InnoEnergy, Europe's sustainable energy innovation engine supported by the EIT, welcomed Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President (VP) of the European Commission (EC) and in charge of the Energy Union, to Paris last night. The company hosted a roundtable on investments in energy innovation at bpifrance, the French public investment bank.

Šefčovič is visiting France as part of his 2017 Energy Union Tour to see and support successful projects in the country. The guest list included four of InnoEnergys start-up: DC Brain, an AI solution dedicated to grid managers; Glowee, a biological source of light using marine micro-organisms; gulplug, an innovative magnetic plug that connects devices to the internet, and Sylfen, energy storage solutions for building and eco-districts. InnoEnergy activities in French sustainable energy innovation and education have been valued at €300 million since 2011.

The VP met with Richard Biagioni, CEO of InnoEnergy France at the event. Other attendees included members of innovation ecosystems, start-ups, investors, industry, R and education. Over dinner they took part in a roundtable on the innovation in energy investment landscape. Participants discussed the barriers to investment and potential routes to overcoming them. They concluded that developing human capital, through education and life-long training, is part of the solution.

Šefčovič said: "Without innovation, we wont reach a carbon-free economy. Financing and support from both the population and the decision makers will put Europe on the Paris agreement path. Thats why InnoEnergys action has to be amplified, as its genuine proximity with its ecosystem is the solution for a more ambitious and more efficient energy industry in the EU".

Biagioni added: "We were thrilled to welcome Vice President Šefčovič to meet our partners. France is a hive of innovative activities and it was an absolute pleasure to introduce the VP to our French partners."

The roundtable marked the VPs fifth visit to InnoEnergy this year, following previous visits in Spain, Poland and Portugal as part of the Energy Union Tour, as well as Slovakia.

InnoEnergy and VP Šefčovič will cross paths again at InnoEnergys annual event The Business Booster (TBB), where the Commissioner is scheduled to give a highly-anticipated keynote address. The event will welcome more than 160 start-ups, along with investors and large energy industry players to the RAI in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from 25 - 26 October 2017 to create the future of sustainable energy today. Registrations are still open for the event, and you can sign up here.