The Spanish edition of the initiative EERA Days delved into the advancement of the clean energy transition at both Spanish and European levels, while also acknowledging the key added value of this national research community to the Alliance.
The EERA Day in Spain, co-organised by the EERA Secretariat together with Tecnalia and CIEMAT, both members of the EERA Executive Committee (ExCo), took place on 30 October at the CIEMAT headquarters in Madrid. Under the title "The Potential of Research and Innovation Collaboration for the Development of the Energy Transition," the event brought together representatives from the Spanish ministries responsible for research, innovation and energy, as well as national funding agencies, energy sector technology platforms and associations, energy companies, and the 29 research and development (R&D) institutions that are members of EERA.
In opening the event, leaders of EERA, Tecnalia, and CIEMAT provided welcoming remarks, beginning with Henk-Jan Vink, President of EERA and Managing Director at TNO. Vink emphasised the importance of collaboration between institutions in tackling Europe’s most pressing challenges. Drawing on the recent reports by Letta, Draghi, and Heitor, he noted that achieving greater competitiveness requires Europe’s weaknesses to be addressed through research and innovation. Luis Pedrosa, Director of Energy, Climate, and Urban Transition Strategy at TECNALIA and EERA ExCo member, highlighted the need for a joint plan for decarbonisation and competitiveness when it comes to simultaneously enhancing industrial competitiveness, advancing energy transition, and maintaining energy supply security across Europe. For her part, CIEMAT’s Director General and also EERA ExCo member, Yolanda Benito, brought the focus to the critical role of alliances, which are essential for building a robust ecosystem and supporting the design of strategies with actionable initiatives to achieve objectives as the clean energy transition progresses.
Following on from this, the vital topic of European and national strategies to address the challenge of the energy transition was then discussed. EERA Secretary General Adel El Gammal detailed the organisation’s dedicated efforts to confront the dual challenge of accelerating the energy transition while restoring competitiveness to achieve strategic autonomy. Importantly, he emphasised EERA’s unique capacity to align national and European strategies, reduce fragmentation, and foster collaboration among European institutions, ultimately accelerating the journey from research to market. Participants then heard from Cristina Trueba, Spanish Representative for the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, who highlighted the Plan’s role as the cornerstone of EU energy policies and described it as the technological response to advancing the energy transition through common and coordinated strategic planning. She further encouraged Spanish entities to become more actively engaged by participating in Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs) and EERA’s Joint Programmes (JPs).
Bringing a national perspective to the conversation was Lucía Blanco, Deputy Director of Energy Prospective and Statistics from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, who discussed Spain’s National Strategic Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). Importantly, the updated NECP serves as the master plan for ecological transition, maximising Spain’s competitive advantages in technology and talent. Finally, Amaya Ezcurra, Area Manager at the Subdirectorate General for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, delved into the country’s State Plan for research, development and innovation (R&D&I), and more specifically, its goal to strengthen the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem as a driver of transformation in Spain.
The event continued with three interactive roundtables. The first one explored the added value of Spanish participation in EERA Joint Programmes (JPs). It featured insightful input from Lorenzo Malerba, Researcher at CIEMAT, Coordinator of the EERA JP on Nuclear Materials and of the recently launched Euratom partnership CONNECT-NM, José Luis Villate, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at Tecnalia and Vice-Coordinator of JP Ocean Energy, Marcelo E. Domine, Senior Scientist at CSIC, participant in JP Bioenergy, and coordinator of the Sub-programme on Biochemical Platform, and José Luis Domínguez, Group Leader for Energy Systems at IREC and participant in JP Wind Energy. The discussion focused on the benefits of participation, noting the broad perspective offered across various technologies, the facilitation of shared projects and collaborative opportunities, and the provision of a platform for information exchange and networking with experts in the same field. The panellists also discussed existing barriers and identified areas for improvement, offering insights to learn from and guide future efforts and initiatives.
The second roundtable of the day delved into funding opportunities for energy research and development projects, with expert participation from Philippe Schild, Expert in Clean Energy Transition at the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Luisa Revilla, National Delegate for Energy, Cluster 5, Horizon Europe at CDTI-Innovation, Carlos Alberto Fernández, Head of Strategic, Planning, and Policy Department at the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), Paloma Calzas, Head of the Industrial Technologies Department at CDTI-Innovation and Lourdes Armesto, Head of the Scientific and Technical Coordination Division, Evaluation, and Monitoring at the State Research Agency (AEI). The discussion explored the challenges of aligning SET Plan or EERA themes with multiple open technologies and non-thematic project calls. The panellists also put forward proposals to prioritise specific themes to ensure the relevance and applicability of research for industry.
The final roundtable focused on alliances for the energy transition in Spain. Speaking in the panel was Fernando Escobar, Chief of Staff at the General Secretariat of Research, Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Ignacio García Fenoll, Deputy Director for Innovation Policies at the General Secretariat of Innovation, Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, María Luisa Castaño, Advisor to the Director General at CIEMAT, and Marian Ferre, Head of Thematic Scientific-Technical Programs Subdivision at the State Research Agency (AEI). The conversation outlined the need to leverage existing mechanisms and instruments to enhance collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, while also strengthening competitiveness through Public Procurement of Innovation (CPI), applying innovation-based criteria instead of focusing solely on cost.
Looking ahead, the EERA Days initiative will return next year, with its next edition set to take place on 20 March in Norway. This occasion will offer a new opportunity for exchange, allowing participants to take stock of progress and identify new opportunities at the level of the national research communities that make the diverse EERA network possible.
