Community insights: top 5 highlights from the Energy Fair

The EUSEW 2023 Energy Fair returned to a fully onsite format this year, putting in-person interaction at the forefront. More than 2 000 Policy Conference attendees got the chance to learn about organisations, projects and initiatives having a concrete impact on delivering the energy transition and the skills needed to get there. 

DISCOVER WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE ENERGY FAIR 

1 – Direct access to European policy 

Bridging policymakers and bottom-up initiatives is a fundamental feature of the EUSEW Energy Fair. Having the European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson hear directly from the EUSEW community and take a look around the stands was a great way to bridge the gap and showcase the work being done by EU projects and organisations on the ground.  

2 – Educating through play 

Horizon 2020-funded nZeb Roadshow came along with a playhouse they use to help explain energy efficient buildings to children. By travelling around Europe with different games, demos and models, they hope to better educate citizens including young people, engineers and educators about energy efficiency in a way that has an impact.  

3 – EUSEW Partners spotlighting solutions 

Our media partner REVOLVE hosted representatives from different EU-funded projects to showcase their progress and share valuable know-how. From innovative ways to cool buildings as global temperatures rise to open-source guides to sustainable growth, they highlighted the wealth of creative solutions underway across the continent. Check out this video profiling some of the projects they supported.   

4 - Local initiatives collaborating for change 

Cross-border partnerships from different regional actors in France and the Netherlands came together to share expertise at a stand dedicated to ‘Accelerating energy transitions through local and interregional cooperation in Europe’. They are vibrant examples of how knowledge sharing can benefit all in the clean transition, whether that includes informing citizens, interdisciplinary actions and upskilling, all actions that were also undertaken by the finalists of the Local Energy Action prize this year.   

5 – Youth at the forefront 

As well as two different stands dedicated to raising the profile of young people in the energy transition, the observant among you may have noticed the appearance of some hand-written messages popping up around the Energy Fair. Signed ‘Sincerely, EUSEW Young’, these notes were part of a campaign led by the Young Energy Ambassadors, who complemented their interventions within the Policy Conference with a curated selection of quotes, questions and prompts to share younger generation’s vision for Europe’s energy future.