More and better designed national public support for energy technology Research and Innovation

Project Information

SMARTSPEND

Grant agreement ID: 826044

DOI

10.3030/826044

Project closed

EC signature date 8 November 2018

Start date 1 December 2018

End date 30 November 2021

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 942 358,75

EU contribution

€ 942 358,75

Coordinated by

WIRTSCHAFT UND INFRASTRUKTUR GMBH & CO PLANUNGS KG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SMARTSPEND (More and better designed national public support for energy technology Research and Innovation)

Reporting period: 2020-06-01 to 2021-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Within the SMARTSPEND project the following issues and challenges were addressed:

To take greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and meet our climate commitments “half the reductions will have to come from technologies that are currently only at the demonstration or prototype phase.” (IEA 2021, Net Zero by 2050). In other words, our national, European and global climate efforts will depend on an unprecedented effort over the next decades to develop and commercialise clean energy technologies.

SMARTSPEND helped this effort by advocating, per its mission (http://smartspend.eu/mission-concept/) for the design of “more and better designed public support for energy technology R&I”. By working on public support, the project aimed indirectly to encourage spending by the energy industry and private investors on R&D, the latter having the potential to mobilise much larger sums of money. SMARTSPEND supported the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) of the European Commission.

To mobilise these investments, SMARTSPEND brought together decision makers, investors and the clean energy sector, believing stronger links and trust between these three key players to be essential for successful energy system transition.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The SMARTSPEND project pursued its mission to increase support for energy technology R&I in three ways:
• via high-level meetings between industry representatives and governments in several EU countries;
• by organising 3 conferences on public and private funding for clean energy innovation;
• by preparing publications on energy innovation for industry experts and decisionmakers on various topics.

SMARTSPEND created industrial delegations including CEOs and managers in companies active in low-carbon energy, as well as from well-known research organisations. In total five national delegations were created, each gathering between 3 and 7 sectors, who visited governments (usually Secretaries of States, Directors General or Heads of Cabinets) in five EU countries : Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Poland. The representatives presented recommendations to those governments to better support energy technology R&I in their country and in Europe. Some of the key topics in the discussions included:
• a strong and well targeted Horizon Europe programme while it was being negotiated, with attention to robust monitoring of the goal for 35% of its budget to be spent on climate-relevant projects;
• designing future-proof national recovery and resilience plans that support domestic manufacturing of next generation renewables;
• strengthening national clean energy financing tools;
• R&I aspects in the Delivering the European Green Deal legislative package;
• supporting the SET Plan and involving energy ministries in its Steering Group.

These high-level meetings – and the linked technical side-meetings - have highlighted the importance of innovation in national energy and industrial strategies. They have also strengthened the links between the industry, researchers and government officials.

The project has organised three Access to Risk Finance Conferences between 2020 and 2021 with around 400 participants in total. The conferences had a mix of high-level and technical-level speakers from clean tech and finance sectors, as well as EU and national policy-makers. A wide array of topics including public and private funding streams for clean energy innovations from early-stage to market scale up. The three events were organised digitally and all presentations, recordings and supporting material are available online here:
• 1st edition: Financing Clean Energy Transition in the Context of EU Recovery
• 2nd edition: Online Access to Risk Finance Conference
• 3rd edition: Access to Risk Finance and SMARTSPEND Closing Conference

Spreading knowledge of the availability of funding or financing for energy R&I, and commenting on the features missing from this funding landscape is another task of SMARTSPEND. Reports have been published between 2019 and 2021. These include:
• Mapping report on funding instruments for energy innovation gives overview of all new funding available as of June 2021 for energy R&I;
• Analysis of the industry’s funding needs for the implementation of the SET Plan
• Other reports will be published (http://smartspend.eu/reports/) in early 2022, including possible innovation synergies between clean energy sectors, “ETIPs supporting the SET Plan in the Horizon Europe era”, and policy recommendations to strengthen R&D nationally and at EU level.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

SMARTSPEND has helped to raise awareness about the funding needs of the clean energy industry among decision makers in national governments and the EU, as well as among private lenders and investors like banks, pension funds and other asset managers.

It has also brought together groups of clean energy actors in 8 EU countries to support stronger national innovation policies and funding instruments. The groups agreed high-level messages between themselves then (in five cases) took them to national governments with the aim of changing policy.

The high-level meetings and conferences have helped to raise the profile of the SET Plan among energy policymakers, investors and the industry. The SET Plans success depends on all these actors working together to bring to market innovative technology.

SMARTSPEND’s publications (http://smartspend.eu/reports/) will continue to feed the debate on R&I energy funding and policy review. The partners have deepened their collaboration. Those that represent ETIPs will continue their cooperation through activities in the years to come.

SMARTSPEND delegation met the BMWi (Gerrman Federal Ministry of Economy) on 3 Dec 2019