How do you encourage engagement? How do you create the conditions that enable collaboration and cooperation to occur? How can we combine all the forces that make up the Energy Transition?
In the past week or so, I have gained a growing belief we are building the momentum to bring the different sources within the Energy Transition together. The conditions are being created.
Let me briefly provide a few stand-out ones that give encouragement
Firstly in Brussels a Clean Tech Investment meeting took place, nicely summarized by Ann Mettler, the Vice President at Breakthrough Energy. Ann posted “Clean Tech Investment: Top of Mind in Brussels 🇪🇺
💨 What a whirlwind: In less than 24 hours, I had two opportunities to talk investment, at a ‘Clean Transition Dialogue’ hosted by EVP Maroš Šefčovič, in the presence of EC President Ursula von der Leyen and a ‘High-Level Investor Dinner’ with Commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
Briefly she noted the significant talking points:
⬆️ More project finance
💶 Mobilize institutional investors
🤝Double down on public guarantees
🆕 Innovation Fund +++
✅ EU Climate Bank Needs Laser Focus on Clean Tech
📑Better planning, guaranteed contracts
✔️DG Competition reality check
That set of bullet points gives only the top layer of an incredible amount of work going on in support of clean energy tech to give it momentum and shows just one of Ann’s incredible personal energy and commitment to getting the Clean Energy underway (Link to post)
Secondly, the host of that session Maroš Šefčovič the 1st European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal stated:
“Securing Europe’s industrial competitiveness is an important overarching priority. Today, President Ursula von der Leyen and I sat down with more than 20 representatives of key clean tech sectors, as part of a series of clean transition dialogues, to boost the industrial dimension of the #EUGreenDeal.” (Link to post)
My third observation point is The Energy Resilience Leadership Group – A Strong Call for Action
In Munich, recently, this group celebrated the first birthday of the Energy Resilience Leadership Group. Launched a year ago with Bill Gates and Ann Mettler of Breakthrough Energy, it has become a true coalition of the willing.
“This multistakeholder initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s energy resilience by rapidly bringing climate technologies to scale.”
Then, my fourth point of encouragement was from Christian Bruch, President and Chief Executive Officer @Siemen
Christian left the Munich Security Conference and headed straight for Siemens Energy Abu Dhabi offices, where they inaugurated their Global Innovation Center, located within Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. Bridging continents and cultures. This is Siemens Energy’s fourth hub for global collaboration, joining their other Innovation Centers in Berlin, Orlando, and Shenzhen.
“The vision for this Innovation Center is to be a hub for knowledge transfer, co-creation, and robust collaborations that will speed up our journey toward a net-zero future. Zero is the number worth highlighting here. Because by 2050, the United Arab Emirates aims to achieve net-zero emissions, making the Emirates the first Middle East and North African nation to do so.”
My fifth encouragement point was during the launch of the Innovation Center event, Dietmar Siersdorfer– the Middle East Managing Director at Siemens Energy, added a further important aspect of collaborations, engagement and celebration.
“Partnership is a powerful force, and this week, we had the honour of hosting 150 senior leaders from various industries in the UAE at a gala dinner to celebrate our collaborative efforts. Engaging with so many customers and partners who have been instrumental in advancing the region’s energy transition over the years was gratifying.”
Each of these is a dynamic layer of the Energy Movement that is gathering momentum and underway.
I feel the momentum and equally am getting ready for its impact. My Quest for Energy Work.
In my world of focusing on the energy transition, I have recently been arguing for the need to think more about organizing all these different ecosystems.
I have provided different pieces on thinking about the impact of Ecosystems on the Energy Transition.
For instance, “Considering the Design of the Energy System” emphasises the benefits of sharing IP, knowledge, research, market insights, and general improvement potentials when considering Ecosystems within the Energy Transitions, where collaborations are growing in importance and need. I outline ten areas of consideration.
Then, “Recognizing success stories of Ecosystem thinking in the Energy Transition” These success stories demonstrate ecosystem thinking is pivotal in driving the energy transition and creating positive impacts across industries. Collaborations between stakeholders with diverse expertise are crucial for addressing complex energy challenges and achieving sustainable outcomes.
Then “We need fresh perspectives in our thinking towards the Energy Transition“. I have been on a revamping mission, so on this knowledge site, besides “latest posts”, I raise relevant issues and offer solutions to help traverse differences and individual company needs by suggesting a more open ecosystem thinking and design in different structured ways to assist in the energy transformation we urgently need.
My mission within the Energy Transition
“My mission is to leverage the concept of Ecosystem thinking and design to unleash its potential and accelerate innovative, sustainable and progressive solutions in changing our Energy approaches to ones that lead to greater collaboration and co-creation to solve a global challenge and break down the complexities within this.”
So, I focus on seeking out and building change at the front end of the energy system.
It is at this front end of energy change that the importance of Innovation, ingenuity and creativity emerges in this Ecosystem of thinking and design.
Let me try to articulate the importance of these elements within the context of Energy Ecosystem thinking and design. My job is to bring them out and give them the power of engagement:
- Innovation as the Catalyst for Energy Transformation:
- Position innovation as the driving force behind the energy transformation, emphasizing that technological breakthroughs, business models, and processes are pivotal for achieving sustainable energy goals.
- Build out examples of innovative solutions within the energy sector, from advancements in renewable energy technologies to novel energy storage and distribution approaches.
- Ecosystems as Innovation Hubs:
- Highlight the role of business ecosystems as natural incubators for innovation. Ecosystems bring together diverse talents, expertise, and resources, fostering an environment where creative ideas can flourish and be translated into practical solutions for the energy industry.
- Creativity in Problem-Solving:
- Stress the need for creative problem-solving in overcoming the complex challenges of the energy transition. Encourage thinking beyond traditional boundaries and embracing unconventional ideas to address issues such as intermittency in renewable sources or optimizing energy storage systems.
- Cross-Industry Collaboration:
- Emphasize the value of cross-industry collaboration within the energy ecosystem. Encourage partnerships with technology companies, startups, and organizations from other sectors to bring fresh perspectives and diverse skill sets, sparking innovative approaches to energy challenges.
- Ingenuity in Sustainable Business Models:
- Showcase innovative and sustainable business models that are emerging within the energy industry. This could include successful collaborations, new renewable project financing models, or creative energy efficiency approaches that go beyond conventional practices.
- Ecosystems as Catalysts for Creativity:
- Articulate how business ecosystems provide the fertile ground for creativity to thrive. By breaking down silos and encouraging open collaboration, ecosystems create a dynamic environment where ideas can be shared, refined, and implemented at a pace not achievable in isolated settings.
- Agile and Adaptive Ecosystems:
- Stress the importance of agility and adaptability within business ecosystems. The energy landscape is evolving rapidly, and ecosystems that can embrace change and quickly pivot in response to new challenges will be better positioned to drive innovation and stay ahead of the curve.
- Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators:
- Highlight initiatives that nurture and empower the next generation of innovators within the energy sector. This could involve educational programs, partnerships with research institutions, and mentorship opportunities to ensure a continuous influx of fresh ideas and perspectives.
We need to recognize we need to go way beyond the talking stage and underscore the momentum I feel is underway in the Energy Transition. “We” must become highly organized around innovation, ingenuity, and creativity through the context and powerful enabler of Business Ecosystem thinking and design.
My aim here is to connect all of the momentum or “dots” in emphasizing the importance of getting organized to encourage and inspire all stakeholders to actively engage in co-creating a sustainable energy future and talk to me about how to go about it effectively.
