Leveraging investments: green reindustrialization

The Iberian peninsula has the ingredients to become the next cleantech industrial hub. A combination of: (cheaper) clean energy, a developing hydrogen economy and an existing industrial base, could make both Portugal and Spain leaders in the manufacturing on clean technologies, for example in sectors like green steel and long-duration energy storage. ‍

With a six-fold investment increase over five years, reaching €676 million in 2022, the Iberian cleantech ecosystem is ready to take off. Particularly in Spain, the country is on track to achieve its goal of 81% of energy generation from renewable by 2030, underpinned by its abundant clean energy resources including wind, solar and hydro. But also thanks to a developing public and private funding landscape combined with progressive target setting that is fueling this cleantech growth.

– Iberia’s cleantech start-up and investment ecosystem is beginning to develop a pipeline of promising innovators (over +160 start-ups have received funding over the past 5 years) and attract major climate funds like Seaya Andromeda, Alantra’s Klima, and Repsol-backed Net Zero Ventures.

– Also more traditional investors, like banks, are being positioned at the forefront of this change, like BBVA, who is among the top 5 percent of the world’s most sustainable banks, and leading in green bonds emissions and thus supporting clean energy projects.

– But also more transitional venture funds, like Zubi Group, who are actively focus their investment in creating impact and recently invested in Matteco, a cleantech manufacturer based in Valencia, focused on cathodes production as one of the key elements in electrolysers manufacturing.

– Furthermore, global corporates are global clean energy leaders and have the ambition and the resources to support and scale emerging technologies.

The session will explore why Iberia unites the perfect conditions for spearheading cleantech reindustrialization, which sits at the core of Europe´s strategy, with the ongoing Net Zero Industrial Plan, which will seek the manufacturing of at least 40% of a list of “Net Zero Technologies” in Europe by 2030. Cleantech for Iberia, a regional platform for Portugal and Spain, supported by Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group, leads this change by bringing the cleantech community together, bridging the gap between innovators, investors, universities and accelerators, and the key decision makers.