On 20 October 2025, partners from the Greek pilot led by METLEN organised an outreach session at the University of Piraeus, engaging around 40 bachelor students from the Department of Economic Science. The session took place at the Regional Economics course and aimed to introduce students to the role of digital tools in the energy transition.
Bringing ECLIPSE into the classroom
The session focused on presenting the ECLIPSE project and its vision of supporting Europe’s energy transition through interoperable, user-centric digital solutions. Students were introduced to the Common European Reference Framework (CERF) and its role as an open-source foundation for developing energy applications that can integrate data across different actors and systems.
Particular attention was given to how digital platforms like the ECLIPSE app can contribute to energy planning and policy-relevant decision-making, especially from a socio-economic perspective.
Exploring the potential of digital energy applications
During the presentation, METLEN partners shared insights into the ongoing development of the ECLIPSE application, explaining how it is expected to evolve and build upon the CERF framework. While the app is still under development, the session highlighted its future potential to:
- improve access to energy data,
- increase user awareness and engagement,
- support data-driven analysis for economic and policy decisions.
The discussion also connected these functionalities with real use cases being developed within the project, helping students understand how digitalisation is reshaping modern energy systems.
Active discussion and valuable feedback
The session sparked strong interest among participants, leading to an engaging Q&A and follow-up discussion. Students raised thoughtful questions about the practical implications of digitalisation in the energy sector, as well as the challenges of translating data-driven insights into effective economic and policy decisions.
This exchange provided valuable feedback for the ECLIPSE project, reinforcing the importance of involving future professionals in the conversation around energy innovation.
Connecting academia and innovation
Activities like this highlight the importance of bridging research, education, and real-world innovation. By engaging directly with students, ECLIPSE not only raises awareness about digital energy solutions but also encourages the next generation of economists and decision-makers to actively contribute to the energy transition.
