Europe’s energy system sits at the heart of its economic security and geopolitical resilience. Rising electricity demand, deep import dependencies and fragmented infrastructure have exposed structural vulnerabilities in the continent’s energy architecture.

Recent crises have highlighted the scale of the challenge. Europe remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels while also relying on external suppliers for many of the technologies required for the clean-energy transition. At the same time, new sources of demand, from electrification to artificial intelligence and data centres, are increasing pressure on energy systems across the continent. 

Securing Europe’s energy future requires a more integrated and resilient energy system. This includes strengthening cross-border infrastructure, diversifying supply chains, improving grid coordination, clean energy deployment and storage across Europe and building stronger cooperation between EU and non-EU European partners. 

Catalyse Europe works to develop the ideas, partnerships and policy frameworks needed to build a secure, integrated and future-ready European energy system. 

Examples of our projects and partnerships

Catalyse Europe supports Constructive’s Bridge to Bankability initiative in the United Kingdom, which brings together government, finance and industry to accelerate the commercialisation of priority clean-energy technologies. By aligning stakeholders around investment pathways and risk-sharing mechanisms, the initiative aims to unlock private capital and accelerate large-scale clean-energy deployment.

Europe’s industrial competitiveness is increasingly tied to the success of the clean-energy transition. As global demand for clean technologies grows, the ability to manufacture and deploy these technologies will shape Europe’s economic strength and strategic autonomy.

Yet Europe faces mounting pressure. Global supply chains for solar panels, batteries and critical minerals are increasingly concentrated outside the continent, while both the United States and China are deploying large-scale industrial strategies to strengthen their own clean-technology sectors.

To remain competitive, Europe must develop a coherent industrial strategy for the clean-energy economy. This includes strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity in strategic sectors, diversifying supply chains, and ensuring that industrial policy, trade policy and security considerations work together rather than in isolation.

Catalyse Europe works to strengthen the analytical foundations and policy debates that will shape Europe’s industrial transformation, helping policymakers navigate the complex trade-offs between competitiveness, security and decarbonisation.

Examples of our projects and partnerships

• Catalyse Europe supports the Centre for European Reform’s work on the economic policy trade-offs of Europe’s clean-industrial transition. Through research, publications, workshops and the annual CER Ditchley Economics Conference, this work contributes to policy discussions shaping Europe’s energy and industrial strategy.
• We work with the European Clean Industry Forum hosted by the European University Institute, which convenes policymakers, industry leaders and experts to discuss the implementation of the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal and the future of Europe’s industrial strategy.

Europe is home to world-class research institutions and innovative clean-technology companies. Yet too often, promising innovations struggle to scale into globally competitive businesses. 

This scale-up gap remains one of the most persistent challenges facing Europe’s clean-tech ecosystem. Fragmented markets, complex regulatory frameworks and limited growth capital make it difficult for emerging technologies to move from prototype to large-scale deployment. 

Strengthening Europe’s clean-tech ecosystem requires closer alignment between policy, industry and capital markets. It also requires clearer pathways for innovators to test, scale and deploy their technologies across the European market and into the industrial sector. 

Catalyse Europe works to help bridge these gaps, connecting innovators, policymakers, investors and industrial partners to accelerate the development and deployment of strategic clean technologies. 

Examples of our projects and partnerships

Catalyse Europe supports Cleantech for Europe, which represents leading clean-technology scale-ups and investors across the European Union and works to strengthen collaboration between innovators and policymakers. The initiative helps elevate the voice of Europe’s cleantech sector in policy debates and builds coalitions that support stronger industrial and financing frameworks for clean technologies across Europe.  

Achieving Europe’s energy transition will require an unprecedented mobilisation of capital. The European Commission estimates that hundreds of billions of euros in additional investment will be required each year to finance clean electricity systems, industrial decarbonisation, energy infrastructure and new technologies. Yet public budgets remain constrained and private investment often faces significant barriers. 

Investors continue to encounter fragmented policy frameworks, regulatory uncertainty and long permitting timelines that increase risk and raise the cost of capital. As a result, many projects struggle to reach financial close even when technologies are mature. 

Catalyse Europe works to identify and address the structural barriers preventing capital from flowing into clean-energy investment. By strengthening policy frameworks, improving market signals and building new partnerships between public and private actors, we aim to unlock the scale of investment needed for Europe’s transition. 

Examples of our projects and partnerships

Catalyse Europe is partnering with SYSTEMIQ on the Fuelling Net Zero Smarter initiative, which explores how governments can use public balance sheets and financial instruments to reduce the cost of capital for clean-energy infrastructure. 

The project analyses how tools such as public financing and risk-sharing mechanisms can attract private investment, lower energy costs for households and accelerate the deployment of clean-energy systems.  

Europe’s influence in the global energy transition extends far beyond its own borders. Through its technological expertise, financial capacity and regulatory frameworks, Europe will play a critical role in shaping how the global clean-energy transition unfolds. Strong partnerships with emerging economies and developing countries will be essential to accelerate decarbonisation while supporting economic development. 

At the same time, shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping international climate cooperation. Traditional multilateral approaches are evolving, and new forms of cooperation including climate clubs, technology partnerships and supply-chain alliances, are emerging. 

Catalyse Europe works to strengthen Europe’s role as a strategic partner in the global clean-energy transition by supporting initiatives that deepen international cooperation and expand opportunities for clean-technology partnerships.

Examples of our projects and partnerships

Catalyse Europe is leading work exploring how Europe can develop technology-specific clean tech partnerships with emerging and developing economies. 

These partnerships aim to strengthen clean-technology supply chains, reduce strategic vulnerabilities and accelerate the deployment and innovation of low-carbon technologies. By building mutually beneficial industrial and technology partnerships, they can help create new export markets, expand clean-technology capacity and support the global energy transition. 

The work brings together policymakers and experts across Europe and partner countries to identify priority technologies, develop practical policy frameworks and build momentum for new forms of international clean-technology cooperation. Further information on this project can be found here.

• We support the work of the ECFR Asia Programme examining the implications of China’s role in clean-technology sectors and helping shape a coherent European approach to economic security and investment in these strategic industries.  
• Catalyse Europe supports the Grand Continent Summit, organised by the Groupe d’études géopolitiques, which convenes senior leaders from politics, business and academia to discuss Europe’s geopolitical, green and digital transformations.