OPENTUNITY’s 7th General Assembly in Oslo: A Step Forward in Energy Innovation
From June 11th to 12th, the OPENTUNITY consortium gathered in Oslo, Norway, for the 7th General Assembly — a key milestone to align on progress, refine technical strategies, and plan the path ahead. Hosted by project partner NODES, the meeting brought together all 21 partners for two days of in-depth discussions, hands-on collaboration, and stakeholder engagement.
Progress Across Pilot Sites
The meeting began with dedicated sessions from each of the four pilot sites — Slovenia, Greece, Spain, and Switzerland — where partners shared updates on citizen engagement actions, ongoing deployments, and the first insights from testing OPENTUNITY’s innovative tools.
From Slovenia, the University of Ljubljana highlighted ongoing smart energy management testing and their integration of HEMS and EV charging infrastructure. Greek partners HEDNO and IPTO reported progress in preparing the Mesogia region for flexibility trials. In Spain, ANELL and IMPULSA shared insights from the dual pilot zones in Santa Eulalia and Bigues i Riells, while Swiss partner AEM emphasized the role of local consumers in their urban pilot in Massagno.
Technical partners also presented the current status of test cases, showcasing how various OPENTUNITY tools — such as state estimation, flexibility forecasting, and interoperability modules — are coming together for real-world application.
Workshop with External DSOs and Flexibility Players
A highlight of the Oslo meeting was the External Workshop hosted on June 11th, which welcomed stakeholders from across the energy flexibility landscape. This interactive session aimed to connect OPENTUNITY’s research with real-world market experiences and featured contributions from:
- Flexia Consulting, who walked participants through the creation and scaling of the Swedish flexibility market Effekthandel Väst.
- Glitre Nett, who shared their day-to-day experience purchasing flexibility and integrating it into grid operations.
- Neowatt, an aggregator, who offered insights into the challenges and best practices from their role in enabling flexibility.
- Fingrid and Helen, who showcased coordination strategies between TSO and DSO levels through the Finnish FinFlex initiative.
This workshop proved invaluable in bridging the gap between research and market deployment, aligning well with OPENTUNITY’s vision to create scalable, interoperable, and user-focused solutions for the electricity ecosystem.
Next Steps for the Consortium
With the first project review successfully behind, partners are now focused on accelerating developments and preparing for field demonstrations. Key action points include:
- Finalizing technical deliverables for WP3 (Flexibility Solutions), WP4 (Grid Tools), and WP5 (Interoperability).
- Completing the definition of test cases with each pilot to ensure consistent validation across regions.
- Supporting pilot sites in deploying tools and engaging local citizens, ensuring communities are at the center of the transition.
- Advancing knowledge transfer and dissemination activities — including the upcoming submission of deliverables D8.3 and D8.5, and the creation of a collaborative video showcasing the full consortium.
- Each partner was also encouraged to revisit their exploitation strategies and explore opportunities for formal collaborations through MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding).
With strong momentum, OPENTUNITY continues to move from innovation to implementation — transforming flexibility, grid management, interoperability, and data exchange into actionable tools across Europe. The Oslo meeting reaffirmed our shared mission and strengthened the collaboration needed to deliver on the promise of a more flexible, resilient, and inclusive energy future.
OPENTUNITY at European Energy Forums
May has been an exciting and impactful month for the OPENTUNITY project, as several partners took part in high-level conferences and academic forums across Europe. From social sciences to engineering innovation, OPENTUNITY’s presence underscored its interdisciplinary relevance and the growing interest in its approach to enabling a flexible, interoperable, and inclusive energy system.
STS Conference 2025 – Graz, Austria
📅 May 5–7
At the Science, Technology and Society (STS) Conference in Graz, JOANNEUM RESEARCH represented OPENTUNITY through a dedicated session. The session, titled: “Advancing Urban and Rural Energy Systems for Inclusive, Scalable, and Technologically Integrated Energy Solutions,” explored how energy technologies can be developed in ways that are both technically sound and socially inclusive. Key insights included:
- The critical need for citizen involvement from the early stages of technology development.
