On 9 July 2025, the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) and the DiXi Group will host a high-level conference in Rome 'Clean Industrial Transformation: Ukraine’s Strategic Role in the EU’s Agenda', placing Ukraine at the centre of EU industrial and energy policy discussions. Timed just before the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, the event explores how Ukraine’s clean energy, infrastructure, and industrial capacities can support the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal.
Following three thematic panels, this event explores how Ukraine’s clean energy resources, industrial capacity, and strategic infrastructure can reinforce the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal—simultaneously speeding up Ukraine’s path toward EU membership and strengthening the Union’s competitiveness and resilience. By addressing key sectors and technologies, the conference aims to identify concrete steps for mutual benefit and closer integration into the EU single market.
To analyse the scope of the event and its meaning in the European policy landscape, we interviewed one of its scientific organisers, Andris Piebalgs, former Energy Commissioner and currently EUI Part-time Professor.
Andris, what is the strategic significance of holding this event just ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, and how does it aim to position Ukraine within the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal framework?
Holding the conference on July 9, immediately preceding the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome, is strategically timed to spotlight Ukraine’s role in Europe’s clean industrial transformation at a critical policy moment. It ensures that the themes of energy integration, industrial synergy, and resilience shape the broader recovery discussions at the URC.
By placing Ukraine within the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal framework, the event positions the country not only as a beneficiary of European support but as an indispensable partner in delivering Europe's climate and energy goals. With its vast renewable energy potential, extensive gas and nuclear infrastructure, and industrial capabilities, Ukraine is uniquely equipped to contribute to EU objectives under the Green Deal, Net Zero Industry Act, and energy market integration.
Crucially, the event underlines how Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction can simultaneously serve its EU accession path and help strengthen EU competitiveness, energy security, and supply chain resilience. It is both a political signal of alignment and a roadmap for practical collaboration.
The agenda spans gas integration, renewables, manufacturing, and nuclear cooperation. Why was it important to structure the programme around these sectors, and what kind of EU-Ukraine synergies do you hope the panels will highlight?
These sectors represent both Ukraine’s existing strengths and the EU’s strategic needs. Each thematic panel highlights opportunities for mutually reinforcing cooperation:
- Gas: Ukraine’s vast storage (30 bcm) and production, combined with its regional interconnectivity, make it central to EU energy security. The discussion aims to show how Ukrainian infrastructure can buffer market shocks, support regional supply diversification, and enable a smoother transition to net zero.
- Renewables and Manufacturing: Ukraine has strong potential in biomass, biomethane (up to 20 bcm/year), and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels), alongside a resilient electrical equipment manufacturing sector. EU-Ukraine cooperation in these areas can expand the EU’s clean tech supply chains while fostering Ukraine’s economic recovery.
- Nuclear: With over 50% of Ukraine’s electricity coming from nuclear, and advanced crisis-handling capabilities, Ukraine offers technical expertise and operational experience. Its successful shift away from Russian fuel also provides a replicable model for EU states with Soviet-designed reactors. Collaboration in new nuclear technologies, including SMRs, supports long-term EU decarbonization.
Together, the panels are designed to show how Ukraine is not just recovering—it is helping drive the EU’s green industrial future.
How does this conference reflect the Florence School of Regulation’s mission within the EUI, particularly in supporting evidence-based dialogue on energy transition, resilience, and EU enlargement?
The Florence School of Regulation (FSR) has a mission to bridge academic insight and policy action, particularly in complex regulatory environments. This conference is a concrete expression of that mission.
FSR is uniquely positioned to facilitate informed dialogue among EU institutions, Ukrainian authorities, industry experts, and international partners. By framing Ukraine’s recovery through the lens of energy regulation, market integration, and industrial strategy, the event advances a fact-based and forward-looking agenda.
Moreover, the conference supports FSR’s commitment to EU enlargement by addressing the regulatory and infrastructural conditions necessary for Ukraine’s integration into the single market. It also underlines FSR’s role in promoting resilience—both in terms of infrastructure and institutions—at a time of ongoing geopolitical instability.
By convening stakeholders around tangible opportunities for cooperation, the event contributes to both the academic and practical dimensions of the EU’s clean energy and enlargement agendas.
Highlights and interviews from the event will be published on the FSR website following the conference.
Andris Piebalgs is a Part-time Professor at the European University Institute and serves as the Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the International Methane Emissions Observatory. With a distinguished career in public service, Piebalgs previously held key roles as the European Union Commissioner for Energy and later as the Commissioner for Development. He was instrumental in shaping the EU’s renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, significantly contributing to the establishment of the European energy market. Before his work with the European Union, Piebalgs was a prominent Latvian politician and diplomat. As Latvia’s Ambassador to the EU, he played a pivotal role in facilitating Latvia’s accession to the European Union.