WU matters. WU talks.

October 29, 2025

18:00-19:30

WU Vienna, Library & Learning Center Ceremonial Hall 1

Organized by the WU Department of Information Systems and Operations Management

Local approaches and globally aligned action

Our future energy system must be secure, reliable, and sustainable – encompassing changes in electricity infrastructure and evolving energy demands in industry, transport, and AI. This transformation is challenging, and it requires innovation in technology, policy, and investment. Yet it’s also an opportunity that can shape global energy value chains to unlock jobs and local prosperity. But how do these energy innovation pathways scale? And how can we drive climate action and economic progress forward?

Keynote lecture:

Kavita Surana, Head of the Institute for Data, Energy, and Sustainability, WU Vienna 

Kavita Surana holds the BMIMI Endowed Professorship for Data-driven Knowledge Generation: Climate Action and leads the Institute for Data, Energy, and Sustainability at WU. Her research focuses on energy innovation and green industries. Using empirical data and systems models, she examines how public policy, firms, and technological change interact to advance both economic development and environmental sustainability goals. Prof. Surana's interdisciplinary work draws on her experiences in both academia and industry, including as a materials physicist (CEA France), public policy scholar (Harvard University and University of Maryland), and venture capital investor (xista science ventures).

Register here: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/wumatters/terminkalender/details/detail/clean-energy