- The gatekeeping role of energy companies in scaling energy communities.
- The importance of sector coupling in developing resilient urban energy systems.
This participation reinforced OPENTUNITY’s commitment to not only driving innovation but also shaping just and inclusive energy transitions.
Syngrid Summer School – Ljubljana, Slovenia
📅 May 14
Our partners from the University of Ljubljana and Kolektor sETup presented OPENTUNITY at the Syngrid Summer School, an event focused on the digitalization of energy systems and the role of EU-funded innovation in the energy transition.
The session featured:
- An introduction to the four main pillars of OPENTUNITY: OPENFLEX, OPENGRID, OPENSPACE, and OPENABILITY.
- Technical highlights from the Slovenian pilot site, including the integration of Reduxi HEMS and EV charging stations into Kolektor’s platform, enabling advanced forecasting and real-time flexibility services.
- Live examples from Kolektor sETup demonstrating how their platform OPTIMA is evolving through collaboration in projects like OPENTUNITY.
The presentation offered students and young professionals a hands-on view of how cutting-edge research is applied in real-world energy systems.
17th Conference of Slovenian Electric Power Engineers (CIGRE) – Laško, Slovenia
📅 May 20–22
Later in the month, OPENTUNITY was presented at the 17th CIGRE Conference in Laško, one of Slovenia’s leading professional events in the energy sector. During the conference, representatives from the Slovenian pilot shared the project’s vision and current achievements, particularly in:
- Enabling data-driven grid optimization through OPENGRID tools.
- Supporting real-time management of distributed energy resources (DERs).
- Highlighting OPENTUNITY’s federated data infrastructure (OPENSPACE) as a foundation for secure, trusted data exchange.
The event provided an excellent platform to engage with engineers, grid operators, and industry stakeholders, and to share the tangible progress being made through the pilot demonstrations.
Driving Collaboration Across Europe
These three events highlight OPENTUNITY’s strong presence in academic, technical, and professional arenas. By sharing results and engaging with diverse audiences — from students to engineers to researchers — the project is fostering knowledge exchange and building the collaborative ecosystem needed to deliver the energy systems of tomorrow.
Stay tuned as we continue to bring OPENTUNITY’s innovations to new platforms and audiences throughout 2025!
OPENTUNITY Joins EUSEW 2025 to Showcase Innovation in Energy Flexibility
We are thrilled to announce that OPENTUNITY will be present at the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2025, the EU’s flagship event on renewables and energy efficiency. This year’s edition takes place in Brussels, gathering energy stakeholders from across Europe to discuss policies, trends, and innovations shaping a sustainable energy future.
You can find us at Booth C5, 2nd Floor of the Charlemagne Building, where we will be presenting the latest advances from our project and engaging with other key players in the energy transition.
At EUSEW, OPENTUNITY will showcase its integrated approach to unlocking flexibility across the energy system through its four core pillars:
- OPENFLEX: enabling consumers and prosumers to offer flexibility through smart home/building tools, with live pilot testing underway in Slovenia, Spain, Greece and Switzerland. Recent progress includes the integration of EV charging infrastructure and HEMS/BEMS platforms, as well as the development of AI models for flexibility forecasting.
- OPENGRID: supporting DSOs and TSOs with innovative grid management solutions. Among the tools currently being validated in all four pilot countries is our State Estimation module — designed for improved real-time grid visibility — and low-cost thermal rating tools that optimize asset usage.
- OPENSPACE: building a Federated Data Exchange Infrastructure. We have recently achieved a major milestone with the completion of the architectural foundation and Proof-of-Concepts for trusted data sharing services.
- OPENABILITY: promoting interoperability through alignment with European standards. The updated Standardization Action Plan provides a clear roadmap for OPENTUNITY’s contributions to ongoing regulatory and technical standardisation efforts.
