The SEED community gathered once again for our annual symposium, graciously hosted by the SEED team at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) in Mumbai, India. The week-long program, spanning from November 21st to November 25th, 2022, brought together delegates from Germany, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Namibia, Peru, and Nepal. Seventy-five participants from SEED partner universities, alongside representatives from the private sector, engaged in a series of impactful activities.

The symposium commenced with a thought-provoking keynote address from Prof. Frank-Martin Belz, Director of TUM-SEED Center, reflecting on the "Past, Present, and Future of SEED." This set the stage for the symposium, which delved into cutting-edge research and initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Daphne Keilmann–Gondhalekar and Mr. Sanskar Bapat introduced the recently initiated "SEED Himalaya" Project, adding a dynamic dimension to the discussions.

The event showcased the collaborative spirit between SEED and IITB, with sessions featuring faculty presentations from various IITB departments. The symposium also provided a platform for researchers across SEED centers to share their latest endeavors and engage in valuable networking opportunities with local academics and researchers at IITB.

A highlight of the program was a day-long visit to the IITB-SEED Center's Living Lab in Pabal, Pune district, where delegates observed and interacted with innovative projects aimed at addressing electricity and cooking energy challenges for tribal students. These projects included a grid-connected Solar PV System, a kitchen waste-based Biogas plant, and a biomass gasifier-based cooking system.

The symposium concluded with a steering committee meeting, fostering discussions on the future trajectory of SEED initiatives. The vibrant exchange of ideas and the hands-on experience at the Living Lab underscored the commitment of the SEED community to collaborative research and sustainable development. As we bid farewell to Mumbai, the echoes of this symposium resonate as a testament to the impactful work being done at the intersection of sustainable energies and entrepreneurship within the SEED network.