The SUPEERA project is rooted in and supports the execution of the SET Plan by integrating it into the broader context of the Clean Energy Transition process. Since the project kicked off in January 2020, EERA aisbl with its linked third parties (CEA, DTU, KIT, VTT, SINTEF) has strived to “connect the dots” in order to achieve 4 main objectives:
1. Facilitate the coordination of the research community in support of the execution of the SET Plan towards the Clean Energy Transition
2. Accelerate innovation and uptake by the industry
3. Provide recommendations on R&I priorities and policy frameworks
4. Support and promote the SET-Plan and the Clean Energy Transition
Over the course of a 42-month project duration, and aligned with these objectives, SUPEERA designed an implementation strategy that generated a series of added value results for both the EERA community and policy makers at EU and national levels:
• Analysis of all Implementation Plans, mapping of open and covered IPs actions and assessing their respective progress in achieving the targets of the SET Plan.
• Providing an overview of the barriers of the Implementation Plans activities that in SETIS’ 2020 report were lagging behind (labelled as “orange” and “red"), impeding the IPS actions to progress.
• Elaboration of a comprehensive Report that consolidates feedback from EERA Joint Programmes and ETIPs on the identified shortcomings and suggests improvement opportunities in the context of the revision of the SET Plan. The outcome of this exercise was the development of Operational and High-Level recommendations transmitted to the EC.
• Implementation of nine physical and online workshops in EU13 countries with the aim of having a better understanding of rather low participation in the SET Plan and EU-funded programmes and facilitating their engagement and participation in these frameworks and funding schemes.
• Analysis of all 27 NECPs and identification of the common technological pathways. Setting up of a series of physical and online workshops to facilitate the discussion between research and industry stakeholders. Key outcomes of these exchanges enabled the development of a Collaboration Model – a strategic approach to disclose how key actors can interact and coordinate to accomplish predefined goals through targeted activities, including cross-sectoral aspects and different energy technologies. The final result is the development of two sets of recommendations aiming to: a) support the uptake of new technologies by the industry and, b) better feature cross-sectorial and systemic topics into policy making process.
• Identification of 19 indicators to measure progress towards a sustainable energy system with a focus on decarbonisation and competitiveness. An interaction approach was adopted between indicators, policies, and energy system modelling. These indicators measure the progress of energy transition by comparing the indicator value for different countries or comparing the indicator value today with the value in 2030 or 2050.
• Development of 13 Policy Briefs and organisation of 6 thematic webinars to provide the research community with tailored recommendations on concrete research areas and industrial challenges stemming from topical EU policies. Enabling policymakers to gain insights into the research and innovation (R&I) challenges faced by the clean energy sector.
• Raising awareness regarding the project's objectives and results and disseminating information to enhance the visibility of the SET Plan and the Clean Energy Transition (CET).
