Céline Fellay, leading Brightsite’s ‘Transition Scenarios and System Integration’ program line, unveils the scope and aims of the AMIGDALA project. With a kick-off in January in Frankfurt, the project mobilizes Europe’s shared vision for a sustainable industrial future under the Green Deal. Fellay provides a glimpse into the synergy and strategic objectives at play, along with Brightsite’s contribution.
AMIGDALA is a Horizon Europe project, part of the EU’s key funding program for research and innovation aimed at driving Europe’s scientific and technological advancements. This initiative facilitates collaborative efforts across countries and disciplines to address societal challenges, foster industrial competitiveness, and contribute to sustainable growth.
Sitech and TNO, both partners of Brightsite, are actively participating in this project. Fellay (Sitech) dedicates her expertise full-time to Brightsite as Manager of the program line ‘Transition scenarios and system integration.’
Can you introduce the AMIGDALA project?
Fellay: “AMIGDALA is a Horizon Europe-funded project aimed at supporting decision-makers in defining and evaluating pathways for circular, climate-neutral, and competitive industries. It aims to achieve this by fostering collaborative research, integrating diverse models from various domains and scales to create a coherent framework that guides industry transitions and policy development, ensuring alignment with the European Green Deal’s sustainability goals.”
What is Brightsite’s contribution to AMIGDALA?
“At Brightsite we’ve successfully developed a suite of models designed to support and streamline the chemical industry’s transition towards more sustainable practices. While our primary focus has been the Chemelot site, the scope of our models extends to the broader chemical sector. Our ambition, though specifically tailored to a smaller scale for a more concentrated impact, off course aligns with the larger industry-wide objective of fostering significant environmental and economic transformations.”
Given the project’s early phase, what are Brightsite’s immediate priorities and actions within AMIGDALA?
“Since the kick-off meeting in Frankfurt in January, the immediate priority has been stakeholder engagement through Deloitte’s interviews to discern crucial decision factors. While in the meantime, we’re analyzing how to synergize the eight distinct models created by the different consortium partners.”
What will be the main challenge in AMIGDALA?
“The central challenge lies in the integration of the various yet complementary models to operate as-one. For example, some models have been designed with a global perspective, focusing on factors like population growth and gross domestic product. In contrast, Brightsite’s CIMS model is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the local chemical industry. Although this model will not be part of the envisioned integrated model directly, it will be connected to it and to other regional models.. A key element of the challenge will be to agree on a set of common assumptions to be implemented in all models to ensure consistency, Simultaneously, we are hopeful to enrich and enhance CIMS with data and expertise from our partners, creating a robust and improved system.”
How does Brightsite plan to collaborate with other partners in AMIGDALA?
“Working with VITO and DECHEMA is particularly exciting for us; they are organizations akin to the Dutch TNO and offer a chance to engage in enriching mutual learning through this project. Additionally, Deloitte’s focus on capturing the perspectives and needs of stakeholders is another aspect we find especially interesting and valuable. The breadth and depth of AMIGDALA naturally spark curiosity about the unique contributions each partner will bring to the table.”
What is the next significant milestone?
“The next significant step in AMIGDALA is to demonstrate a proof of concept. By next year, we aim to validate the connectivity and functionality of these integrated models.”
More on AMIGDALA
Over the coming months, more updates and background information on AMIGDALA will be made available on the Brightsite website. For detailed information about the objectives and the partners involved, please visit the official AMIGDALA project website.