Italy deepens engagement in Iberia amid major shifts towards clean energy

As Europe’s energy landscape evolves, Italy is strengthening its ties with Spain to unlock cooperation in renewable energy, smart grids and emerging clean energy technologies.

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) hosted 26 Italian companies at Enlit Europe 2025, one of Europe’s largest trade shows, which took place in Bilbao, Spain, from 18 to 20 November.

Showcasing Italian excellence and leadership in renewable energies and innovation, the companies enjoyed a successful event with lots of visitors and participated in a variety of other activities.

These included a successful inauguration event on 18 November, which featured a networking session where Giovanni Bifulco, director of the ITA office in Madrid, welcomed the Italian exhibitors and arranged meetings with invited local operators.

Twenty of the Italian companies also visited the Smart Grid Innovation and Logistics Hub of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola in Bilbao, where they received a technical tour and participated in a networking event.

Key themes of this year's event included decarbonisation, digitalisation, renewable energy, electrification, energy communities, hydrogen, smart grid management, e-mobility and energy efficiency.

Spain has recently reached 56% electricity production from renewable sources, confirming its position as a leading country in the energy transition with a profound transformation of its energy system underway. Spain also represents a strategic commercial partner for Italy in this sector, ranking fourth among the main destination markets.

While the two countries share deep historical ties, they are also closely connected in the energy sector. For example, the Spanish DSO Endesa is a subsidiary of Italy’s Enel. These companies and their technology providers have been at the forefront of the sector's digitalisation, having started rolling out smart meters in the early 2000s.

Like Italy, Spain is also investing heavily in smart water metering, with a national programme addressing increasing water scarcity, as well as planning and leakage issues.

The EU's recently announced grids package and the accelerated development of electricity, gas and hydrogen 'energy highways' are expected to create new opportunities for providers across the board.

The Italy pavilion, which included an institutional area dedicated to welcoming international visitors and facilitating meetings with Italian companies, was organised by the ITA, in collaboration with the industry associations ANIE and ANIMA. Both associations expressed their appreciation for the organisation and support provided.

The Italian Trade Agency is the government agency entrusted with the promotion of exports overseas, which account for one third of the national GDP. The ITA supports Italian exporting companies through various tools, including international trade shows (such as Enlit), buyers' delegations, market analysis, promotional campaigns, seminars, B2B meetings and training courses.

Spain is a crucial partner for Italy and 2025 marks the highest level of trade relations and mutual investments between the two countries.

The large delegation of Italian companies participating in Enlit Europe 2025 will undoubtedly lead to increased business opportunities and technological cooperation with their Spanish counterparts.

For more information on the ITA and the Enlit Europe 2025 participating companies, visit the website and view the show catalogue.