EMKICE KIC and ACRID Network Strengthen European Partnerships During Brussels Visit and Sustainable Energy Week
Brussels, 8–11 June 2026
EMKICE KIC and ACRID Network brought together project partners, academics, vocational education providers, entrepreneurs and representatives of civil society for an intensive Brussels programme combining EU institutional visits, policy discussions, project presentations and international networking.
Held alongside European Sustainable Energy Week 2026, the visit connected European policy priorities with practical cooperation in clean energy, smart buildings, digitalization, agricultural innovation and skills development.
The EMKICE Group 4 visit formed part of a wider ACRID Network Brussels programme involving approximately 211 participants from nine countries across four groups devided in to separate groups of 30-40 people, with connections to more than 34 ongoing EU projects. This international gathering created opportunities to exchange expertise, strengthen existing partnerships and explore new project ideas.
The programme opened with a networking and presentation session at the EMKICE offices at Square de Meeûs 35. Moderated by Ilija Vuchkov, the evening brought together discussions on international cooperation, women in net-zero technologies, collaboration between higher education, research and business, startup development and future EU project proposals.
The exchanges connected the priorities of ELeVATE, SEBCoVE, MOBUILDING and CAAIVE, exploring how skills, innovation and international partnerships can support the green and digital transition. Women’s participation and leadership in net-zero technologies were a particular focus through ELeVATE, alongside opportunities for young professionals and emerging organization’s to contribute to European cooperation.
On 9 June, the institutional programme included visits to the European Commission and the European Parliament. The Commission programme addressed its role in shaping Europe’s future and the green and digital transition in candidate countries, including the Western Balkans. The Parliament visits provided further opportunities to understand European institutions and their relationship with regional cooperation and EU policy priorities.
European Sustainable Energy Week provided a complementary setting for engagement with the wider energy community. The programme offered opportunities to explore energy security, renewable energy, storage, smart grids, energy communities and the relationship between digital infrastructure and the energy transition—topics closely connected to the work of our project partnerships.
Special appreciation goes to our project partners: Prof. Emmanuel Karapidakis from Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU), Greece; Konstantinos – Costas Androulakis from ECTE, Greece; Jesús Boyano from INFODEF, Spain; and Silvia Genero from ENAIP, Italy.
We warmly thank them for their fruitful collaboration, valuable contributions and continued commitment to our shared European projects. Their expertise and willingness to exchange ideas helped connect research, vocational education, industry needs and international project development. Contributions included INFODEF’s MOBUILDING presentation and ENAIP’s presentation and subsequent proposals for future cooperation, adding practical substance to the discussions.
The value of the Brussels visit continued beyond the event itself. Follow-up correspondence brought new project ideas, expressions of interest in future consortia and positive feedback on the institutional visits, presentations and networking. EMKICE KIC and ACRID Network initiated a structured follow-up process to gather participant feedback, identify organizational interests and explore potential roles in future EU proposals.
We sincerely thank all participants, speakers, institutional hosts, project partners and organizing colleagues for their contribution. The relationships strengthened in Brussels provide a foundation for continued cooperation, turning shared ideas into joint proposals, learning opportunities and projects that respond to the needs of communities across Europe and the Western Balkans.
