The project involved the preparation and implementation of the Conference. This covered organisational aspects like preparing the agenda, securing speakers and moderators, creating visual identity of the Conference, choosing the venue and providing online tools for registration and enabling live online participation. Furthermore, the activities also included dissemination and communication (e.g. through targeted invitations and other promotional activities). Finally, this led to the implementation of the Conference.
In the course of two days, the Conference gathered 514 participants (149 on-site and 365 online) representing national authorities, different institutions, industry, academia, civil society and many others. 325 of them were repsresentatives of industry. They had the opportunity to exchange views and experiences and gained practical, relevant scientific knowledge in the field of innovation and development of energy technologies. This is particularly important in the post-Covid-19 pandemic time, matched with high energy prices when we are debating how to make EU’s energy system more resilient to future crises and secure swift clean energy transition. This was also the first SET Plan Conference after the announcement of more ambitious energy and climate legislation with the legislative package “Fit for 55”.
The Conference was organised around four different holistic content sets: a) energy to enable the transition, b) energy for sustainable and inclusive society, c) energy for smart industrial growth and d) the future of SET Plan. Beside the main policy lead programme (panel discussions), side and participatory events, matchmaking and the virtual exhibitions involving the different SET Plan counterparts and Implementation Working Groups (IWGs) contributed to the above-mentioned objectives and to the SET Plan outreach plans. In addition, the Conference included two side events.
Under these pillars numerous topics were addressed, such as management of decentralized energy production, smart grids and renewable energy integration, new regulatory incentives, developing a sustainable and inclusive society, decarbonisation of the industry, connecting countries, industry and stakeholders, how to meet people's needs with SET Plan technologies and what role will SET Plan play in the future.
