How EnergyGuard Is Building a Pan-European Innovation Ecosystem for AI in Energy

Europe’s green and digital transitions require more than advanced technologies—they demand connected ecosystems where innovation can be tested, validated, and scaled across borders. EnergyGuard is responding to this need by building a pan-European innovation ecosystem that links regional actors, testing infrastructures, and policy-oriented communities into a coherent framework for AI-driven energy innovation.

By strategically integrating European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), and Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs), EnergyGuard is creating the conditions for innovators across Europe to access test-before-invest services, regardless of geography or market maturity.

At the heart of EnergyGuard’s ecosystem approach is the connection between regional innovation ecosystems and European-scale infrastructures. EDIHs play a critical intermediary role in this architecture, acting as trusted entry points for SMEs, startups, and public actors.

With 76 EDIHs operating in the energy domain listed in the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) catalogue, EnergyGuard is tapping into an existing, well-distributed network to extend its reach far beyond the consortium’s direct contacts.

Through systematic mapping and prioritisation, EnergyGuard identifies EDIHs with strong alignment to its core domains—AI, digital twins, green energy, hydrogen, microgrids, and high-performance computing. This allows the project to:

• Address regional gaps in access to advanced testing facilities

• Engage markets of high strategic relevance

• Ensure balanced geographical coverage across Europe

Rather than operating as a standalone initiative, EnergyGuard is embedding its test-before-invest services into the portfolios of EDIHs, enabling regional actors to access European-level capabilities through familiar, local channels.

Targeted engagement activities—such as introductory meetings, webinars, and bilateral exchanges—help align EnergyGuard services with EDIHs’ existing offerings. A dedicated hands-on workshop further supports this process by training EDIHs on how to integrate EnergyGuard services into their cross-border service catalogues, using concrete, real-world energy use cases.

This approach ensures that EnergyGuard’s capabilities are not only visible, but operationally usable within regional innovation pipelines.

A pan-European ecosystem requires robust technical foundations. EnergyGuard contributes to this by actively aligning with Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) established under the DIGITAL Europe Programme.

By mapping complementary TEFs and exploring opportunities for shared infrastructure, data exchange, and coordinated experimentation, EnergyGuard is reinforcing Europe’s collective capacity to test and validate AI solutions in energy.

Between 2026 and 2027, this collaboration will evolve into integrated cross-border services, combining:

• EnergyGuard’s core testing environments, such as digital twins, hydrogen platforms, and microgrids

• Complementary TEF expertise and domain-specific facilities

Interoperability across facilities is a key design principle, ensuring innovators can move smoothly between regional support and advanced testing environments.

EnergyGuard’s ecosystem vision goes beyond parallel collaborations. A central objective is to connect EDIHs and TEFs into a single, user-centric innovation pathway.

In this model:

• EDIHs identify and support local innovators, providing guidance, mentoring, and market orientation

• TEFs deliver the advanced technical validation and real-world testing needed to bring AI solutions closer to deployment

By designing workflows that link EDIH services with TEF capabilities, EnergyGuard lowers barriers to entry and simplifies access to complex testing infrastructures—especially for SMEs and first-time users.

A sustainable innovation ecosystem requires shared understanding and coordinated governance. To support this, EnergyGuard is establishing two online Working Groups focused on:

• Standardisation of AI testing and validation in energy

• Regulatory sandboxes for compliant, real-world AI experimentation

These Working Groups bring together consortium partners, EDIHs, TEFs, regulators, and industry stakeholders to exchange best practices, identify gaps, and align expectations. They also provide a structured space to discuss regulatory and standardisation challenges that directly affect innovation uptake.

To ensure the ecosystem remains active and effective, EnergyGuard will monitor participation, collaborations, and regional outreach through defined KPIs. Continuous feedback from EDIHs, TEFs, and Working Group participants will inform iterative improvements to services and engagement methods.

Most importantly, EnergyGuard is contributing to the definition of sustainable collaboration frameworks that enable continued cooperation between EDIHs, TEFs, and European initiatives after the project ends—transforming project results into lasting ecosystem assets.

EnergyGuard is building a pan-European innovation ecosystem where regional actors, testing infrastructures, and policy communities work together to accelerate trustworthy AI in the energy sector. This ecosystem is open, collaborative, and designed to grow beyond the project itself.

We invite European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs), industry stakeholders, and innovation organisations to join the EnergyGuard Supportive Partners Programme and become active contributors to this ecosystem.

As a Supportive Partner, you will:

• Become part of a Europe-wide network advancing AI and digital innovation in energy

• Connect regional innovators to EnergyGuard’s test-before-invest services

• Engage in cross-border collaborations with EDIHs, TEFs, and EU initiatives

• Participate in Working Groups on standardisation and regulatory sandboxes

• Contribute to shaping scalable, compliant, and market-ready AI solutions

By joining the programme, you help ensure that EnergyGuard’s services are embedded into regional ecosystems, aligned with real market needs, and sustained beyond the project’s lifetime.

👉 Join the EnergyGuard Supportive Partners Programme and help build Europe’s pan-European innovation ecosystem for AI in energy.