Programme

Moderated by Jennifer Baker, Master of Ceremony

Welcome address by the Irish EU Presidency:

• Damian Boylan, Lord Mayor, Cork City Council
• Timmy Dooley, Minister of State, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Ireland 

Welcome address by the European Commission:

• Video message by Dan Jørgensen, EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing
• Video message by Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation

Clean energy technologies can deliver measurable reductions in energy costs for households and industry. In this session, the panel will discuss the main barriers to enabling these technologies, including grid constraints, supply chains and market conditions, and how these can be addressed to ensure that Europe remains competitive.

Moderated by Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director-General, DG ENER, European Commission

Speakers:

• Oonagh Buckley, Secretary General, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Ireland
• Eva Riesenhuber, Global Head of Sustainability, Siemens AG
• Hans Grünfeld, President, International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC)
• Henk-Jan Vink, President, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)

Energy security and resilience lie at the heart of EU’s transition to a low carbon economy. This session will explore how to strengthen these priorities while progressing decarbonisation. The panel will discuss strategies for system integration, storage, cross-border cooperation and managing risks linked to electrification and variable generation.

Moderated by Piotr Szymański, Director, DG JRC, European Commission

Speakers:

• Liam Ryan, Chief Innovation and Planning Officer, EirGrid/ENTSO-E
• Per Olav Foss, Senior Advisor Marine Security, Equinor
• Bernard Salha, President, Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP)
• Margie McCarthy, Director of Research and Policy Insights, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)
• Philip Nugent, Assistant Secretary / Director General for EU and International Affairs, Department of Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE)

How can Europe turn its strong research base into global industrial leadership? This panel will address the key barriers that prevent innovative clean energy technologies from scaling in Europe, and discuss how to strengthen linkages across research, industry and markets to accelerate deployment.

Moderated by Krzysztof Kuik, Director, DG RTD, European Commission

Speakers:

• Tinne Van der Straeten, CEO, WindEurope
• Nicola Pochettino, Energy & Environment Director, European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Laurence Petit, Member of EIC board, European Innovation Council (EIC)
• Paloma Aba Garrote, Director, European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
• Meadhbh Connolly, Future Opportunities Manager, ESB, Ireland

This session will examine the crucial role of flexibility solutions in supporting a climate neutral energy system. It will focus on storage, grid solutions, digitalisation and demand-side response. The panel will discuss how policy frameworks, market design and price signals can enable deployment and address system constraints.

Moderated by Vincent Berrutto, Head of Unit, DG ENER, European Commission

Speakers:

• Norela Constantinescu, Deputy Director at IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
• Antony Zegers, Head of Innovation Section, ENTSO-E
• Edel Sheridan, Senior Business Developer, SINTEF Energy, Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA), IWG on Batteries
• Marie Hayden, Vice-Chair, CurrENT Europe
• Santiago Gallego Amores,  Networks Regulation Manager, i-DE (Iberdrola) and Co-chair, ETIP Smart Networks for Energy Transition (SNET)

This session will focus on accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies across industrial sectors, including through industrial electrification and other pathways for phasing out fossil fuels in industry. While technical solutions are available, key barriers to their uptake remain including costs, skills and access to infrastructure. The panel will discuss how to overcome these challenges through cooperation between technology supplier sectors and industrial user sectors, and how the national and regional energy agencies can help in disseminating and implementing clean energy solutions in all enterprises, including SMEs.

Moderated by Eric Lecomte, Senior Expert, DG ENER, European Commission

Speakers:

• Cindy Sender, Head of Development at Agence Régionale Energie Climat (AREC) Occitanie, France
• Vedran Krstulović, Lead Researcher, Department of Energy Efficiency, Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP), Croatian Energy Agency
• Uli Jakob, Honorary-Professor, Director, Dr. Jakob energy research GmbH & Co
• Paul McGillicuddy, CEO, Malting Company of Ireland

See website

The session brings together representatives from the European Commission, Public research funders/SET Plan Steering Group members, Co-funded Partnerships (CETPartnership and DUT Partnership) and private sector to reflect on the contribution of European cooperation to advancing clean energy innovation and supporting Europe’s clean energy transition and competitiveness.

