Lazio, a Hub for Energy Innovation

The Lazio Region has presented its credentials to the European Parliament to position itself as a European hub for energy innovation and sustainability. The event in Brussels brought together all the key stakeholders: institutions, major global players, research centres, and the European Investment Bank.

The Region has allocated €120 million for the energy transition and innovation. However, the sector is expected to absorb significantly greater resources over the coming years. The 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework provides for hundreds of billions of euros in European funding for energy.

The European Competitiveness Fund has a total budget of €410 billion, nearly €68 billion of which is dedicated to the clean transition. The Lazio Region intends to seize every opportunity offered by the European Union to strengthen the development potential of its territory.

Four strategic priorities have been identified:

1. Open Innovation. Starting in September, two innovation hubs are scheduled to open: one in Civitavecchia, dedicated to the energy transition, and another in the Ostiense district, focused on high-tech sustainability, with particular attention to green energy production and artificial intelligence applied to the energy sector;
2. Investment and Funding Calls. New calls for proposals supporting innovation will be launched in September, backed by €85 million in ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) resources for green technologies. Large companies will be able to act as lead partners, leveraging additional private investment;
3. Innovation Ecosystem. From September, the selected organisations that will receive €26 million—complemented by private funding—to support the growth of cleantech start-ups over the next three years will be announced;
4. European Projects. In collaboration with ENEA, the Lazio Region is developing projects focused on Smart Building Hubs, renewable energy, energy storage systems, and AI applications for the energy sector within the framework of the LIFE and Horizon Europe programmes. Total funding: €10 million.