Gathering in Vienna, Austria to explore key topics for the industry ahead of Enlit Europe in November, ‘Made in Europe’ policy found itself being a defining part of the discussions.
The main question is: what does ”Made in Europe” actually mean for the energy system? As the discussions on the European Commission’s Industrial Accelerator Act progress, the focus is shifting from manufacturing to ownership and control of the grid, and to non-physical assets that are integral to today’s energy systems such as design, software and data.
ESMIG Managing Director, Tomás Llobet, contributed to discussions and added: ‘The Industrial Accelerator Act is an important opportunity for the EU to strengthen its industrial base. But if Made in Europe criteria are reduced to where a product is finally assembled, it risks missing the strategic objective.’
Energy systems today are complex and digitalised, and the grid is no longer a physical network. With cybersecurity not only being a technical compliance issue but also a matter of economic security in the current geopolitical context. As highlighted by Mr. Llobet, dependencies on suppliers from high-risk third countries can create long-term vulnerabilities for Europe’s critical infrastructure.
In an article for Enlit World, Areti Ntaradimou summarises the discussions and poses some important questions.