Upskilling key to getting us out of the woods - EUSEW

‘A light bulb was not invented by constantly improving the candles'

“We know where we need to go, but do we have the right skills?” Dylan Ahern, master of ceremonies and de Kiesmannen Co-Founder, rhetorically asked as he opened this year’s iteration of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW).

Ahern opened the keynote sessions yesterday, accompanied by EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch, Member of the European Parliament Emma Wiesner, Saule Technologies Co-Founder and CTO Olga Malinkiewicz and Irena’s Director-General Francesco La Camera.

Upskilling the workforce

The line up of high-profile guests was led by Commissioner Simson, who continued Ahern’s theme of how upskilling the workforce will be key to the European energy transition.

“The theme of this year’s event is accelerating the clean energy transition towards lower payments and timescales. It describes EU energy policies right now – when I last spoke in September, we were in the largest (global) energy crisis in generations.

“Especially here in Europe, we were worried about bills, prices and the Winter ahead. Now, ten months later, we are in a better place. Although we are not completely out of the woods, there is cautious optimism.”

Simson’s cautious optimism is reference to the immense and crisis-driven moves that have been made in the EU over a short span of time to ensure the continent retains its energy security and place as a global competitive player.

Whether “rebalancing excessive energy sector revenues to citizens and businesses”, weaning the European continent off reliance on Russian gas, or the progress made in renewables, such strides have certainly been made.

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But, to reiterate, “we are not completely out of the woods”.

According to Simson, skills - one of the driving themes behind this year’s EUSEW – is prime among concerns to getting the continent on track to its energy transition and renewable targets.

“A key area, which will be critical to the renewables revolution, is skills. As we speak, training, upskilling, rescaling and attracting new talent for the clean energy transition remains a challenge.”

“The renewable energy industry in Europe currently employs 1.5 million people and is expected to continue growing. However, there is a gap in the labour market of skilled workforce required to achieve our 23rd energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment targets.”

Whether it comes to data science, an advanced nuclear workforce, or simply operating in a sector characterised by leaps and bounds in innovation, skills have certainly been a pressing topic this year.

“We must fill this gap and fill it fast, because otherwise, there won’t be a clean energy transition.”

Climate change and staying competitive

This year’s EUSEW comes after years of different crises. 2022’s war in Ukraine and the prior two years of pandemic, states Malinkiewicz, shattered supply chains.

However, arguably more than either of these, the effects of climate change has been becoming more of a harsh reality.

“Climate change is not a future risk.” So stated Busch, who emphasised climate change as a current issue, illustrated by recent floods in Italy, which have left thousands homeless.

“This once again made it very clear that fossil fuels must be phased out. That (the energy) transition is no longer a choice between fossil fuels or economic growth…Acting too late and choosing fossil fuels is the expensive option. Luckily the EU is not too late.”

Busch cited that, although the EU has been a competitive player globally, more is yet needed for the continent to retain its competitive stakes and continue its economic growth.

Part of the Commission's moves this year specifically has been drawing up new policies, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

Critical for this she states, mirroring Simson, are the needs to lower energy bills and upskill the workforce, both of which are key themes for this week’s conference and within the Green Deal Industrial Plan’s focus.

However, although these are crucial aspects to proceeding with the energy transition at pace, another necessity we can't afford to forget, stated speakers, is that of technology and innovation.

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Innovation needed

According to Wiesner, who spoke on the need to tackle climate policy and energy policy as one – “climate policy is energy policy and energy policy is climate policy” she stated – there is a link that needs to be recognised.

“We need both policies and technology.

“This is about my generation, not about future generations…And that’s why we need to come together at European Sustainable Energy Week and talk about solutions.”

This need for a focus on solutions was also referenced by Malinkiewicz, who called on industry to address the need for innovative solutions, both to the climate crisis and for the energy transition.

For Malinkiewicz, although new and sped up regulations are important to meeting climate goals and advancing the energy transition, “if we talk about revolution, then we have to think out of the box and go for non-conventional functions.

“We have to invent new ways of producing energy.”

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Malinkiewicz referenced her experience in industry of securing grants and subsidies for research and development.

Although there is clear space for support and funding, an unfortunate reality is that innovation and new tech development tends to take “longer than a year or two” to develop, “and this is not for investors, because this is a high risk.

However, she states, “if someone talks about innovation with no risk, this is no innovation at all. Innovation and risk are inseparable. And this is a problem for investors from the private sector.”

Malinkiewicz called on support from the European Union, both for entrepreneurs as well as businesses and investors to share this risk and drive energy technology development, which is increasingly needed for the competitive energy environment and to meet energy transition targets.

Recalled Malinkiewicz : “There is this saying (from Oren Harari), ‘A light bulb was not invented by constantly improving the candles’”.

EUSEW is happening this week in Brussels, Belgium, from 20 to 22 June, 2023.