The ENPOWER project is pleased to announce the formalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Banja Luka (UNIBL) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cooperation framework was formally completed with the final signature on 22 December 2026, marking an important milestone in strengthening institutional collaboration on energy poverty and sustainable energy transition.
This strategic partnership establishes a structured framework for joint analytical work on energy poverty, vulnerability assessment, and evidence-based policy development, contributing to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Framework and UNDP’s Green Transition Portfolio.
Advancing Energy Poverty Analytics
Under the MoU, the partners will collaborate on the joint development and implementation of a comprehensive energy poverty questionnaire aimed at identifying vulnerable population groups and mapping socio-economic and territorial vulnerability patterns. The cooperation includes:
- Development of analytical tools and indicators for energy poverty assessment
- Joint data collection and analysis, in line with applicable data protection standards
- Identification of affordability constraints at household level
- Assessment of links between energy efficiency potential, housing conditions, and climate vulnerability
This collaboration will contribute to building a robust evidence base to inform national and local policies on energy efficiency, social protection, and green transition financing.
Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Approach
Recognising the differentiated impact of energy poverty, the cooperation integrates a gender-responsive and inclusive approach. Analytical activities will include sex-disaggregated data and indicators that capture household structure, vulnerability factors, and social dimensions of energy access. Coordination with relevant institutional stakeholders will ensure alignment with gender equality and just transition principles.
Synergies with ENPOWER Research and Living Lab Activities
The UNDP–UNIBL cooperation complements the Horizon Europe ENPOWER project, which focuses on strengthening scientific excellence, interdisciplinary research, and Living Lab methodologies to address energy poverty and sustainable housing challenges.
While ENPOWER enhances institutional research capacity and supports applied case studies in energy-efficient building retrofitting, renewable energy in rural communities, advanced digital energy management systems, and socio-economic analysis of energy poverty, the MoU reinforces the science-to-policy dimension by generating nationally relevant data and policy-oriented outputs.
Supporting a Just and Data-Driven Energy Transition
By combining academic expertise with UNDP’s development and policy engagement experience, this cooperation contributes to a more data-driven, inclusive, and socially just energy transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The partnership further demonstrates how Horizon Europe excellence initiatives can extend their impact beyond academia, fostering long-term institutional cooperation and supporting systemic transformation towards sustainable and resilient energy systems.
