EIC to present renewable and efficiency cleantech at European Sustainable Energy Week 2024

Brussels, April 29th 2024

Summary

›The European Innovation Council will host two sessions at EUSEW 2024 to showcase its Green Deal portfolio on renewables and energy efficiency.
›Sessions take place on 11 June and 13 June and feature senior representatives from EIC-backed start ups and SMEs.
›Named participants include C2C-NewCap, Lixea, Ligna Energy, Brite Solar, SUBRA, Otechos, Crocus Labs, Kraftblock, and MAGNOTHERM.
›EIC Programme Managers Francesco Matteucci and Antonio Marco Pantaleo will speak and sessions are moderated by Nuno Quental and Johannes Bunz.
›The EIC frames these companies as rapidly scaling but many technical claims and commercial metrics remain to be independently verified.

EIC showcases cleantech pioneers at EU Sustainable Energy Week

The European Innovation Council will host two curated sessions at the European Sustainable Energy Week 2024. The sessions are framed as opportunities to meet C-level representatives from EIC-supported start ups and small and medium sized enterprises that the EIC says are advancing solutions across renewable generation, storage and efficient energy use. Each session includes short presentations, a moderated Q and A and networking opportunities at the wider EUSEW event.

EUSEW is the European Union's principal annual forum on renewables and energy efficiency. The week includes a high level policy conference, awards, a youth energy day and an Energy Fair for exhibitors and stakeholders. The EIC sessions are scheduled as part of that programme and are positioned to highlight innovations coming out of the EIC Green Deal portfolio.

Practical details

Pioneering solutions for renewable energy sources will take place on 11 June from 16:30 to 18:00. The energy efficiency session is scheduled for 13 June from 11:30 to 13:00. EIC Programme Managers Francesco Matteucci and Antonio Marco Pantaleo are listed as speakers and the sessions will be moderated by Nuno Quental and Johannes Bunz. Attendance requires EUSEW registration.

What the sessions will present

The announcement highlights a set of EIC-backed companies and technologies. The EIC casts these organisations as part of its Green Deal and energy portfolios and says some are rapidly scaling. The press release lists company names, brief claims about what each is developing and their countries of origin. The document uses promotional language that implies demonstrated commercial impact. Those claims deserve scrutiny and independent verification before being taken at face value.

Renewable energy session — 11 June, 16:30 to 18:00

This session is described as a showcase for EIC investments in renewable energy technologies and value chains. Four companies are named in the announcement with concise descriptions of their technology focus.

C2C-NewCap (Portugal):Presented as working on next generation supercapacitors intended for energy storage in a carbon neutral future. The company claims to be developing devices that can deliver high power and long cycle life compared with batteries. The EIC cites this company in the Green Deal portfolio.

Lixea (Sweden):Described as converting waste wood and agricultural residues into sustainable chemicals and fuels using a patented technology. The press text does not specify the route used but companies operating in this space typically use thermochemical or catalytic conversion or biochemical pathways. Transitioning from laboratory or pilot processes to commercial scale commonly faces feedstock logistics, energy balance and permitting challenges.

Ligna Energy (Sweden):Framed as a maker of bio based supercapacitors intended for Internet of Things devices and off grid access to affordable clean energy. The phrase bio based supercapacitors suggests use of biomass derived carbon materials. Claims of environmental benefits require lifecycle analysis and supply chain assessment to confirm net emission reductions relative to incumbent solutions.

Brite Solar (Greece):Promoted for a semi transparent photovoltaic product aimed at greenhouse horticulture and building integration. Semi transparent PV can provide daylight and generate electricity at the same time, but practical performance depends on optics, light transmission for crops and building comfort. Crop yield impacts, glazing durability and cost competitiveness are typical factors that determine adoption.

Energy efficiency session — 13 June, 11:30 to 13:00

The energy efficiency session is presented as focused on technologies spanning superconductors, compressors for hydrogen, LED systems for vertical farming, thermal energy storage and refrigerant free cooling. Five companies are named and short claims summarise their purported benefits.

SUBRA (Denmark):Described as developing advanced superconductor solutions intended to change how electricity is transported and generated. Superconductors offer near zero electrical resistance when cooled below a critical temperature. Practical deployment depends on material costs, critical current density and cooling infrastructure. High temperature superconductors reduce cooling costs but still require careful engineering.

Otechos (Norway):Presented as building a revolutionary compressor that overcomes limitations of traditional designs, with potential implications for applications such as hydrogen storage. Compressors used in hydrogen systems face materials compatibility, leak tightness and efficiency constraints. A genuinely step changing compressor could improve compression energy and lifetime but needs field validation at scale.

Crocus Labs (France):Described as producing energy efficient LED lighting for vertical farming that claim to mimic the solar spectrum and halve energy consumption. Spectrum tuning and efficient optics can reduce electricity per unit of crop for some crops. Performance claims will vary by crop type, growth recipe and farm design.

Kraftblock (Germany):Characterised as addressing industrial energy waste with a thermal energy storage system that allegedly delivers ten times the capacity at a fraction of the cost. Thermal storage technology comes in sensible, latent and thermochemical types. Bold claims on capacity and cost should be probed for system boundaries, operating temperature range and cycle efficiency.

