In the face of a continuously rising global demand for energy there exists a broad societal need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels. Since a significant fraction of the energy consumed today is lost to the environment in the form of waste heat, technologies that can scavenge part of this waste heat could help to achieve this reduction. In the UK, EU and beyond, an emerging generation of scientists and engineers is working on nanoscale materials for energy harvesting. However, there is currently no platform to gather them under one roof and discuss the new innovative solutions to tackle energy problems. While there are extensive individual activities in the UK and beyond to address these problems, they are not interlinked.

The goal of this incubator workshop is to bring together emerging leaders working across key research areas in nanoscale energy harvesting, from thermoelectric materials and devices to quantum thermodynamics and molecular electronics. We will discuss the latest discoveries, exchange new ideas and develop networks to further strengthen the field. The participants with expertise covering theory, synthesis, measurement and device design will deliver talks, participate in round tables and panel discussions. By bringing together a dynamic group of experts from science, industry and policy makers, we've created a valuable platform for disseminating information and ideas that cannot be achieved through the usual communication channels.