The European Commission’s Energy Union strategy, adopted in February 2015, dedicates one of its five dimensions to research, innovation and competitiveness. The integrated SET-Plan will play a central role in a new European energy Research & Innovation (R&I) approach designed to accelerate the energy system transformation. A communication addressing the European energy system transformation and the role of the SET-Plan will be adopted in the beginning of September.

 The new Integrated SET-Plan Communication defines the new European R&I Strategy for the EU for the coming years. It will provide the overall framework for promoting strengthened cooperation in R&I between the EU, Member States and stakeholders (research and industry), in order to step up the efforts to bring new, efficient and cost-competitive low-carbon technologies faster to the market and deliver the energy transition in a cost-competitive way. In particular, the Integrated SET-Plan:

• Identifies 10 actions for research and innovation, based on an assessment of the energy system needs and on their importance for the energy system transformation and the potential to create growth and jobs in the EU;
• Addresses for these actions the whole innovation chain, from basic research to market uptake, both in terms of financing as well as in terms of regulatory framework;
• Adapts the structures set up under the SET-Plan to ensure a more effective interaction with Member States and stakeholders;
• Proposes to measure progress as part of the annual reporting of the State of the Energy Union via overall Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), such as the level of investment in R&I, as well as specific KPI’s to measure progress on the performance and cost-reduction for the priorities.

Reposted - for more information visit : Directorate General Energy – SET-Plan