EU Energy Projects Podcast: EU’s energy and transport need a digital backbone and BEGONIA might be it

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Niccolò Fattirolli, COO of Olivo Energy and a key figure in the EU-funded Begonia project, which aims to prepare the ground for digital transformation across Europe's energy and transport sectors.

What makes the project so intriguing is its role as a preparatory action. Unlike many traditional EU-funded initiatives that focus on implementation, BEGONIA is about coordination, support and groundwork. It's not building entirely new technologies from scratch. Instead, it’s scanning existing ideas, selecting the most promising ones, and preparing them to be scaled across Europe through operational digital platforms (ODPs).

ODPs are the heart of Begonia’s mission. While still lacking a final, universally accepted definition, ODPs are essentially wide, flexible data platforms that can integrate with existing systems. These platforms aim to make data more usable, helping manage everything from smart grids and energy communities to electric vehicle (EV) charging networks and port logistics.

BEGONIA’s timeline – 2.5 years – may seem short for a project with such ambition. But as Niccolò explained, this is just the beginning. The selected use cases from Begonia will inform a European Commission call for proposals, expected later this year. Then, other consortia will take over, armed with BEGONIA’s groundwork, to implement the solutions. BEGONIA will even overlap with the first months of these new projects to ensure a smooth handoff and continued support.

From ideas to impact: Real-world use cases driving innovation

In practice, BEGONIA has sifted through a landscape of digital initiatives, narrowing down from 14 promising ODP concepts to six, and soon to three final cases. These aren’t abstract theories. They are real-world platforms built around tangible needs: smart energy management for consumers, AI-optimised EV charging, cross-border data centre energy flexibility, streamlined drone inspection for infrastructure, smart port operations, and carbon footprint tracking in logistics.

What struck me during our conversation was how closely BEGONIA aligns with the EU’s broader strategic goals. The Digital Decade, the AI Act, and even recent thought leadership pieces like the Draghi report, all underscore the importance of cross-border collaboration, digital sovereignty and resilience. BEGONIA is ticking every one of these boxes.

Take ports, for example. Often overlooked in digital discourse, they are now front and centre in Europe's decarbonisation efforts. High in energy consumption and complex in governance, ports stand to benefit immensely from ODPs. From optimising logistics to reducing emissions, the use cases being developed under BEGONIA have the potential to make real, measurable impacts.

Flexibility and demand-side services are also common threads in the selected use cases. These may not be new concepts, but their real-world implementation has been sluggish across the continent. The project aims to accelerate this by ensuring that the digital solutions it supports are not only regulatory-compliant but also consumer-friendly. Because let’s face it: if digital transformation isn't accessible or intuitive, it won't stick.

But BEGONIA’s success doesn’t rest solely on its technical merit. It hinges on stakeholder engagement. This project isn't happening in a vacuum. It's an open call to anyone in the energy, transport or data sectors to get involved, shape the conversation, and ultimately benefit from the implementation phase, which will be co-funded by the Commission to the tune of up to €20 million.

The coming months will be pivotal. As BEGONIA finalises its top three use cases and works with the European Commission to launch the next phase, stakeholders have a unique window to join the process. As Niccolò said, it’s not just about sharing documents or attending events. It’s about becoming part of a living platform that is shaping the future of European infrastructure.

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The EU Project Podcast is a fortnightly podcast presenting Europe’s key energy projects.
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