Building Resilience Through Clean Technology Innovation in Central and Eastern Europe

This brief looks at countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), considering their approach to solving the energy trilemma – arguably under more challenging circumstances than the rest of Europe. Their response to the crisis and clear trends provides an indicative glimpse at CEE’s future role in clean tech innovation.

• Energy security and just transition are key pillars of energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Considering the European Commission’s commitment to strengthen bloc’s clean manufacturing capacity and considering availability of workforce and recent investment boom in the region, CEE countries have an opportunity to transform just transition regions into economically viable clean innovation hubs.

• In the light of current energy crisis, CEE countries are starting to embrace technology optionality as witnessed in region-wide initiatives on small and modular reactors (SMR), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and low-carbon hydrogen deployment. However, more targeted policy and funding, as well as political support is needed to accelerate the deployment and buildout of required infrastructure.
• Countries in the region should use the opportunity and reflect more ambitious renewables and clean tech deployment targets as well as plans for infrastructure planning in revised National Energy and Climate Plans and allow for a more inclusive feedback process through timely and transparent public consultation process.
• Building on existing positive cross-regional initiatives, like 3seas Summit, CCS4CEE, CEE Hydrogen Forum among others, more support should be provided to such initiatives as they are essential to foster clean tech innovation through peer-learning, collaboration and coordination.