Brussels, 21 February 2018 – Supporting start-ups and SMEs in the energy transition

The Paris Climate Agreement sets for the first time a precise greenhouse gas emissions target to be reached globally and in this century: net-zero emissions.

Delivering Paris requires innovation on a massive scale with the deployment of new technologies, processes, services, business models, techniques and behaviours –many of which are still to be created. This can only be achieved by the combined effort of very different sets of players: from researchers to entrepreneurs, from Governments to start-ups, from incumbents to disruptors.

In this context, solutions developers still face too many barriers to bloom and turn ground-breaking solutions into marketable, widespread products These obstacles slow down not only their businesses, but consequently also the commercialisation of climate solutions. The EU ship has a capable crew of entrepreneurs and researchers, and enough public and private investment capacity to blow its sail and safely navigate towards a clean energy future. The Paris Agreement and the Energy Union provide the right compass, but will Europe deliver on its promises? Will it be able to become the global provider of the solutions delivering sustainable energy for all?

To contribute to the ongoing debate, the International Climate Show teams up with the Jacques Delors Institute to tackle such pressing issues in Brussels, where the ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ Package and the post-2020 EU research and innovation programme are currently under discussion.

The Jacques Delors Institute aims at producing analyses and proposals targeting European decision-makers and a wider audience, and to contribute to the debate on the European Union.

The International Climate Show pursues the maximisation of the synergies between the creators of sustainable technologies and investors, notably by fostering the dialogue on innovation at the service of climate.

In that spirit of collaboration and ahead of the Climate Show, this event will raise the following questions:

1. What are the main obstacles to the creation and deployment of clean innovations?
2. What difficulties do businesses face to find funding and how to overcome them?
3. How can clean energy start-ups and SMEs benefit further from public and private investments to deliver on our collective climate goals?
4. How to develop synergies between start-ups and their eco-system (incumbents, cities, etc.)?

Speakers and the audience will exchange views and ideas on how to accelerate the development of a clean economy.