Energy Resilience Leadership Group

Fostering Collaboration for a Triple Win: Energy Security, Climate Impact & Industrial Competitiveness At the #EnergySecurityHub @ BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt Pavillion at #MSC2025, the Energy Resilience Leadership Group (ERLG) hosted a high-level panel on the critical intersection of innovation and security in Europe’s energy transition.   This discussion could not have come at a more pivotal moment. As we reflect on the progress made since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is evident that Europe’s energy resilience remains fragile.   ⚡ Scaling clean technologies is crucial in reducing Europe's dependence on external suppliers while strengthening its long-term geopolitical and economic stability—a core focus of ERLG's efforts.   💡 With valuable insights from John O'Donnell, Rondo Energy and Philip Kessler, TURN2X, we celebrated the success stories of ERLG members as we continue to build European energy resilience, one project at a time.   ‼️ We were also fortunate to have Eva Maydell (Paunova), Member of the European Parliament, Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor, and Sarah Lamaison, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO of Dioxycle on stage, sharing their perspectives on the future of energy resilience.   🤝 Together with our board members Ann Mettler, Breakthrough Energy , Christian Bruch, Siemens Energy, Dr. Heba Aguib, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, and Helmut Schönenberger, UnternehmerTUM, we explored the pivotal role of fostring collaboration.   As highlighted in a recent joint statement by the coalition, we are urging policymakers to scale the ERLG ecosystem approach to clean technologies for the EU’s forthcoming Clean Industrial Deal   To read more about our lessons learned and our latest call to action: https://lnkd.in/dYD2vdY6 Bottom line: despite the challenges ahead, we will keep working together to accelerate the deployment of clean technologies and ensure the triple win in Europe, #OneProjectAtATime Elena Benaim Paula Schmid Schmidsfelden Maria Leis Tobias Lechtenfeld Philipp Offenberg

Shock hangs over Munich after a car was intentionally run into a crowd of people yesterday. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. And we hope for a speedy recovery for all those hospitalized. A terrible attack that also loomed over the start of the Munich Security Conference, where global security challenges are discussed. The world is changing rapidly: politically, economically, and socially. As Europe navigates geopolitical tensions, the urgency for innovative solutions grows. Something that was prominent in our Energy Resilience Leadership Group discussion today. The keyword being Resilience. With the ERLG, we have proven, on a small scale, that real change is possible and how clean technologies are vital to increase resilience and to strengthen long-term geopolitical and economic stability. To scale this up it will need better frameworks. The EU’s Clean Industrial Deal, to be presented on February 26th, must emphasize competitiveness, with drastic simplification being key. There is much that needs improving, and cosmetic fixes won't cut it. But it can be done. And we need to push forward with this mentality to foster a more resilient and secure Europe. #MSC2025 #energyresilience #europe

The Energy Resilience Leadership Group and Breakthrough Energy brought together a distinguished group of experts at the European Business Summits to discuss how we can ensure #abundant, #affordable, and #cleanenergy for Europe.   This conversation comes at a pivotal moment. With increasing geopolitical uncertainty, persistently high energy prices, and the incoming European Commission set to take office, now is the perfect time to explore the opportunities before us to build a competitive, sustainable future.   Here are some key takeaways from our expert panel: ⚡𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 should be allocated to prioritize projects of high strategic importance. Rather than adhering to the current "first-come, first-served" approach, factors such as project maturity and industrial value should be taken into account in order to enable the rapid execution of critical projects. Grids are fundamental to both our daily lives and the cost-effective transition to clean energy. TenneT, a leading European grid transmission operator, emphasizes the need to prioritize efficiency and innovation to ensure a more resilient and competitive EU. 🔋𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 like Rondo Energy,  which pioneers energy storage technology aimed at decarbonizing industrial processes, are essential to decarbonizing, reducing costs, and keeping the energy transition on track. It is critical that we minimize regulatory barriers to enable these technologies to scale across Europe. 🤝𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 play a critical role. BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt is connecting leaders and stakeholders from diverse sectors to foster collaboration, creating a new vehicle to enable change and supporting a positive narrative for the energy transition. No single sector can solve this challenge alone.   Today's discussion reinforced one key message: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 '𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥' 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧. We have the opportunity to take decisive steps toward a stable and resilient future—but the time to act is now.   A special thanks to our guests Dr. Heba Aguib, Mark Meldrum, and Dr. Arina Freitag for joining us, and to our moderator Philipp Offenberg for contributing with their valuable insights to this timely discussion!   #EnergyTransition #Philanthropy #EU #EnergyStorage #EnergyResilience

