As global electricity demand doubles by 2050, investing in diverse and resilient clean energy sources is crucial. With the right policy support, innovative renewables could unlock flexibility and untapped resources. On the pathway from the lab to the market, the importance of an integrated innovation ecosystem was stressed.
“The Renewable Energy Directive is an accelerator for innovation. It’s a key to the competitiveness of renewable energies. Member states are required to plan 5% of the annual expansion quotas […] The new EU directive gives every relevant technology the right to be researched.” – Markus Pieper (Member of the European Parliament)
“While Europe excels in some areas, there’s a gap in mid-stage funding, where a more targeted program is needed. In comparison to regions like the US, Europe could benefit from more and better-funded incubators to foster innovation more effectively.” – Johanna Schiele ( EU Innovation Fund – European Commission)
“In many countries, the [innovation] ecosystem is still developing […] what could enhance [innovation ecosystems] is if we have clear signals from the market coming from government policy targets” – SunYoung Suh (UNIDO)
A big thank you to our speakers: Markus Pieper (European Parliament), Johanna Schiele (European Commission), Elena Ocenic (Presidential Administration of Romania), SunYoung Suh (UNIDO), and Martin Hoyer (Roland Berger)!
Stay tuned for the complete key takeaways! You can find the complete recording of the session here.