Anna Molinari is a former researcher and senior project manager at Uniresearch. She holds a MSc in Physics from the University of Genoa and a PhD from TU Delft, het scientific background includes nano structuring, organic electronics and relating fabrication and measuring techniques. Since joining Uniresearch in 2010, she led proposals development and managed European research projects, particularly in sustainability and innovation. In the REDHY project, together with the UNR team, leads the dissemination and communication efforts to maximize the project outreach and impact.
What was your original motivation to become a research project manager?
During my years in academic, I realised I enjoyed collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across borders as much as conducting experiments and theoretical research. I think then also started my interest for bringing scientific research to practical implementation.
I also realized my interest for coordinating and organise planning facilitating the execution of complex projects in the most smooth way possible.
I find it very fulfilling to (even marginally) contribute to new impactful innovations in different sectors
What is your (main) research area today?
My work mostly focuses on promoting dissemination and advancing innovation in the fields of clean hydrogen technologies, PV and next generation batteries. I coordinate, together with the UNR team, R&D proposal definition, project management, and the implementation of Open Science practices to ensure impactful and sustainable outcomes. Additionally, we contribute to the communication, dissemination and often exploitation of the project results.
What is the main focus of your team in REDHy?
Together with my colleague Fleur Pijper, we focus for REDHY on facilitating communication among partners and particularly to the ‘outside word’, ensuring timely dissemination of project results.
This project investigates a very novel disruptive technology, it is very challenging. By efficiently managing dissemination, communication, and exploitation tasks, we aim to ensure that REDHY’s highly adaptable, environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient REDHy’s approach to produce green hydrogen can reach its full impact potential.
Could you describe your favourite moment/satisfaction when working for the project and – more in general – for your organisation?
Specifically for REDHY, I think one of the most satisfactory moments has been the organisation and discussion of the project webinar on Electrolysis and redox Flow Batteries. As mentioned the project focus is quite unique, different from the ‘usual’ Hydrogen technologies, unlike SoA electrolysers, REDHy is entirely free of critical raw materials and doesn’t require fluorinated membranes or ionomers. This poses enormous technical challenges, which – at some level – are faced within the redox flow batteries development. We tried for the first time to have experts from the different sectors discussing together by assembling – together with all partners – an interesting programme covering presentations focusing both on ‘standard’ electrolysis and Redox Flow batteries and allowing discussions on the challenges and similarities of the two words.
How do you expect REDHy results will affect your organisation and the energy storage sector?
The project aims at producing and validating a prototype in a laboratory up to max TRL4, this is very early stage and it is difficult to predict how the energy and hydrogen sector can be changed. For sure is REDHY a first critical step to develop new materials for water electrolysis and offer – at the same time – higher level of competitiveness in comparison to classic AWE and/or PEMWE. REDHY can be considered as a ‘corner stone’ for developing the next generations of energy storage solutions.