⚡ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼-𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟮𝟵: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁 ⚡   At #COP29 in Baku, the Energy Resilience Leadership Group (ERLG) co-hosted a roundtable discussion on the crucial issue 'The Future of Industrial Heat: How to Align Decarbonization and Competitiveness' alongside the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and Future Cleantech Architects.   We were joined by leading experts from across the industrial, policy, and cleantech sectors, including Alfa Laval, Yara International, E.ON, ROCKWOOL Group, ArcelorMittal, KRAFTBLOCK, Breakthrough Energy , Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Together, we tackled the challenges and solutions surrounding the #decarbonization of high-temperature industrial heat.   Key Takeaways: 🔌 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: technologies that electrify heat demand, such as thermal energy storage, can significantly reduce emissions and enhance energy resilience in high-temperature industrial processes. 💰 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆: while electrification is a promising solution, high energy costs remain a critical barrier. Policies that support low-cost, decarbonized electricity and thermal storage are essential for making these technologies scalable and cost-effective. 🌍 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: to accelerate the transition, the EU must focus on creating a supportive policy framework that balances competitiveness with decarbonization. National and regional governments must be held accountable for building the infrastructure needed for decarbonization, enabling the adoption of clean technologies across industry. 🤝 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: partnerships between industry, technology providers, and policymakers are vital to bring about systemic chance, by unlocking the potential of electrified heat and advancing towards net-zero industrial processes.   A special thanks to all the speakers and participants for their invaluable insights: Anna Celsing Klingberg (Alfa Laval) Thomas Birr (E.ON) Bernhard Stormyr (Yara) Susanne König (KRAFTBLOCK) Peter Schniering (Future Cleantech Architects) Dr. Bryan Scheler (BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt) Philipp Offenberg (Breakthrough Energy) Vanessa Z Chan (U.S. Department of Energy) Moderated by Paula Schmid Schmidsfelden (ERLG)   We will continue pushing for a #clean, #resilient and #competitive industrial sector. Let’s keep the momentum going, drive innovation, and continue building the policies that will shape the future of industrial decarbonization.   #COP29 #Decarbonization #Competitiveness #IndustrialHeat #ERLG

🚀𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞!🌍 At the Energy Resilience Leadership Group (ERLG) - a partnership between Breakthrough Energy , BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Siemens Energy, and UnternehmerTUM - we’re on a mission to create a win for climate, competitiveness, and security in Europe. 🔋𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞? Rondo Energy, whose pioneering clean electric heat technology will help Europe replace imported gas and strengthen energy independence. With support from the #EU-Catalyst Partnership and a €75 million investment, Rondo will develop three projects across the EU. This opportunity was identified by the ELRG, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and cleantech startups to fast-track impactful climate projects. 💡 But this is just the beginning. The latest Breakthrough Energy “The State of the Transition Report” describes 2024 as the year #cleantech entered its deployment era at scale. It showcases how we’re building a thriving ecosystem in the U.S. and Europe where cleantech innovators and large-scale projects collaborate to tackle climate challenges. 👉𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: Do you have a game-changing climate solution that’s ready to scale?   👉𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Are you prepared to partner with innovators and accelerate your journey to net zero?   Join us as we work together to power #Europe’s energy transition and achieve net zero through bold, clean technology solutions. 🌱 Read more in Breakthrough Energy’s flagship report https://lnkd.in/eZx8fUQ7   #EnergyResilience #ClimateInnovation #NetZero #Cleantech #EUIndustry #EnergyTransition

🚨 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲'𝘀 "𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹" 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 🚨 With the European Commission set to announce the #CleanIndustrialDeal within the first 100 days, now is the time to shape a strong framework for clean industrial competitiveness. Europe must urgently implement Mario Draghi's report recommendations to future-proof the economy and unleash its cleantech potential. Earlier this week, the Energy Resilience Leadership Group, in partnership with Cleantech for Europe, hosted a roundtable in Berlin with Bill Gates, Jörg Kukies and senior leaders from energy and industry. The event focused on how to regain Europe's competitiveness, outlining first principles to boosting Europe’s industrial competitiveness immediately. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: 🤝 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰-𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Unlock the EU's cleantech potential by fostering strong partnerships. 💶 𝗗𝗲-𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Attract large-scale private funding for cleantech manufacturing and deployment. 🌍 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲-𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀: Level the playing field with strategic industry, state aid, and trade policies. 🛠️ 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Ensure access to affordable, abundant, and clean energy. We have a unique opportunity to shape Europe’s clean industrial future. Victoria Ossadnik Joerg Burzer Philippe Delleville Andreas Feicht Dr. Lars KissauTobias Lechtenfeld Tim Meyerjürgens Marie Theres Niedermaier Francisco Pérez-Ojeda Rodríguez John O'Donnell Caspar Schuchmann Dr. Sopna Sury Catherine Vandenborre Ann Mettler Dr. Heba Aguib Christian Bruch Helmut Schoenenberger Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dFkvQTC8

