Dr Hafiz Majid Hussain, a researcher affiliated with Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), Finland, and the cyber-physical systems group (CPSG), recently completed a two-month secondment at Cleanwattts Digital in Portugal, as part of the COALESCE project.
Dr Hafiz Majid chose Cleanwatts Digital in Portugal for his secondment because it presented a unique opportunity to engage with their real-world implementation of smart energy systems, pioneering work in operating Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), and their interdisciplinary digital energy solutions team. This directly complemented his research in the areas of smart energy systems, resource optimisation in multi-agent systems, and demand response applications.
During his time at Cleanwatts, Dr Hafiz Majid worked closely with Rita Carreira, VP of Technology, Dr. Lurian Klein, Innovation Developer at Cleanwatts Digital, and their respective teams. This collaboration extended beyond technical research to encompass strategic discussions on various other projects and future collaborations. He also developed comprehensive reports on ‘Energy Management System in a Grid-Tied PV Battery Microgrid for a Building’ and ‘Smart Energy Management System in the Mussalo Smart Grid’. These reports establish an instrumental and mutually beneficial sharing of knowledge, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and enriching the research capacities of both organisations. While also providing a framework for reciprocal visits of LUT researchers to Cleanwatts, with the objective of ensuring a seamless and productive exchange of expertise.
Dr Hafiz Majid explains: “This mutually beneficial secondment significantly contributed to my professional growth as a part of LUT and the success of the COALESCE project. I developed an enhanced ability to integrate technical and social research, empowering me to design research strategies that consider broader societal impacts – a core strength of my expertise. For COALESCE, my time ensured a stronger cross-sectoral foundation by aligning LUT’s and Cleanwatts’ research practices and establishing effective shared structures. This, in turn, deepened the essential collaboration between academia and industry, a cornerstone of COALESCE’s objectives.”
He added, “the key insight gained during my time at Cleanwatts was the critical need for seamless interdisciplinary collaboration. It strengthened my conviction that integrating technical energy solutions with social research yields more resilient and community-focused energy systems. This perspective will directly inform future strategies at LUT, particularly in how we develop and implement our microgrid and RECs offerings.”
Daniel Gutierrez Rojas a Postdoctoral Researcher at LUT was also delighted to spend time on secondment at Cleanwatts. He chose Cleanwatts for his secondment as their core services were aligned with his research. During his time in Finland he enjoyed conducting research with the Cleanwatts team, and had the opportunity to work with real-world datasets and experience close collaboration between industry and academia. It gave him an understanding of what it is like to work under pressure with companies that require your assistance with a very tight schedule. He looks forward to extending this research and collaboration to produce a journal paper in the future.