Our participation in EUSEW is more than just an exhibition — it’s a step toward reinforcing OPENTUNITY’s role in Europe's digital and sustainable energy transformation. Come meet us at the EUSEW to learn how we are building scalable, replicable and interoperable solutions that empower energy actors across Europe.
Join us at Booth C5 and discover how OPENTUNITY is helping to shape the flexible energy system of tomorrow.
OPENTUNITY Joins the Energy Nexus Cluster
We’re excited to announce that OPENTUNITY has officially joined the Energy Nexus Cluster, a dynamic collaboration platform bringing together cutting-edge EU-funded projects committed to shaping the future of the European energy system.
What is the Energy Nexus Cluster?
The Energy Nexus Cluster is an initiative that unites Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 projects with a shared ambition: to drive the digitalisation, decarbonisation, and integration of energy systems across Europe. By fostering cross-project collaboration, the cluster aims to align technical developments, harmonise research outcomes, and jointly communicate the transformative impact of EU innovation on energy systems.
This cluster supports knowledge exchange, co-creation opportunities, and joint dissemination efforts across projects working on smart grid flexibility, data spaces, local energy communities, AI integration, and user-centric energy solutions.
Collaborative Projects with Shared Vision
The Energy Nexus Cluster brings together a diverse group of forward-looking European projects. RESONANCE focuses on facilitating interoperable data exchange and cross-sector services, while STREAM aims to enable real-time flexibility for smart grids. SENERGY NETS works on integrated energy networks for decarbonisation, and REEFLEX enhances grid stability with flexibility services. BEFLEXIBLE and ELEXIA both empower stakeholders with advanced demand-side flexibility tools and market mechanisms. ENFLATE demonstrates scalable flexibility services across Europe; GLOCALFLEX, addressing local energy flexibility markets and social engagement strategies, and INDEPENDENT designs intelligent systems for local energy management. GEOFLEXheat focuses on geothermal energy and flexibility, contributing to low-carbon heating solutions. Now, OPENTUNITY joins these initiatives, bringing its expertise in federated data spaces, local flexibility markets, and demand-side engagement to the cluster.
Why This Matters for OPENTUNITY
Joining the Energy Nexus Cluster marks a strategic step forward for OPENTUNITY. It strengthens our engagement with other key players in the European innovation landscape and:
- Amplifies the visibility and impact of our work across the EU energy research community.
- Enables synergies in areas such as standardisation, digitalisation, and flexibility market design.
- Facilitates collaborative opportunities for joint events, deliverable alignment, and policy dialogue.
- Ensures that the outcomes and innovations of OPENTUNITY can both contribute to and benefit from broader discussions shaping Europe’s energy transition.
As we work to develop scalable solutions for interoperable data spaces, local flexibility markets, and end-user empowerment, OPENTUNITY is proud to collaborate with likeminded projects through the Energy Nexus Cluster. Together, we’re building the future of Europe’s smart, green, and resilient energy system.
If you want to learn more about the Energy Nexus Cluster or join us in this collaborative group, you can find more information here: https://glocalflex.eu/energy-nexus/
OPENTUNITY at ECESCON 16: Engaging Next Generations of Engineers
From April 25–27, 2025, IPTO, one of the key partners of the OPENTUNITY project, took part in the 16th Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Conference (ECESCON) held in Thessaloniki, Greece. During the event, IPTO had the opportunity to introduce the OPENTUNITY project to a vibrant and dynamic audience of engineering students, presenting its goals, innovations, and potential impact on the future of the energy system.
ECESCON is the largest student-led conference in the field of electrical and computer engineering in Greece. Since its inception in 2007, it has become a well-established platform for sharing technological advancements, encouraging networking among students and professionals, and fostering the spirit of innovation. Organized annually by and for students, the conference travels to different cities across the country and attracts participants from all Greek engineering departments.
The conference offered a wide range of activities including lectures, workshops, research paper presentations, competitions, and career events.
