Zabala Innovation participated in Enlit Europe 2025 to share its experience in energy projects

Bilbao hosted Enlit Europe 2025 from 18 to 20 November at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), one of the world’s leading events in energy, innovation and the green transition.

Zabala Innovation participated as a strategic partner in innovation and European funding, joining more than 700 international exhibitors with conference sessions, panel moderation and the presentation of several European projects.

Enlit Europe, the key energy meeting in Bilbao

Enlit Europe brought together more than 15,000 energy professionals alongside companies, institutions and technology centres from across Europe. The event, which changes venue each year — after previous editions in Frankfurt, Paris and Milan — confirmed its position as the benchmark gathering for discussing the future of the continent’s energy system.

Its goal was to connect industries and key stakeholders to accelerate the transition towards a cleaner, more digital and more sustainable energy model. The main themes of this edition will include decarbonisation, the electrification of the economy and the digitalisation of networks and energy processes.

Zabala Innovation experts in the official programme

Three professionals from Zabala Innovation took part in the Enlit Europe 2025 conference programme, sharing their expertise to strategic debates on industrial competitiveness, financing for decarbonisation and the role of data in energy efficiency:

• Erik Zabala, CEO, will be a panellist in the session “Securing Europe’s Industrial Competitiveness – an energy perspective” (Evolve Stage, Hall 5) on Wednesday, 19 November, from 10:30 to 11:30.
  The session explored how Europe can safeguard its industrial competitiveness through smarter energy systems, addressing investment strategies in grids, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and electrification. It also anticipated the forthcoming Grid Package to be published by the European Commission shortly after Enlit 2025, as well as the upcoming AI Act and Electrification Act expected in 2026.
• Igor Idareta, Team Leader and expert in European Sustainability Programmes at Zabala Innovation, moderated “Financing Mechanisms for Decarbonisation” in the Decarbonisation Hub on Thursday, 20 November, from 09:45 to 11:15.
  This debate unravelled the network of public and private financing instruments available to accelerate the energy transition, featuring institutional representatives, financial entities and project leaders.
• Janire García, Head of Dissemination and Communication of European Projects at Zabala Innovation, will moderate the final event of the DATA CELLAR project, taking place on Wednesday, 19 November, from 09:00 to 13:30 in the EU Projects Zone Hub – Theatre 3 (Hall 5).
  This event marked the culmination of 42 months of collaborative work and presented the project’s results: a European energy data space designed to empower Local Energy Communities (LECs). Attendees learned about the project’s outcomes, including its marketplace, governance framework and validation cases, attended live demonstrations of the DATA CELLAR platform and joined expert panels on data sovereignty and community energy.
• Janire Garcia also participated in the session “Digital Technologies for Renewable Energy Sources (RES)”  that took place on Tuesday 18 November, from 12:45 – 14:00, representing the project CIRCWIND, where Zabala Innovation has a dissemination role. The discussion focused on different sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen technologies.
• Alessandro Provaggi, Director of the Brussels office, moderated the session “ETIPs Forum: The role of R&I for a competitive EU” that took place on Tuesday, 18 November, from 11:45-13:00. The discussion steered about strengthening collaboration between research and industry. It featured ETIP HYDROPOWER, ETIP WIND, TIWG Hydrogen and EERA.
• Edoardo Genova, senior R&I consultant from the Brussels office, represented SET IndEU during the session “Decarbonisation and Carbon Capture Technologies for Energy Intensive Industries” that took place on Wednesday 19 November, from 14:00-15:30. The discussion revolved around different technologies and strategies that help energy intensive adapt to carbon-neutrality goals. In this project, Zabala Innovation has a coordination and D&C role.
• María Yáñez, senior consultant from the Zabala Innovation office in Bilbao, represented ALRIGH2T in a session dedicated to Smart Cities that took place on Thursday, 20 November 11:30-13:00. The session tackled the whole spectrum of the value chain going from buildings to new transportation solutions focusing on smart solutions that enhance energy efficiency. In this initiative, Zabala Innovation works in project management and communication and dissemination.

European projects showcased at the event

Zabala Innovation participated as a consortium partner in several European projects, contributing its expertise in project management, dissemination and communication of results, exploitation, social innovation and strategic coordination support.

These activities helped European initiatives progress from research to implementation, generating a tangible impact on the market and society.

At Enlit Europe 2025, Zabala Innovation presented several of these projects at its stand (F30-S016):

• SET-IndEU (coordinated by Zabala Innovation): supports the IWG6 Working Group of the SET Plan to strengthen cooperation among industry, research and Member States in the field of energy-intensive processes, focusing on electrification, circularity and efficiency.
• ETIPs FORUM (coordinated by Zabala Innovation in collaboration with EERA): brings together all European Technology & Innovation Platforms (ETIPs) to foster coordinated R&I efforts and develop joint recommendations on energy and climate.
• CIRCWIND (coordinated by SINTEF AS, Norway): develops high-performance materials for wind turbine blades and floating structures, advanced simulation technologies and low-carbon circular concrete for floating turbines.
• AIR4NRG (coordinated by Enertime SAS, France): designs a compact isothermal compression energy storage system capable of delivering ten hours of energy, facilitating the integration of renewables.
• pAIramid (coordinated by Ikerlan, Spain): accelerates the design and certification of aerostructures through a digital framework based on artificial intelligence, integrating high-fidelity simulations and sustainable composite materials.
• ALRIGH2T (coordinated by ENEA, Italy): develops innovative solutions for liquid hydrogen (LH₂) refuelling in commercial aviation, with demonstrations at Milan-Malpensa and Paris airports.

BeFlexible project stand (F30-S07)

BeFlexible (coordinated by i-DE, Iberdrola Group) promotes flexibility in the European energy system, enhancing cooperation between transmission (TSO) and distribution (DSO) operators and encouraging the active participation of all stakeholders in the energy ecosystem. The project develops interoperable smart-grid platforms, cross-sector flexibility services and new business models that support renewable energy integration, network efficiency and cybersecurity. Zabala Innovation leads the Dissemination & Communication of the project.

DATA CELLAR project stand (5.F30-EU012)

DATA CELLAR (coordinated by RINA-C, Italy) is a European project launched in 2022 aimed at creating a European energy data space to support the creation, development and management of Local Energy Communities (LECs) across the EU.

hroughout Enlit Europe 2025, the project’s stand showcased the digital tools and services developed to enable secure and transparent data exchange, collaboration among local actors and new data-driven business models. Its presence in Bilbao highlighted the project’s contribution to Europe’s digital energy transition. Zabala Innovation leads the Dissemination & Communication of the project.

A commitment to innovation and sustainability

Zabala Innovation’s participation in Enlit Europe 2025 reflects its role as a strategic partner in R&I projects funded by the European Commission, driving the transition towards a more sustainable energy and economic model.

With more than 35 years of experience and offices in Spain, France, Belgium and Portugal, Zabala Innovation supports companies, public administrations and technology centres throughout the entire innovation cycle: from proposal writing and project management to implementation and exploitation of results.

Between 2021 and 2025, this work has resulted in over 1,100 European proposals submitted, with a success rate of 40% — compared to a European average of 13% — and a total return of nearly €3 billion for its clients through programmes such as Horizon Europe, Innovation Fund and Connecting Europe Facility.

Beyond proposal development, once projects are approved, Zabala Innovation contributes its expertise in management, communication, social innovation and strategic coordination, ensuring that European R&I outcomes translate into real impact for society and the market.

In this context, the company reaffirms its commitment to delivering projects that integrate technology, funding and sustainable impact, actively contributing to a just energy transition and the construction of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.