16 Our Company New Technologies Supporting the development of tomorrow's energy technologies. Today. As an energy company, E.ON has a respon- sibility to help deliver the technological advances that will enable renewables to be commercially viable on an industrial scale. We're already a leading renewables player. And, in projects around the world, we're investing billions of euros in promising technologies, mainly in wind and solar power, but also in biomass and biomethane. At E.ON, we take a two-pronged approach to research and development ("R&D"). First, we continually optimize our existing facilities and their operating processes. Second, we develop the key energy technologies of tomorrow that have the potential to significantly enhance re- source conservation and climate protection. Thanks to our broad international foot- print, our R&D network extends across countries and continents, enabling us to draw on a broad range of expertise and experience. This network ensures that innovative, low-carbon solutions are found, shared, and implemented as quickly as possible across our company. In addition, E.ON provides direct finan- cial support to more than ten universities. Our flagship project is the E.ON Energy Research Center, a public-private partnership with RWTH Aachen University. We're funding the E.ON Energy Research Center with 40 million over a ten-year period. In 2009, faculty and staff of the center's five institutes moved into its first new building. E.ON Energy Research Center: Taking a holistic approach to complex issues Founded in 2006, the E.ON Energy Research Center is a public-private partnership be- tween E.ON and RWTH Aachen University. Its mission is to foster major technological and conceptual breakthroughs that promote an efficient, sustainable, and climate-friendly energy supply. Its approach is holistic: in- stead of looking for solutions to isolated technical problems, it designs comprehensive, interdisciplinary solutions that address all aspects of complex energy issues. It has five institutes: Automation of Complex Power Systems, Energy-Efficient Buildings and Indoor Climates, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, Applied Geophysics and Geothermal Energy, and Power Generation and Storage Systems. Laboratory researchers: E.ON provides financial support to more than ten universities. Biomethane production plant in Germany: E.ON invests in innovative technologies.