2024-10-10 
Online About the event
In the decades ahead, energy security will rely less on the continuous supply of fossil fuels and more on access to clean energy technologies, materials, and components. This shift places both energy technologies and R&I at the heart of Europe’s strategy for sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, as outlined in A New Plan for Europe’s Sustainable Prosperity and Competitiveness (Ursula von der Leyen, Political Guidelines 2024).
Programme
This expert roundtable will explore how Research & Innovation (R&I) can significantly contribute to ensure European energy security and strengthen the competitiveness of the clean tech industry in the EU, in alignment with existing policies and measures.
See the whole Agenda on the Programme section.
Significant steps have already been taken this year, including the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which aims to secure a sustainable supply of net-zero technologies and enhance the EU’s competitive edge. However, the long-term role of R&I in ensuring the security and competitiveness of these technologies remains a key question.
The recently published Independent Expert Study on Clean Energy R&I Opportunities to Ensure European Energy Security by Targeting Challenges of Distinct Energy Value Chains for 2030 and Beyond addresses this by defining and prioritising specific R&I actions for clean energy technologies and their value chains, with a focus on improving the EU’s energy security in the long run. The study offers a comprehensive R&I action plan that targets the critical challenges within clean energy value chains, providing essential input for future European and national R&I programmes.
In response to the findings of this study and the ongoing need to explore how R&I can best contribute to the energy security and competitiveness of clean energy technologies—especially in synergy with the NZIA—DG RTD is organising this expert roundtable.
The event will feature high-level speakers and experts. Rosalinde van der Vlies, Director of DG RTD Clean Planet, will open the event, introducing the objectives of the study. The panel will consist of distinguished experts from the European Commission and beyond. This gathering of experts ensures a thorough discussion on the role of R&I to ensure European energy security and the competitiveness of the clean tech industry in the EU, bridging strategic European perspectives with the detailed analysis presented in the study.
Background
This event draws from the recently published Independent Expert Study on Clean Energy R&I Opportunities, which aims to prioritise R&I actions that strengthen the EU’s long-term energy security by addressing challenges within specific clean energy value chains.
The scope of the study included 48 clean energy technology value chains spanning 17 technologies: advanced biofuels, bioenergy, concentrated solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy, photovoltaics (PV), wind energy, direct solar fuels, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), electricity and heat storage (including batteries, hydrogen, and intermediate energy carriers), heat pumps, smart energy grids, building and district heating technologies, off-grid systems, energy transmission, and smart cities.
A key aspect of the study was its integrated approach to addressing energy security, with a focus on critical technological core elements (e.g., PV, batteries). The research also covered horizontal challenges across clean energy value chains and introduced consolidated energy security indicators that assess the resilience of these value chains to future market or supply disruptions.
A scenario-based stress test, complemented by modelling, identified potential vulnerabilities within clean energy technologies, translating them into actionable R&I challenges. The study’s findings culminated in a detailed R&I action plan that prioritises the most critical aspects of energy security in clean energy value chains. These insights provide valuable guidance for future European and national R&I programs.
The study emphasises that making clean energy technologies robust against energy security challenges should be a central goal of future R&I efforts, addressing issues such as supply chain locations, critical raw materials (e.g., for PV and batteries), and overall sustainability across the value chain.
Registration:
https://research-innovation-community.ec.europa.eu/events/dKONG44V4Lckj4GMqkXFT/overview