🌍 The ELRG hosted an inspiring and insightful discussion with key leaders driving #European #industrial #competitiveness —spanning industry, cleantechs, and government. What are Europe's biggest levers to turn the ship around? 🚢 🔑 Systems: Reducing energy prices and the green premium for cleantechs is essential—through expanding renewables, enabling financing, and constructing future-proof energy grids, while creating robust markets for green energy. 📈 Scale: Europe has everything it needs to scale up new industries. It's time to cut red tape, prioritize strategic investments, and unlock the power of institutional finance. ⚡ Speed: Governments play a pivotal role in rising to the challenge—not with endless subsidies, but with clear priorities, decisive actions, and smart risk underwriting. The goal? A resilient energy system and clean industry fit for this century, ensuring Europe remains competitive. 🙏 A huge thank you to Bill Gates and Jörg Kukies, and all our ERLG partners, including Christian Bruch (Siemens Energy), Ann Mettler (Breakthrough Energy ), Dr. Heba Aguib (BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt), Helmut Schoenenberger (UnternehmerTUM), as well as Jules Besnainou (Cleantech for Europe) and Tobias Lechtenfeld (Tech for Net Zero).

Great discussion yesterday at the high-level roundtable on “Empowering Energy Resilience: How to Leverage Institutional Capital for Scaling Cleantech”. The roundtable was hosted by the ERLG on the margins of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt’s #ResponsibleLeadersInnovationForum in Berlin, and focused on exploring ways of unlocking private and public capital for scaling #cleantech solutions.   At the centre of the conversation: addressing the challenge of financing clean energy solutions in Europe, specifically for #scaling and #commercializing first of a kind and second of a kind production facilities.    Key takeaways of the discussion included:   ⚡ Cooperation is fundamental: a coalition of stakeholders to create new solutions, involving insurance funds, catalytic investors, and a top-notch teams for evaluating and underwriting FOAK projects is required.   ⚡ We need a cleantech debt fund: such a fund could provide affordable and long-term capital for the deployment of clean technologies at scale.   ⚡ Speed and urgency are necessary: while recognizing the need for new coalitions, responsible and pragmatic leadership, and a willingness to take risks in order to deploy FOAK projects, it is also fundamental to remember that this requires speed and urgency.   The roundtable included remarks by Heba Aguib, Member of the Board, BMW Foundation, Max Wirsching, Head of Investors Relations, KfW Capital, Elisabeth Löwenbourg-Brzezinski, Senior Investment Officer, and Natalia Donde Principal Investment officer, IFC - International Finance Corporation, Fridtjof Detzner, Founder Planet A Ventures, Tobias Lechtenfeld, Executive Director, Tech for Net Zero and Philipp Offenberg and Ann Mettler Breakthrough Energy .   Thanks to all the attendees for their valuable contributions and for supporting the efforts on strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness. Together, we can unlock a well-funded future for European clean energy and the time is now!

Tobias Lechtenfeld, Executive Director of Tech for Net Zero, and a key member of the Energy Resilience Leadership Group, in an article for Innovation News Network, discusses how Europe’s private capital must be leveraged to deliver energy resilience and ensure the future prosperity of Europe. Tobias explains how large-scale cleantech projects can be de-risked – at project or fund level – before Europe can capitalise on the potential of its green economy and unlock the energy transition.   This September, Mario Draghi delivered his long-awaited roadmap for Europe, and how it can compete on the global stage. Central to his thesis is the need for an astounding €800 billion in annual investments to meet the EU’s 2030 targets for jobs, industrial modernisation, and climate goals. But here’s the fundamental question: where will the money come from? Access the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ebp4bnZt   #ERLG #Energy #Cleantech #Europe #Investors #Climate #EnergyResilience #Finance

ERLG's Paula Schmid Schmidsfelden spoke at last week’s Heat Pump Forum in Brussels hosted by the European Heat Pump Association on the “Europe’s Global Energy Leadership: Competitive Collaboration & Building on Strengths” panel, as covered in pv magazine Global (linked in the comments). Paula joined Martin Hojsik, Vice-President, European Parliament on the panel which was moderated by Paul Kenny the Director General of the EHPA. The discussion centred around the following key elements: 🌱 ➡️ Europe needs to make a compelling business case for cleantech. Decarbonization through de-industrialization must end. The Clean Industrial Deal could not be more timely: Europe must come up with a comprehensive strategy to re-build trust and confidence. 💭 ➡️ A clear strategy is essential – the EU struggles in deploying clean technologies at scale, including heat pumps. To regain competitiveness, the new Mandate should focus on leveraging public funding to attract private investment, overhaul industrial and trade policy, and develop infrastructure to ensure access to abundant, affordable and clean energy. 🤝 ➡️ Collaboration is key – there is a continued need for public and private to come together in order to unlock Europe’s true cleantech potential. 📣 ➡️ The ERLG is spearheading this crucial new generation of multi-stakeholder coalitions across policy, industry, cleantech scaleups and investors. #CleanIndustrialDeal #EnergyResilience #Cleantech #Finance #DraghiReport