Horizon Europe Czech Republic Energy Brokerage Visit Highlights

The energy transition is accelerating, but hydrogen, batteries, and photovoltaics still face key challenges that hinder large-scale adoption. Addressing these gaps requires innovation, collaboration, and strategic investment.

Innovate UK is committed to fostering international cooperation. In line with this strategy, a bilateral initiative between the UK and Czech Republic has been launched to strengthen partnerships for future Horizon Europe Research and Innovation (R&I) projects. To support this, a two-day Partnership Workshop was held in Prague from the 27th-29th of January 2025, in partnership with Technology Centre Prague (TCP), British Embassy in Prague and UK Science & Innovation Network in Czech Republic. The overall aim of this work is to strengthen collaborations between the UK and Czech Republic on Energy research.

Why Czech Republic?

We decided to assemble a UK delegation to meet with net zero energy experts in the Czech Republic for several reasons including:

• Strong R&D ecosystem: The Czech Republic has a robust research and innovation infrastructure, making it a valuable partner for cutting-edge projects in Horizon Europe.
• Renewable energy expertise: Czech expertise in Hydrogen, Photovoltaics and Batteries aligns with key UK priorities, offering mutual benefits in developing advanced energy solutions.
• Strategic EU collaboration: Partnering with the Czech Republic enhances UK access to Horizon Europe funding and strengthens networks for broader European cooperation.
• Diverse expertise and resources: Both the UK and the Czech Republic bring unique strengths to the table. The UK has advanced capabilities in renewable energy technologies, offshore wind, and nuclear research. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has a strong background in nuclear power and energy infrastructure in Central Europe. By pooling expertise, they can innovate more effectively in areas like nuclear technology, hydrogen, and renewables.
• Shared goals in energy security: Energy security has become increasingly crucial for European nations, especially amid global energy market fluctuations. Collaboration on energy solutions such as resilient grid systems and cross-border energy infrastructure can strengthen energy security across Europe.
• Reducing carbon emissions: Both countries are committed to ambitious carbon reduction targets under global climate agreements. Joint research on carbon capture, low-carbon technologies, and energy storage could accelerate their progress toward net-zero emissions.
• Economic and technological innovation: Collaboration can stimulate innovation and economic growth, creating jobs and fostering new industries in both countries. Developing cutting-edge energy technologies can make the UK and the Czech Republic leaders in the global energy market, providing them with a competitive advantage.

Brokerage Visit key objectives

The objectives of this Horizon Europe Brokerage Visit were to:

• Enhance UK-Czech Republic relationship in R&I: Strengthen collaboration and participation in research and innovation (R&I) between the UK and Czech Republic.
• Future Horizon Europe competitions: Foster joint efforts to improve collaboration in upcoming Horizon Europe R&I competitions that will enable collaborative innovators to enhance their chances of securing Horizon Europe funding and advancing innovative projects.
• Renewable energy collaboration: Unite UK and Czech Energy experts, partners, businesses, and industry to identify gaps and explore opportunities for global collaboration.
• Building innovation networks for Horizon Europe: Establish and strengthen innovation networks to support successful participation and collaboration in Horizon Europe initiatives. These brokerage visits enable participants to gain valuable sustainable energy insights and expertise to enable them to create more advanced technology within their organisations.

As a Czech and a representative of a British company, I have a unique insight into the issue of sustainable energy in the Czech Republic and the UK. The brokerage organized by Innovate UK had a great format, thanks to which both delegations could discuss and confront common and individual challenges. The subsequent joint brainstorming offered various solutions, which were formulated into concrete research projects that could be co-financed by the Horizon Europe programme. It was great to be part of this mission and meet so many bright minds. I think out of the box thinking was the main course of the joint menu. I believe that some of the ongoing discussions and emerging partnerships will support the resolution of common technological goals and the future of Czech-British relations. – Lukáš Adámek, Project Development Manager EU, Gravitricity Ltd

Brokerage Visit strategic focus areas

During day one of the trip, the UK participants visited Czech Republic organisations including the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague) to discuss Hydrogen & Batteries. During day 2, a facilitated workshop to address challenges within the key focus areas, enabling participants to network, share insights, and form lasting partnerships for Horizon Europe R&I projects took place. Activities included group discussions, training, and success stories from previous UK and Czech Republic EU framework projects. Each attendee presented a quick 2-minute pitch about their organisation.

The Horizon Europe Climate, Energy, and Mobility Work Programme outlines the EU’s strategic focus for funding research and innovation projects across these fields, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while supporting sustainable growth, energy resilience, and mobility innovation. Here is an overview of its broad strategic directions:

Sustainable energy systems and supply chains

• Renewable energy and energy storage: Investments are directed toward developing scalable renewable energy sources (like wind, solar, and hydrogen) and enhancing energy storage solutions to support a stable, clean energy grid.
• Energy efficiency: Emphasis is placed on promoting energy-efficient technologies and practices, especially in building and industry sectors, to reduce overall energy demand.
• Energy system integration: Encourages integrated systems that connect electricity, heating, transport, and digital infrastructures, increasing efficiency and flexibility.

Digitalisation and innovation in climate and energy

• Digital solutions for energy and mobility: Digitalisation is seen as key to optimising energy management, predicting energy needs, and enhancing transport logistics.
• AI, data, and robotics: Leveraging AI, big data, and robotics to improve efficiencies in energy and mobility, as well as predictive modelling for climate impacts.

These strategic directions collectively aim to foster innovation and growth, enhance the EU’s energy independence, improve public health and quality of life, and strengthen resilience against climate risks.

Scalable and sustainable energy solutions

There were top ideas for addressing these challenges that the UK and Czech Republic delegation discussed:

• Next-gen technologies & materials: Advancing solid-state batteries, perovskite solar cells, and green hydrogen production for efficiency gains.
• Circular economy & supply chain resilience: Strengthening local supply chains, improving battery recycling, and reducing rare earth dependency.
• Grid modernisation & policy alignment: Enhancing energy storage, smart grids, and cross-border policy frameworks to ensure a stable energy transition.

Overall, this Horizon Europe Brokerage Visit to the Czech Republic was a huge success and the collaborative outcomes and potential for new project consortiums to form in the future will help both European countries to strengthen their long-term clean energy research and development capabilities.

Make sure to visit the Horizon Europe Hub to discover the global market opportunities and be part of the Horizon Europe ecosystem and showcase that you are #HereToCollaborate.

Sustainable energy key challenges

The key energy challenge areas that were identified during the visit include:

• Hydrogen: High production costs, low efficiency in electrolysis, lack of refuelling infrastructure, and storage/transport complexities.
• Batteries: Supply chain constraints (critical minerals like lithium & cobalt), recycling inefficiencies, and high manufacturing costs.
• Photovoltaics (PV): Efficiency limitations, intermittency issues, grid integration complexities, and end-of-life sustainability.