Where are we now?
Solar and wind deployments across Europe have reached an all-time high; hydrogen is leading the decarbonisation of major industry sectors; heat pumps and energy efficiency actions feature prominently in most European energy strategies.
In this context, the European Union is determined to ensure autonomy of supply for its clean tech needs.
Manufacturing and roll-out of clean technologies are on the cusp of transformation, and the EU is striving to carve out its own space in key world markets.
The EU is transforming its political will into industry support initiatives such as the Net Zero Industry Act, the Critical Raw Materials Act or the Strategic Technologies for Europe Programme.
Temporary support frameworks, such as time-limited state aid schemes, IPCEIs or the Recovery and Resilience Facility, provide a limited window of opportunity for financing production, decarbonisation, innovation and skills in Europe.
Anca Wlizło
Head of Strategic Projects Advisory - Schuman Associates
Anca Wlizło has more than fifteen years of experience in EU funding consultancy and has accumulated hands-on experience in working with the intricacies of EU state aid regulations, including IPCEI, GBER, and the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, allowing her to provide strategic advice to client organisation on aligning activities to EU policies and state aid requirements.
Anca has assisted multiple clients in identifying strategic investment areas emerging from existing or emerging EU policies. Her focus sectors are predominantly manufacturing and energy.
Jacek Truszczynski
Deputy Head of Unit, Green and Circular Economy, Directorate General for the Internal Market - European Commission
Jacek Truszczynski specialises in energy policy and investment support programmes through his work in the European Commission Directorates-General for Energy (ENER) and Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN).
He is a graduate of the Institute of Sociology of the University of Warsaw and the College of Europe in Natolin.
Venera Vlad
Associate Director - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Venera Vlad is responsible for infrastructure business in Romania and Bulgaria at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a portfolio of approximately €1 billion in investments, including loans to local authorities, municipally-owned utilities and companies as well as private sector financing. She is a double graduate of the Engineering University and the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
Katarina Muse
Manager, Regional Pillar and Skills - Hydrogen Europe
Katarina Muse advocates for a favourable policy framework and funding opportunities to facilitate and speed up the deployment of hydrogen, with a focus on Hydrogen Valleys. In doing so, she is promoting the regions’ role in this process. She also supports regions and industry members in understanding the trends and needs for hydrogen skills and addressing the issues of hydrogen skills shortage.
Her previous experiences include working as a public affairs consultant in the areas of energy and transport, and as an EU funding expert at a boutique consultancy in Brussels.
Julia Cora
Project Manager, Hydrogen Europe Research - Green Skills for Hydrogen
Julia Cora works on the topic of skills development for the hydrogen sector. Through various projects, initiatives and fora, she aims to identify the skills required for the development of hydrogen technologies, and solutions for adapting initial and continuing training to the new demands of industry.
In her position, Julia works with European research organisations developing the next generation of hydrogen technologies while transferring their skills and knowledge to an industrial sector under great expansion.
Anca Andreea Calugaru
European Structural and Recovery Funds Lead - Schuman Associates
Anca Adreea Calugaru leads on European Structural and Recovery Funds within Schuman Associates, managing the public sector funding knowledge centre of the company and coordinating a multi-country team of funding experts across all 27 EU member states.
With more than 15 years of experience in business management and funding consultancy, Anca designs and manages EU funding programmes and projects for public and private organisations active in the digital, healthcare, energy and labour market sectors.
