New technologies for off-grid villages – a look ahead

Cambridge Workshop 15 January 2014

Professor Sir Brian Heap

EASAC Past President

MCSC Scientific Adviser

St Edmund‘s College

Cambridge CB3 0BN

UK

MALAYSIAN COMMONWEALTH STUDIES CENTRE at CAMBRIDGE (MCSC)

The mission of EASAC

• To identify by horizon-scanning upcoming issues for which science and technology could play a key role

• To review and critique the latest science and technology for the formulation of evidence-based policies within Europe institutions

• To raise questions about policies and programmes that do not take into account the scientific evidence

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EASAC Membership

• 24 National Academies of Science of EU Member States (not Malta, Luxemburg, Cyprus)

• One pan-European Academy of Science (Academia Europaea)

• The association of all Academies in geographical Europe (ALLEA)

• Observer: Federation European Academies of Medicine (FEAM)

EASAC reports and statements 2011-2013 Realising European Potential in Synthetic Biology (Jan 2011)

EU Public Health & Innovation Policy for Infectious Disease (Apr 2011)

Impact of Nanomaterials on Health (with JRC, Oct 2011)

Infectious diseases and the future: policies for Europe (Oct 2011)

Concentrating Solar Power: its potential contribution to a sustainable energy future (Oct 2011)

Plant Genetic Resources for food and agriculture (December 2011)

Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing (with FEAM, July 2012)

The Current Status of Biofuels in the EU (December 2012)

Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe (May 2013)

Planting the Future: crop genetic improvement technologies (June 2013)

Current EASAC projects

• Extreme Weather Events in Europe (November 2013)

• Nuclear Fuel Cycle (January 2014; with JRC)

• The need for new anti-microbial drugs

• Breakthrough technologies for a low carbon economy

• Marine Sustainability in Europe

• Space Exploration

• AND ongoing collaboration with Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) on dialogue between science and policy, and a new initiative on the provision of off-grid energy in developing countries (smart villages)

www.b4fa.org

Biosciences for farming in Africa

B4FA – The Project

3 years long

Encourage dialogue and understanding

– Biosciences

– Farming

– Africa

What does B4FA consist of ?

Insights

Media Development Fellowships

Series of studies on extension services

and innovation farms

Finding synergies with others

Funders John Templeton Foundation

focus on the big questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. The Foundation takes a particular interest in how genetics might serve to

empower individuals, leading to spiritually beneficial social and cultural changes.

Malaysia Commonwealth Studies Centre at Cambridge

focus on affordable education, affordable healthcare, sustainable development, food security, mitigating climate change, the promotion of

electoral democracy and good governance.