In the target countries of the E-FIX project of Central and South Eastern Europe and the assoc. countries AM and GE, there is considerable idle potential for EE and REN products and services. Both potential energy project developers and financers face barriers regarding the accurate assessment of energy project feasibility and achieving investment security. An innovative Energy FInancing miX is needed in order to access new sources of finance and facilitate an increased implementation of sustainable energy projects. The E-FIX project will trigger private investments using a mix of inn. financing mechanisms, to be specific: credit lines for energy performance contracting, crowdfunding models and leasing models for EE and REN projects. The overall objective of the E-FIX project is to prepare the European market – with a focus on countries of various EU enlargement rounds, as well as markets of countries, which have recently reached EU association status – for the intensified usage of innovative financing mechanisms in the energy sector in order to facilitate the increase of investments in energy projects and services. The E-FIX project will initiate a comprehensive roll-out of inn. energy financing mechanisms in the 6 partner countries (PL, CZ, AT, HR, AM and GE). The 3-dimensional roll-out will cover capacity building, strategy development and piloting of model solutions. The E-FIX project will result in increased investments in sustainable energy projects in the partner countries as well as lay the groundwork for better-informed and equipped stakeholders. The trainings of these stakeholders will provide them with the capacity to act as E-FIX Ambassadors, multiplicators to promote and implement the E-FIX approach. On a larger scale, the E-FIX approach will be disseminated EU-wide, activating dormant private finance thereby contributing to the general growth of the EU markets of energy technology and services as one step into the direction of a low carbon economy.

The aim of PANEL 2050 project is to create durable and replicable sustainable energy networks at local (municipality/community) level, where relevant local stakeholders collaborate for the creation of a local energy visions, strategies and action plans for the transition towards low carbon communities in 2050. The PANEL 2050 project will focus on the creation of these sustainable local energy networks in CEE countries, where this type of networks at local level is almost completely absent and therefore additional support is needed for the creation of the first successful local energy networks that have the potential to set an example and a new standard for local energy road mapping in other local communities in the CEE region. Furthermore, the PANEL 2050 project will not choose a specific focus on a certain type of stakeholder, but will try to work at the local level and assemble all relevant and available stakeholders related to sustainable energy. The number and type of stakeholders will vary very much in different local settings and the ambition of this project is to create sustainable energy networks at local level that will connect and involve all relevant stakeholders that are present at local level into the local policy development and implementation. At present, the involvement of local shareholders in local policy development in any field in CEE countries is very limited and the aim of this project is to create durable sustainable energy networks in a number of local communities in different CEE countries that will also be a replicable example that can be spread to other communities in CEE countries. Introducing stakeholder concept to energy planning will help generate sustainable energy policies and create more sustainable future for Europe.

POWER4BIO project aims at empowering regional stakeholders to boost the transition towards bioeconomy regions in Europe by providing them with the necessary tools, instruments and guidance to develop and implement sound sustainable bioeconomy strategies. In particular, POWER4BIO will define a methodology based on a 3-steps approach (stakeholders engagement, regional analysis and strategy development) to guide European regions when preparing and reviewing their regional bioeconomy strategy and its associated implementation plan (roadmap), and which will be ultimately integrated in a Bioregional Strategy Accelerator Toolkit. POWER4BIO will also develop a catalogue of bio-based business models, including best practice examples, to support regions understand, identify and select the most adequate bio-based solutions for developing their bioeconomy and; POWER4BIO will issue recommendations to use and align the main funding instruments and policies in Europe to support bioeconomy business models. Moreover, POWER4BIO will rely on a comprehensive programme to foster mutual learning and intra- and interregional collaboration and networking among regional stakeholders to ensure knowledge transfer across sectors and regions and to jointly develop and complement different sustainable bioeconomy value chains within 10 participant regions member of the consortium (5 of which coming from Central and Eastern Europe) from 9 different countries. Finally, POWER4BIO will design and deliver an ambitious training programme to increase the skills and capacity of the regional stakeholders in several important aspects of the bioeconomy (sustainability in the bio-based value chains, synergies in funding instruments, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, etc.). All in all, the potential brought in the project is huge, considering that the 10 participant regions represent a population of around 88 million people, a GDP of 2460 billion EUR and an area of almost 450,000 km2.