GEORG continues to grow as a strong and independent cluster cooperation. It has now been operational for 11 full years and last year was our biggest yet, with a total turnover of close to 100 million ISK. The GEORG team counts 7 employees with diverse and complementary backgrounds, experience and skills that enhance the further growth of the GEORG in the international market by solving challenging problems and making a real impact building geothermal platforms.
At GEORG we strive to maintain close interactions between academia, industry, and public authorities, which has contributed to increased collaboration within and between these three sectors. During its 11 years of operation, GEORG has partnered with many renowned international institutions, creating ever closer and more comprehensive partnerships. As a result, GEORG is now managing project offices for five large research, demonstration, and coordination projects. Through these projects the team has direct and continuous communication with well over 200 individuals worldwide. This illustrates the level of trust GEORG has acquired in the wider geothermal industry for the past 11 years and I am very proud of.
Furthermore, the vision of GEORG continues to be facilitating and stimulating the creation of opportunities for its partner and the wider geothermal community. In 2019 and the beginning of 2020 GEORG took part in four ambitious Horizon 2020 project proposals, exploring for example more efficient and innovative food production and water preservation and focusing on furthering the knowledge on near-magma geothermal resources, using the Krafla area in Northeast Iceland as a testbed.
2020 began of course in a different way than we had expected, and our thoughts are with those that are facing hardship and difficulties in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest geothermal event ever, WGC2020 was supposed to take place in Harpa Conference Centre at the end of April this year. However due to the pandemic we were forced to postpone the event till May of next year. This was of course very unfortunate but necessary and we look forward to welcoming our geothermal friends in Iceland in a year from now, at an even more magnificent event.
This annual report outlines the projects GEORG is participating in as well as other activities and outreach.
