Focus

European Meeting Point: solutions and opportunities discussed in a common venue. Next 10th to 12th October, in Beja - Alentejo, an integrated view of technology, investment, local strategies will be discussed in the context of the opportunities open in for new energy solutions. The Event will bring the contributions to the core of a region where the new energy solutions are an essential part of an emerging new development paradigm. This "European Meeting Point: Energy for Development 2007" is an unique event bringing technologists, investors and strategists close to the economic opportunities and the local actors.

Opportunities

The Event is aimed at gathering a mix of technologists, planners, entrepreneurs, local and regional policy-makers, investors, insurers, business angels, administrators, industrialists, agencies and ESCO's to propagate good practices and innovation models. This is certainly a suitable forum for investment opportunities ceasing. A call for opportunities will be launched in order to promote the bilateral discussions on partnership gathering and entrepreneurial momentum building.

Technologists, energy promoters, energy service companies, knowledge based companies, municipalities, development and energy agencies will be the primer target for this call for opportunities launching.

Renewable Energy in Portugal

Energy is a significant driver for growth, development, innovation and sustainability. Several examples of strategies combining development and energy may be given.

Sustainable forest protection and management is being coordinated with energy production. Authorizations for more than 100 MW of forest residues fed power plants are under evaluation.

Biogas power generation increased 38.5% from 1999 to 2006 ranging from small to medium installations, based on sewage and organic waste digestion, to large installations using landfill gas.

Investment in bio-refinery is creating sustained demand for innovation. Biofuels production may reach 300,000 tonnes per year in order to meet the European 5.75% targets in 2010.

Wind power development in Portugal increased by 65.5% on the 2000 to 2006 period. Advanced market financing, public funding and feed-in tariffs are positioning Portugal to meet the quite ambitious target of 5100 MW installed by 2010.

Photovoltaic energy is stepping out the niche by phasing to as some of the biggest European grid connected systems.

New regulations for energy saving in buildings are achieving convergence with urban rehabilitation.

Portugal has as an important goal, at energy level, for 2010: 45% of all the electricity consumption will be provided by renewable resources.

Energy and development are then combined!

Investors in Portugal

Opportunities to strength local and regional new energy markets are economic drivers to increase European competitiveness, delivering jobs and development. Analysing and discussing policies and instruments for turning technologies into business opportunities and region's economic growth will be a unique opportunity to involve new actors and players, renewing the economic fabric and motivating investment and competitiveness.

New energy sectors attract finance and innovation. Thus new challenges for local and regional governance are emerging. Thus Key strategic subjects will be considered in the programme elaboration as a framework for mutual learning, case studies and networking. Among them:

> Strategically important multi-regional cooperation initiatives.

> Energy policy making; policy oriented knowledge, innovation and science management;

> Interregional cooperation, energy innovation platforms and regional energy clusters; Integrated energy systems governance;

> "Lisbon" regional and local policies in the new energy sectors for improved competitiveness, growth and employment;

> Cohesion policies, social cohesion, regional cohesion, regional equal opportunities through energy new markets and sectors development;

> Soft infrastructures and human capital and stronger partnership for innovative energy system integration at local and regional level;

> Energy new sectors and new business incubators, support to local energy indigenous firms in the new energy sectors;

> How to finance a sustainable energy, Benchmarking of best practice and best value investments;

> Multifunctional and integrated energy local/regional agencies; New energies in developing regions; Recent trends on energy innovation;