Erik Laes

Erik Laes holds a PhD in engineering sciences (2006) and additional degrees in environmental sciences (1999) and philosophy (MA, 2016). He is currently employed as a postdoctoral researcher working on the ethics of upscaling co-creation methods in the context of the EU H2020 project SCALINGS. Empirical fields of investigation include energy and robotics. From July 2009 – August 2018, he was employed at the Flemish research institute VITO where he was involved in projects concerning energy scenario analysis, sustainability evaluation of energy technology, transition management and smart grids/smart energy users. Over the years, he has engaged in several national or international research projects concerning end-user acceptance and engagement with smart grid technologies (FP7 project S3C,www.s3c-project.eu), public acceptance of renewable heating and cooling technologies (commissioned by the European RHC platform), barriers and opportunities for smart grid business models (commissioned by EASME), etc.