Moderated by Paloma Aba Garrote, Director, European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)

Speakers:

• Beatrice Coda, Head of Unit, DG RTD, European Commission
• Kerrie Sheehan, Head of Research, Innovation & Electricity, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)
• Rune Volla, SET Plan Steering Group member, CETPartnership Governing Board Member, Director, Energy and Energy Transition, Department for Energy Research, Research Council of Norway
• Martijn Kramer, DUT Partnership Impact Assessment Lead, Platform31 Netherlands
• Laurent Clochard, CTO, Executive Director NINES PV, WaMTec CETPartnership

This session will focus on accelerating the deployment of sustainable heating and cooling solutions across Europe. It will consider affordability, infrastructure, supply chain resiliency and the role of electrification. The panel will discuss how to overcome barriers to uptake, including high upfront costs, consumer adoption and system integration.

Moderated by Vangelis Tzimas, Head of Unit, DG JRC, European Commission

Speakers:  

• Padraic O´Reilly, General Manager, Orenco Energy
• Leopoldo Mico, Director of innovation and certification, European Heat Pump Association (EHPA)
• Maarten De Groote, Programme Manager – Energy Policy & Built Environment Innovation, VITO/EnergyVille
• Oddgeir Gudmundson, Director Climate Solutions, Danfoss
• Pauline O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Irish District Energy Association

How can Europe better support startups and scaleups in bringing clean energy innovations to market? This panel will explore the role of innovative companies in driving the clean energy transition, and share success stories from across the innovation ecosystem, reflecting on what works in supporting high-potential companies and where further improvements are needed to create a more enabling environment.

Moderated by Jean-David Malo, Director, DG RTD, European Commission

Speakers:

• Martin Edlund, CEO, Minesto
• Edda Aradottir, CEO, Carbfix
• Patrik Klintbom, Chair, ETIP Bioenergy
• Jan Ronge, CEO, Solhyd
• Kevin Burke, National Director for Horizon Europe, Enterprise Ireland

This session will examine how AI and digitalisation are impacting the energy system, including growing electricity demand from data centres. The panel will also discuss how digital solutions can support grid management, improve data access and address growing system complexity.

Moderated by Lisa Ryan, Professor in Energy Economics, University College Dublin

Speakers:

• Siddharth Singh, Energy Investment Analyst, International Energy Agency (IEA)
• Niamh Gallagher, AWS Country Lead, Ireland, Director, Infrastructure Public Policy (EMEA), Amazon Web Services
• Eoin Kennedy, Director of Innovation and Planning, EirGrid
• Vincent Berrutto, Head of Unit, DG ENER, European Commission

This high-level session will be an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the twenty SET Plan conferences, reflecting on its achievements in advancing Europe’s clean energy transition while setting out priorities for the future. Bringing together key EU and national policymakers, past and present leaders, and emerging voices, the discussion will highlight lessons learned, assess current challenges, and explore how the SET Plan can continue to drive innovation, competitiveness, and climate neutrality in the years ahead.

Moderated by Brian Ó Gallachoir, Associate Vice-President of Sustainability, University College Cork

Speakers:  

• Andris Piebalgs, Professor, Florence School of Regulation (FSR), European University Institute
• Adel El Gammal, Secretary General, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)
• Cristina Trueba, SET Plan Steering Group representative, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain
• Isabelle Bourke, youth representative, Trinity College Dublin and International Floating Wind Challenge
• Marie Donnelly, Chair, External Advisory Board, ENTSO-E

Presentation and visit of the facilities at LIR, including testing facilities described here.

Maximum attendance: 100 persons.

(There is a possibility this visit can be combined with a visit to the National Maritime College of Ireland, which is adjacent – tbc later this week).