As part of OPENTUNITY’s commitment to capacity building, education, and youth engagement, IPTO’s presence at ECESCON aimed to inspire the next generation of engineers and raise awareness of the importance of digitalisation, data exchange, and flexibility in the future energy system. Students learned how OPENTUNITY’s innovative tools—such as federated data exchange infrastructure and smart grid-user cooperation models—can help accelerate Europe’s green and digital energy transition.
OPENTUNITY’s participation also aligns with ECESCON’s broader objectives:
- Promoting collaboration between students, researchers, and industry professionals.
- Highlighting emerging technologies in critical areas such as flexibility, energy data, and smart grid management.
- Encouraging diversity in engineering and creating more inclusive learning spaces.
By joining events like ECESCON, OPENTUNITY continues to strengthen its links with academia and future talent, helping ensure the energy systems of tomorrow are shaped by innovative, well-informed, and engaged professionals.
OPENTUNITY and the Rise of AI in Energy
A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), titled "Energy and AI", offers a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of how artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape the global energy landscape. The report emphasizes both the transformative potential of AI and the energy challenges it may bring, particularly concerning the soaring electricity demand of data centers.
According to the IEA, the electricity demand from data centers could more than double by 2030, reaching 945 TWh—more than the current total electricity consumption of Japan. AI-optimized data centers are expected to account for the majority of this increase. In countries like the United States, data centers could drive nearly half of the projected electricity demand growth over the next five years.
Yet, while the rising energy consumption poses challenges, the report also highlights how AI can offer powerful solutions: reducing costs, enhancing system efficiency, increasing competitiveness, and lowering emissions. These insights align closely with OPENTUNITY’s mission.
What This Means for OPENTUNITY
The OPENTUNITY project is dedicated to designing and testing innovative energy solutions that promote digitalization, flexibility, and sustainability in the energy system. AI plays an increasingly important role in enabling smarter, data-driven decision-making across the energy value chain—from optimizing grid operations to empowering end-users to manage their consumption more efficiently.
Several OPENTUNITY innovations, such as federated data exchange frameworks, intelligent grid flexibility mechanisms, and user-centered energy management tools, are designed to not only accommodate but leverage AI technologies. As the IEA report points out, such technologies can help mitigate the growing demand of AI itself by improving the overall energy system’s efficiency and enabling cleaner energy integration.
Bridging Innovation and Infrastructure
A critical point in the IEA report is the urgent need for investment in generation and grid infrastructure to support AI’s rising electricity demand. This complements one of OPENTUNITY’s key areas of focus: enhancing grid flexibility and promoting better coordination between distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), and end-users.
Through its pilot projects across Europe, including initiatives focused on smart grid management, local flexibility markets, and data sovereignty, OPENTUNITY directly contributes to the kind of systemic transformation the IEA envisions—where technology, policy, and infrastructure evolve together to unlock a sustainable energy future.
Looking Forward
The IEA also notes that the full potential of AI in the energy sector will require strong cooperation between policymakers, technology providers, and energy stakeholders. This spirit of collaboration is at the heart of the OPENTUNITY project, bringing together 21 partners from 9 countries to develop interoperable solutions that are scalable across Europe.
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in both scientific discovery and energy system operations, OPENTUNITY will continue to explore its role in accelerating clean energy innovation and ensuring that digital technologies remain aligned with Europe’s sustainability goals.
📄 Explore the full IEA report here: IEA Energy and AI Report
Want to learn how OPENTUNITY is preparing for an AI-driven energy future? Follow us for more updates.
OPENTUNITY's Network Planning Tool
Strategic planning of the distribution network is essential to efficiently integrate Renewable Energy Sources (RES), reduce costs, and ensure a secure grid operation. Traditionally, grid planning is based on expensive infrastructure expansion, which does not adapt to rapidly evolving flexibility markets or available flexibility resources.
