Digital Matchmaking for Industrial Sustainability: How Knowledge Platforms Enable Circular Economy

EU energy policy enters a decisive implementation phase in 2025: voluntary goals become binding compliance. The recast Energy Efficiency Directive imposes audits and energy management by consumption thresholds, while RED III speeds renewable permitting and mandates industrial renewables and green hydrogen adoption.

Space-based solar energy (SBSE) overcomes terrestrial solar power limitations, offering continuous, efficient energy. Despite high costs and ecological concerns, advances in technology and interest from ESA and CALTECH's SSPD indicate its promising potential for sustainable energy.

Working in smart city projects requires to bring together different players in this very diverse eco-system, from IT to product suppliers, service providers, finance, social innovators and of course the cities with their various departments. A good way to start is looking at top notch smart city projects as well as knowledge, matchmaking and IT platforms.

The EU's industrial carbon management strategy aims for climate neutrality by 2050, targeting innovations in carbon capture and utilization (CCU), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and CO2 transport through a 19,000 km network. This transformative approach, fostering a carbon value chain, could generate €45-€100 billion and create 75,000-170,000 jobs by 2030, while positioning the EU as a global leader in carbon management technologies. The strategy emphasizes investment, R&D, public engagement, international cooperation, and regulatory development.

A new framework evaluates industrial symbiosis, showing cost savings, revenue growth, risk reduction, and intangible benefits, advocating strategic partnerships and regulatory navigation for long-term sustainable advantage.

The European Commission issued guidelines to aid EU member states in adopting the Energy Efficiency Directive by October 2025. Recommendation 2024/2002 promotes an integrated approach to energy audits, management systems, and sustainability reporting, supporting compliance with broader EU directives.

The paper discusses the rapid global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), driven by falling battery costs, government incentives, and a growing commitment to environmental sustainability. Advances in technology, like solid-state batteries and Vehicle-to-Grid systems, are enhancing EV capabilities and integration into energy grids. Despite challenges like charging infrastructure and ethical material sourcing, EVs are increasingly seen as crucial for cleaner transportation and climate change mitigation, impacting energy systems, creating new economic opportunities, and transforming urban environments.

The paper discusses Europe's transition to an interconnected, renewable-focused energy grid, emphasizing the need for smart grids, AI, flexibility markets, advanced data exchange, and interoperability. These elements are crucial for balancing supply and demand, enhancing grid efficiency, and achieving sustainability and decarbonization goals, all while facing challenges in technology, investment, and stakeholder collaboration.

From 2019 to 2025, global energy investment shifted dramatically towards clean energy, with investments doubling and surpassing fossil fuels. Solar power, driven by cost declines and technological advances, became the largest investment segment. However, while investment in renewables aligned with climate goals, grid investments lagged, creating bottlenecks. Surprisingly, AI data centers increased demand for reliable baseload power, reviving interest in nuclear and gas. Distributed solar grew in emerging markets independently of policy, reshaping economic dynamics, yet clean energy deployment remained unequal globally.