- 08:30 – 09:00Welcome coffee
- 09:00 – 09:15Welcome address by the Irish EU Presidency
Speaker: Timmy Dooley, Minister of State, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Ireland
- 09:15 – 09:30Opening by the EU Commissioner
- 09:30 – 10:451. High level PLENARY session: Affordability and competitiveness - Reducing costs through innovative clean energy technologies
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
- MEP European Parliament
- Energy consumer from industry
- 10:45 – 11:15Coffee and networking break
- 11:15 – 12:302. High level PLENARY session: Transforming the Energy System - Security and Resilience
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 Szymanski, 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)
- 12:30 – 13:30Lunch and Networking Break
- 13:30 – 14:453. High level PLENARY session: Closing innovation gaps in Europe
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 Investmetn 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
- Tinne Van der Straeten, CEO, WindEurope
- 14:45 – 16:00Parallel Sessions - ROUND 1
- 4. Unlocking Non-Fossil Flexibility: Bridging Innovation, Policy, and Market Uptake for Europe’s Energy Transition
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:
- Antony Zegers, Head of Innovation Section, ENTSO-E
- Edel Scheridan, 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, Iberdrola and Co-chair, ETIP Smart Networks for Energy Transition (SNET)
- 5. Promote market uptake and accelerated deployment of clean and cost-competitive solutions tailored to industrial sectors and processes
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, Infrastructure Project Developer, AREC Occitanie
- Enrico Biele, Programme Manager, ENEA, Italy
- Uli Jakob, Honorary-Professor, Director, Dr. Jakob energy research GmbH & Co
- Paul McGillicuddy, CEO, Malting Company of Ireland, TBC
- 16:00 – 16:30Coffee and networking break
- 16:30 – 17:45Parallel Sessions - ROUND 2
- 6. Scaling Offshore Energy in Europe
The EU is pursuing ambitious goals for the development of offshore renewable energy. In this session, experts will explore how offshore renewable energy technologies can be deployed and integrated into the energy system at scale, focusing on key challenges such as grid connection, costs, infrastructure, supply chains and permitting.
Moderated by Evdokia Tapoglou, Project Officer, DG JRC, European Commission
Speakers:
- Jimmy Murphy, Professor of Offshore Renewable Energy, University College Cork, Co-Director of Rinn Energy, Ireland
- Dave Linehan, Director of Policy & Research, Wind Energy Ireland
- 7. Innovation in clean energy technology manufacturing and the ‘made in Europe’ objectives
How can Europe scale up its clean energy manufacturing? This session will examine how to strengthen Europe’s manufacturing base for clean energy technologies while continuing to accelerate the energy transition. The panel discussion will address R&I opportunities, competitiveness, investment conditions, strategic autonomy and supply chain resilience and explore how increasing demand from electrification and ‘Made in Europe’ requirements can be leveraged to create opportunities for European manufacturing.
Moderated by Beatrice Coda, Head of Unit, DG RTD, European Commission
Speakers:
- Nicolas Bucher, Vice President, VARTA
- Mariluz Penalva Oscoz, Senior Researcher, Co-Chair, WG of European Factories of the Future Research Association (EFFRA)
- JuliusDenafas, CEO, SoliTek
- Alexandrina Boyanova, Head of Climate Division, European Investment Bank (EIB)
- 19:00 – 22:00Networking Dinner
- 08:30 – 09:00Welcome coffee
- 09:00 – 10:00Parallel Sessions - ROUND 3
- 8. CETPartnership and DUTPartnership driving clean energy transition
This session brings together representatives of the SET Plan’s CETPartnership and DUTPartnership to take stock and propose the way forward of the partnerships’ contribution to driving clean energy transition and reaching climate neutrality.
Moderated by Paloma Aba Garrote, Director, European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
Speakers:
- Vincent Berrutto, Head of Unit, DG ENER, 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
- 9. Sustainable heating and cooling
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, Senior Expert, VITO/ EnergyVille
- Oddgeir Gudmundson, Director Climate Solutions, Danfoss
- Pauline O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Irish District Energy Association
- 10:00 – 10:10Break for changing parallel sessions’ rooms
- 10:10 – 11:10Parallel Sessions - ROUND 4
- 10. Startups, scaleups and innovative companies in the clean energy technology domain
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
- 11. Energising AI, Digitalising Energy
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:
- Thomas Spencer, Senior Energy 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
- Gary Tobin, Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Head of Economic and Climate Policy, Ireland
- 11:10 – 11:30Coffee Break
- 11: 30 – 12:4512. High level PLENARY session – Celebrating the twenty SET Plan conferences and the path forward
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 O'Gallachoir, Director, Research Ireland Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine (MaREI), Associate Vice-President of Sustainability, University College Cork
- Reflection by the European Commission (DG ENER+DG RTD+DG JRC)
Speakers:
- Andris Piebalgs, Professor, Florence School of Regulation (FSR), European University Institute
- Henk-Jan Vink, President, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)
- Cristina Trueba, SET Plan Steering Group representative, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain
- Sarah Flynn, youth representative, Trinity College Dublin and International Floating Wind Challenge
- Marie Donnelly, Chair, Renewables Energy Ireland
- 12:45– 13:00Closing session
Speakers:
- Fergal McParland, SET Plan Steering Group representative, Chief Technical Advisory Officer, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Ireland, the Irish EU Presidency
- European Commission TBC
- Greek EU Presidency TBC
- 13:00 – 14.00Lunch
- AfternoonSite visit
Prior to the conference, a high-level SET Plan Steering Group meeting (by invitation only) will take place on 3 November, bringing together high-level representatives from the Ministries of Energy and the Ministries of Research and Innovation.
Also on 3 November, the Commission organises an Interactive Workshop (by invitation only) dedicated to scaling up clean energy innovations under the SET Plan together with the European Technology and Innovation Platforms Forum (ETIP Forum) and the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA).
The Irish EU Presidency is also organising site visits to showcase Ireland’s achievements in clean energy on the afternoon of 5 November.