New OPENTUNITY Network Planning Tool
Within the OPENTUNITY project, ICCS is developing an advanced Network Planning Tool that integrates best planning practices with novel research methodologies and very fast algorithms to address the challenges of modern distribution grids. The tool supports Distribution System Operators (DSOs) in making strategic and informed decisions by integrating sophisticated programming techniques such as Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and Mixed-Integer Second-Order Cone Programming (MISOCP) for performing network planning, a fast power flow algorithm for critical scenario identification and timeseries clustering for scenarios extraction. Different objectives can be set, such as cost optimization, investments deferral, or maximizing RES capacity, allowing DSOs to quickly design and compare alternative investment options and operation scenarios.
A user interface provides graphical representations of key results. For example, in a cost optimization scenario (figure on the right side), the planning tool graphically represents the impact of strategic decisions, such as the optimal time to invest in infrastructure and its corresponding impact on power loss costs. The interface can alternatively illustrate scenarios with a focus on delaying expenditures, highlighting how strategic use of flexibility resources can defer costly investments (figure on the left side).
Power flow results can also be presented in all scenarios, e.g. for RES capacity maximization (Figure 3), identifying optimal locations and capacities of new RES power plants for given budgetary constraints. The tool ensures that RES capacity expansion is closely aligned with existing grid constraints. The computed RES capacity at each substation in this case is represented in map-based visualizations.
Enhancing OPENTUNITY’s Standardization Strategy: A New Action Plan
Standardization is a key enabler of interoperability, scalability, and long-term impact for innovations in smart grids, flexibility markets, and energy digitalization. As part of OPENTUNITY’s commitment to contributing to the European and international standardization landscape, OPENTUNITY partner UNE is developing a new version of the Standardization Activities Document.
Why Standardization Matters for OPENTUNITY
Standardization ensures that the solutions and methodologies developed within OPENTUNITY can be widely adopted and integrated into existing frameworks. By aligning with standardization bodies and contributing to the evolution of relevant standards, OPENTUNITY can help shape a coherent regulatory and technical framework for the future of flexibility markets and digital energy systems.
What’s New in the Standardization Activities Document?
The revised document builds upon the key conclusions of Deliverable D2.2, which analyzed the current standardization landscape relevant to OPENTUNITY’s objectives. It provides:
- A detailed action plan for the next steps in engagement with standardization bodies (Subtask 8.1.1) and contributions to standardization (Task 7.5).
- Guidelines for disseminating OPENTUNITY’s results in a way that supports future standardization activities.
- A timeline and responsibilities to ensure effective coordination of standardization-related efforts.
Next Steps: Driving Standardization Forward
With this updated document, OPENTUNITY will focus on:
- Strengthening collaboration with technical standardization bodies at European and international levels.
- Ensuring alignment between OPENTUNITY’s developments and existing or emerging standards.
- Maximizing impact by integrating OPENTUNITY’s innovations into industry-wide practices and regulatory frameworks.
By actively engaging in standardization, OPENTUNITY aims to create lasting value for the energy transition, digital grids, and flexibility markets. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress!
Download the latest version of the Standardization Activities Document here:
OPENTUNITY at the BRIDGE General Assembly 2025
OPENTUNITY is proud to participate in the BRIDGE General Assembly 2025, an essential gathering that brings together key players from EU-funded projects in the fields of smart grids, energy storage, islands, and digitalization. This annual event serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and strategic alignment to accelerate the European energy transition.
What is BRIDGE?
BRIDGE is an initiative by the European Commission that unites Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects working on smart grids, demand response, energy communities, and digitalization. By fostering collaboration between projects, BRIDGE helps create a coherent regulatory, technical, and market framework that supports innovation and integration across the European energy landscape.
Through dedicated working groups and task forces, BRIDGE facilitates discussion on key topics such as:
- Regulatory framework for new market models.
- Data management and interoperability in digitalized energy systems.
- Business models for flexibility and storage services.
- Consumer and citizen engagement strategies.
