Master’s alumnus Daniele Novara is a finalist in the EU Sustainable Energy awards!

Daniele shares his vision: “I think that energy transition is an irreversible process, with very far-reaching implications in many aspects of everyday life. Italy, my home country, and Ireland have both made some steps in the right direction and are now producing a significant portion of electricity via renewable sources. However, their energy sectors are still dominated by fossil fuels so much more needs to be done – and now is the time to do it, especially with the EU’s dedication to mitigating climate change. I am determined to contribute so it can happen sooner rather than later and be economically sustainable, so that’s why I decided to create Easy Hydro. We aim to become the go-to company for hydropower energy recovery from existing water pipes, whether they are for drinking water, irrigation, or mine water supplies.

Daniele shares some final thoughts on his company, the competition and entrepreneurship: “Seeing this start-up evolve into a proper company is a dream come true after the years spent developing the technology during my MSc and PhD. During that time, I’ve worked with brilliant researchers; some of them are now my colleagues at Easy Hydro! So, my best advice for starting a company is to have a good and close-knit team and be patient and optimistic, especially if the results don’t come right away. But success is hopefully right around the corner.” Speaking of which, you can read more about Daniele’s mine project and vote for him here. He adds, “Just being nominated is great and a somewhat unexpected recognition of the hard work done so far. It has really boosted our morale and determination to keep developing our technology. And if we win, there’ll be a big party here in Dublin!” Best of luck to Daniele and the team at Easy Hydro – voting for the EU Sustainability awards is open until October 22^nd!

EIT InnoEnergy supports ambitious students who want to develop their start-up ideas in multiple ways. One of them is the Battle of Green Talent. During this hybrid competition, students pitch their start-up ideas to Investors (business students) and advisors (professionals, venture capitalists and CEOs) to win a cash prize of €10,000.- and a voucher worth €5,000.- to benefit from start-up incubation services from EIT InnoEnergy. And this is just one of the many ways in which you can start building your dream!

Would you like to contribute to the energy transition in the heart of Europe’s largest energy ecosystem? Learn all about our programmes here.