The activity involves monitoring and participating in various regional, national, European, and international initiatives on Energy Storage Systems (ESS), including:
• European funding programs such as Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, M-era.Net, and ERA-Net Smart Energy System.
• Other forms of funding, such as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) and the Smart Specialization Platform “Advanced Materials for Batteries” (AMBP), aimed at defining integrated projects for the development of a battery economic chain.
• SET Plan Implementation Plan Action 7 “Batteries and e-mobility,” a research planning initiative by Member States on electrochemical ESS.
• ETIP-SNET, a European technology platform that gathers industry, association, and research organization interests on energy systems, particularly the WG2 “Storage technologies and sector interfaces,” which focuses on ESS and their interaction with the electrical system.
• ETIP Batteries Europe, a new European technology platform specifically on electrochemical ESS.
• EERA, the European alliance of research organizations on energy technologies, including the JP “Energy Storage,” which specifically addresses ESS.
• Mission Innovation, a global initiative aimed at doubling the funds dedicated to clean energy research and development by 2020; specifically, Challenge 6 “Clean Energy Materials” addresses energy materials, including storage materials.
• European Battery Alliance, an initiative by the European Commission to develop the entire battery value chain in Europe.
• EMIRI, an association that brings together international industrial groups and research organizations focusing on energy materials, including storage materials.
• Battery 2030+, a coordination action between research organizations and industry to define long-term funding programs at low TRL (1-3) for batteries.
• National Technological Cluster for Energy (CTNE), whose mission is to define national innovation programs in the energy sector. Notably, networks and flexibility systems, such as energy storage, contribute to innovation.
• Lombardy Energy Cleantech Cluster (LE2C), a Lombardy-based energy and environment cluster. The Smart Energy System area includes storage as a collaboration topic between industry and research organizations.

The above-mentioned initiatives and programs operate across various fields of research, innovation, and competitive development of ESS: from technological and material development with ETIP Batteries Europe, Battery 2030+, and EERA JPES, to integration with the electrical grid or energy networks with ETIP-SNET, to industrial research projects with IPCEI and AMBP, to the formation of networks between research and industry, such as national and territorial clusters, and international initiatives aimed at influencing research and innovation funding policies, like Mission Innovation.

RSE, ENEA, and CNR, in close collaboration (as evidenced by their co-authorship of this report), have participated in meetings, discussions, and activities of all the above initiatives to assist the Italian industry and SMEs in implementing technological innovation actions and to guide the European research and development funding plans.

The presence of these three entities as a technical-advisory body for the Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE) and the Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MIUR), and as aggregators of national stakeholders at various tables, is intended to generate virtuous mechanisms of competitive research and create a critical mass of Italian expertise to have greater influence in Europe.