The BRIDGE General Assembly: Objectives and Key Discussions
The BRIDGE General Assembly is a key event that brings together all participating projects to:
- Share project results and best practices.
- Discuss policy and regulatory developments impacting the energy transition.
- Align efforts across projects to maximize impact.
- Identify synergies between different initiatives.
This year’s assembly focused on scaling up innovative solutions and reinforcing the role of digitalization and flexibility markets in achieving Europe’s clean energy goals.
Why OPENTUNITY’s Participation Matters
OPENTUNITY is committed to contributing to BRIDGE by sharing insights from our work on flexibility markets, data-driven grid management, and citizen engagement. Our participation allows us to:
- Showcase how OPENTUNITY innovations support DSO-TSO coordination and local flexibility markets.
- Exchange expertise on interoperability, data spaces, and digital energy platforms.
- Strengthen partnerships with other EU-funded projects and stakeholders.
- Influence the policy and regulatory discussions shaping the future of the European energy system.
Looking ahead
Engagement in BRIDGE activities is crucial for ensuring that the solutions developed in OPENTUNITY align with broader European objectives and remain at the forefront of energy system transformation.
Advancing Local Flexibility: Insights from OPENTUNITY’s Greek Pilot
As part of ongoing efforts to develop market-based mechanisms for local flexibility, HEDNO (DSO), IPTO (TSO), and NODES recently participated in an online interview with VITO, contributing their insights from the Local Flexibility Market (LFM) designed for the Greek Pilot within OPENTUNITY. This initiative is part of a broader study commissioned by the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) to support the development of a European framework for demand response and flexibility markets.
The Role of DG ENER and VITO in Local Flexibility Markets
In accordance with Article 59(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2019/943, DG ENER is working on the establishment of a network code for demand response, which will set the rules, roles, and procedures for market-based procurement of flexibility services. To support this process, DG ENER has tasked VITO, a leading European research organization, with conducting a study on specification and design criteria for Local Flexibility Markets (LFMs).
The goal of this study is to identify best practices and design criteria tailored to different Member States, ensuring that LFMs contribute effectively to congestion management and other local grid services. Ultimately, the study will inform the upcoming demand response network code, helping to create a structured and scalable approach to flexibility procurement across the EU.
Greece’s Contribution to the Study
Recognized for its pioneering work on LFMs, Greece was invited to share insights from the flexibility market developed for the Greek Pilot in OPENTUNITY. As key stakeholders in this initiative, HEDNO, IPTO, and NODES participated in the study by:
- Completing a detailed questionnaire addressing various aspects of LFM design and operation.
- Engaging in a comprehensive interview with VITO’s research team to discuss key challenges and best practices.
The study focused on several critical areas, including:
- LFM Setup – Market structure, key stakeholders, coordination mechanisms, and platform development.
- Product Design – Flexibility products, bid formats, pricing schemes, and aggregation rules.
- Market Design – Prequalification, trading mechanisms, bid selection, and activation processes.
- Market Governance – DSO-TSO coordination, regulatory alignment, and data sharing.
- Performance Indicators – Market liquidity, traded flexibility volumes, transaction frequency, and cost-benefit analysis.
- Scalability & Lessons Learned – Success factors, challenges, and the potential for European harmonization.
By participating in this study, OPENTUNITY plays a vital role in shaping the future of LFMs in Europe, leveraging its experience in DSO-TSO coordination and flexibility procurement.
Towards a Unified European Approach to Flexibility Markets
The insights gathered from various LFM initiatives, including the Greek Pilot, will contribute to the design, implementation, and integration framework for local flexibility procurement. These findings will be shared in an upcoming workshop, facilitating further discussions and knowledge exchange among stakeholders.
Through its participation in this study, OPENTUNITY reaffirms its commitment to developing innovative flexibility solutions, supporting the EU’s vision for a more efficient, coordinated, and resilient electricity market.
Stay tuned for more updates on OPENTUNITY’s work in flexibility markets and local grid innovations! 🚀