• Anna Sobczak, Policy Coordinator for the SET Plan, DG ENER, European Commission
• Ivan Matejak, Director SET Plan and Strategic Programming, the EERA/ETIPs Forum
• Spyridon Pantelis, Project Manager, the EERA/ETIPs Forum

• Anna Sobczak, Policy Coordinator for the SET Plan, DG ENER, European Commission

Investment criteria and funding opportunities for market uptake of clean energy innovations.

Moderated by Anna Sobczak, Policy Coordinator, DG ENER, European Commission

Panellists:

• Michael Finucane, Climate Office, Operations Directorate, European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Alexander Goos, Head of Asset Management, InnoEnergy
• Ruben Davis, Senior Policy Officer, Cleantech for Europe
• Kevin Ryan, Senior Investment Director, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF)
• Craig Douglas, Founding Partner, World Fund

Moderated by Ivan Matejak, Director SET Plan and Strategic Programming, and Spyridon Pantelis, Project Manager, the EERA/ETIPs Forum

Discussions at five Interactive thematic tables with representatives of ETIPs, IWGs, EERA Joint Programmes and investors.

Presentation of roundtable findings and recommendations by the table rapporteurs.

Chaired by Maria Laura Trifiletti, Project Officer - Horizon Europe Energy

Panellists:

• Michael Finucane, Climate Office, Operations Directorate, European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Alexander Goos, Head of Asset Management, InnoEnergy
• Ruben Davis, Senior Policy Officer, Cleantech for Europe
• Craig Douglas, Founding Partner, World Fund
• Rachele Nocera, MIUR and CETP representative

The visit will commence with a presentation on the energy strategy of Midleton Distillery, where Jameson, and a range of other Irish Distillers whiskies are distilled. Then the guests will embark on a tour of the distillery site, concluding with a whiskey tasting in the Midleton Distillery Experience.

The distillery is located in Midleton, Co. Cork, 23 kilometres from Cork City Hall.

Logistics

• Buses to depart from Cork City Hall at 14.30 on 5 November for arrival at 15.00hrs.
• Guests will leave Midleton Distillery at 17.30 to return to Cork City Hall at 18.00hrs approximately.
• Numbers are limited to 90 persons and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

While the visit will be mainly indoors, delegates should bring clothing appropriate for November in Ireland, where weather conditions could be chilly, windy or wet, or a combination of all three.

The site visit will be split between the LIR National Ocean Test Facility / National Maritime College of Ireland where the delegates will be split into two groups, each visiting both sites in turn. 

Lir NOTF houses Ireland’s only infrastructure for small to medium scale laboratory testing of ocean and maritime systems and has expert support personnel and a track record stretching back to 1977. 

Lir NOTF is known for its work with floating structures, offshore structures, coastal engineering including breakwaters and harbours, hydrodynamics, scour, vessels and offshore logistics.

NMCI is a 14,000m2 facility built on 10 acres of waterside campus. It was purpose built to serve the training requirements of the School of Nautical Studies, Cork Institute of Technology and the Irish Naval Service.

The facilities include, but are not limited to, a full-sized working ship's engine room, a fully instrumented ship's control room, a welding workshop, an electrical workshop and a mechanical engineering. In addition, marine simulators at NMCI include full mission bridge simulators, engine room simulators, fleet work simulators, VTS simulators, GMDSS simulators and liquid cargo handling and damage control.

Both sites are located adjacent to one another in Ringaskiddy, Co, Cork, approximately 20 kilometres from Cork City Hall.

Logistics

• Buses to depart from Cork City Hall at 14.30 on 5 November for arrival at 15.00hrs.
• Guests will leave the site at 17.30 to return to Cork City Hall at 18.00hrs approximately.
• Numbers are limited to 100 persons and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

While the visit will be mainly indoors, delegates should bring clothing appropriate for November in Ireland, where weather conditions could be chilly, windy or wet, or a combination of all three.