiar with our project might know, these sessions take the form of an online forum and are organised once every month. Here everybody is welcome to participate and ask questions, which will be answered by specialists from the consortium or our invited guests. I would like to use this opportunity to call everybody’s attention to participate on these events. (ARENA)

INTUSER: Last, but not least, what do you expect from Hungary's EU accession - what changes do you foresee in the life of your company?

Krisztián Edõcs: We are looking forward to seeing the positive effects of Accession and we are happy to be an active part of our future development. We believe that Hungary, the other New Member states and the current EU15 will all gain a lot through the enlargement of the European Union.

INTUSER: Thank you for accepting our invitation.