Comprehensive bi-directional collaboration with the full range of UK and international energy systems experts and stakeholders is a core goal of the wholeSEM project. Taken together, these activities will provide a unique hub for the rapidly growing UK energy modelling user group and network of stakeholders. The innovative set of integration mechanisms to be deployed, include:

· A high-profile Advisory Board – chaired by Prof Jim Skea – with existing key policy/industry representative plus a cross section of academic experts;

· An innovative bi-directional Fellowship Programme (12 Fellows over the 4-year project lifetime) to enable UK academic, policy and industrial and international experts to work with wholeSEM research teams;

· Four internationally high profile annual UK energy modelling conferences;

· Technical workshops focused on key modelling issues, for example: impact of the UK energy innovation system; spatial and temporal value of flexibility in energy supply and demand;

· Non-technical stakeholder workshops, to inform the conceptualisation and ongoing development of the consortium’s core modelling tools, and to define a coherent set of use-cases and scenarios;

· Collation and curation of energy modelling data sources;

· Detailed and transparent documentation for all of the consortium’s new energy models;

· Model access, based on collaborative agreements, to ensure best use of models, accountability and two-way flows of information from/to model developers, model users and model critics;

· Provision of training in modelling techniques and software platforms;

· To build the next generation of energy systems modellers through Masters level course materials and interactions with relevant centres for doctoral training (CDTs);

· Provision of responsive engagement, to regulators, government officials and the energy industry – to understand and assess analytical approaches to key energy issues;

· Traditional methods of academic dissemination including leading peer reviewed journals (open access where appropriate) and international conferences