MAGNOTHERM (Germany):Described as developing sustainable cooling solutions that remove harmful refrigerants and boost energy efficiency by up to 40 percent. The company name suggests magnetocaloric or other solid state approaches. These alternatives can eliminate greenhouse gas refrigerants but must demonstrate competitive coefficient of performance, manufacturability and lifetime before large scale industrial adoption.

One count says ten solutions but nine companies were named

The headline of the EIC announcement refers to 10 pioneering solutions. The body of the release explicitly names nine companies. That mismatch is noteworthy. It could reflect a late change to the line up or an omission in the published text. It is a small detail but a useful reminder to check primary lists when coverage is based on institutional press material.

Context: where the EIC fits in the EU innovation landscape

The EIC is the EU instrument that aims to identify and back breakthrough technologies through Pathfinder grants, Transition funding and the Accelerator which offers blended grants and equity via the EIC Fund. The EIC also provides business acceleration services such as coaching, investor matchmaking and access to a network of mentors. Presenting EIC backed companies at an event such as EUSEW is part of a broader effort to support scaling, attract co investors and connect ventures with policy makers and industry partners.

Why demonstrations at events matter:Public showcases are useful for visibility, fundraising and partnerships. They do not replace the independent technical testing and market trials that prove a technology's readiness. Policy audiences and potential customers will look for field data, independent validation and transparent cost metrics beyond demonstration claims.

Technical notes and caveats for readers

The EIC announcement highlights promising technology directions. Many of those directions are active areas of research and entrepreneurship across Europe. However, promotional text frequently compresses complex technical, economic and regulatory challenges into optimistic soundbites. Below are short explainer items on key concepts referenced in the announcement.

Supercapacitors vs batteries:Supercapacitors store energy electrostatically and can charge and discharge rapidly for many cycles. They usually have lower energy density than lithium ion batteries but higher power density and longer cycle life. For grid or portable power uses, the trade off is between energy per volume or mass and the desired power profile. Materials and manufacturing costs determine which applications make commercial sense.

Thermal energy storage types:Thermal storage can be sensible, where heat is stored by changing the temperature of a material, latent, where energy is stored through phase change, or thermochemical, where chemical reactions store and release heat. Each approach has different storage density, temperature range and round trip efficiency characteristics. Claims of radically higher capacity usually require clarification of the stored temperature level and usable fraction of stored energy.

Solid state and magnetocaloric cooling:Solid state cooling technologies such as thermoelectric or magnetocaloric approaches remove the need for vapor compression loops and high global warming potential refrigerants. They can offer environmental benefits but must compete on coefficient of performance, scalability and cost. Transition away from incumbent refrigerants also requires regulatory acceptance and standards for safety and performance.

What to watch for at EUSEW

Attendees and observers should look for evidence beyond promotional statements. Useful indicators include third party test data, pilot or field deployments, signed contracts with industrial partners, independent lifecycle assessments and transparent cost breakdowns. For technologies touching regulated sectors such as hydrogen or refrigeration, information on standards compliance and certification efforts is also important.

From a policy perspective, the scaling of these technologies will depend on predictable demand signals, supportive standards, access to manufacturing capacity and supply chains, and available co financing. The EIC can provide early stage capital and visibility but broader commercial uptake typically requires further private investment and industrial partnerships.

Comparative table of named participants

Company	Country	Technology focus	EIC claim or benefit	Session
C2C-NewCap	Portugal	Next generation supercapacitors	Energy storage for a carbon neutral future	Renewable energy
Lixea	Sweden	Conversion of waste wood and agricultural waste to chemicals and fuels	Patented technology to make sustainable chemicals and fuels	Renewable energy
Ligna Energy	Sweden	Bio based supercapacitors	Targeting sustainable IoT power and access to clean energy	Renewable energy
Brite Solar	Greece	Semi transparent photovoltaic modules	PV for greenhouse horticulture and building integration to save energy costs	Renewable energy
SUBRA	Denmark	Advanced superconductor solutions	Revolutionise power transport and generation	Energy efficiency
Otechos	Norway	High performance compressor	Revolutionary compressor for applications like hydrogen storage	Energy efficiency
Crocus Labs	France	Energy efficient LED lighting for vertical farming	Mimics solar spectrum and claims up to 50 percent energy savings	Energy efficiency
Kraftblock	Germany	Thermal energy storage system	Claims ten times capacity at a fraction of cost	Energy efficiency
MAGNOTHERM	Germany	Sustainable cooling solutions	Eliminates harmful refrigerants and boosts efficiency up to 40 percent	Energy efficiency

Final observations

The EIC sessions at EUSEW provide a platform to highlight promising European deep tech ventures. They are useful for visibility and for creating contact opportunities between innovators, investors and policy makers. However, the promotional briefings do not substitute for independent verification of technical and economic performance. Attendees should treat headline efficiency and cost claims as starting points for probing viability and scaling risks.

If you plan to follow the sessions register for European Sustainable Energy Week 2024 and attend the EIC sessions on 11 and 13 June to hear the companies directly and to ask for the data and deployment evidence behind the claims.