On 18 November 2025, the BRIDGE community gathered at ENLIT Europe in Bilbao for the session “BRIDGE-ing Innovation: Digitalisation, Flexibility and Market Uptake for a Sustainable Energy Future”. Hosted in the EU Project Zone Hub, the session brought together the BRIDGE Working Groups (WGs) to share results, reflect on progress made over the year, and discuss emerging challenges in Europe’s energy transition.

The discussion showcased key achievements from the BRIDGE WGs, with contributions from Dune Sebilleau (WG Chair Data Management), Andrej Gubina (WG Honorary Co-Chair Business Models), Michael Brenner-Fliesser (WG Chair Consumer and Citizen Engagement), and José Pablo Chaves Ávila (WG Chair Regulation). Speakers highlighted practical outcomes on regulatory insights, digitalisation, innovative business models, data management, and citizen engagement.

Here are the key takeaways from the session:
🔹 Data Management – Quality & Accessibility Matter
Good-quality, interoperable, and accessible data is essential to unlock flexibility services and support digital innovation. Ensuring privacy, security, and clear rules for data exchange is becoming a strategic enabler for the energy transition.
🔹 Regulation – From Fragmentation to Harmonisation
A more harmonised regulatory framework across Europe is increasingly seen not as a constraint, but as a catalyst. Clear, consistent, and adaptive rules can empower innovation, energy sharing, and flexibility markets.
🔹 Business Models – AI as a Value Accelerator
AI will play a central role in extracting value from energy data, optimising operations, and shaping new data-driven business models. Strong data value chains are key to realising these opportunities.
🔹 Consumers & Citizens – Engagement is Non-Negotiable
Active participation from consumers and communities is fundamental. Trust, transparency, and inclusiveness will enable new flexibility models and support the market uptake of digital and sustainable solutions.

Overall, the session aimed to foster collaboration within the BRIDGE community, enhance knowledge sharing, and support future directions toward smarter and more sustainable energy systems by connecting regulatory perspectives, technological developments, and stakeholder experiences.