An overview of European thermoelectrics and current activities at the NEDO Centre

The recent submission to the European Union for funding to establish a European Thermoelectric Network comprised of 117 participating research groups (nodes) with more than 450 research staff and 160 PhD students from 26 European countries attests to the thriving and vigorous state of health of European thermoelectrics. In this presentation a brief review of European achievements in thermoelectrics is followed by an overview of intercountry research collaborations and focuses on the NanoThermel and NAMTEC collaborative projects. Current research at the NEDO laboratory for Thermoelectric Engineering is reported and the future for thermoelectrics within the European community is commented upon.