BBVA is the main sponsor of a new edition of what is the largest European conference on innovation and financing for the energy transition, which will run from April 9 to 10 at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. This year’s event will notably feature a debate on the key resources needed to achieve a more sustainable energy model.
Over two days, the event will bring together more than 1,500 experts from the cleantech ecosystem, including innovative firms, startups, investors, large corporations and institutional decision-makers from more than 40 countries. The Energy Tech Summit, organized by Contrarian Ventures and with BBVA as main sponsor, will take place in Bilbao for the second year running.
The congress has cemented its status as a flagship business forum on the kinds of cleantech that are driving forward the energy transition, from renewable sources and energy storage to sustainable mobility and industrial decarbonization, recycling processes and waste management, and circular economy. This year’s event will focus on the most innovative solutions for this transition and how best to finance them.
According to the Energy Technology Perspectives 2024 report, published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the value of cleantech transactions is projected to reach $575 trillion in 2035, which would nearly triple the amount from 2023. Furthermore, forecasts from this agency indicate that the market value of the six key clean technologies (solar, wind, electric vehicles, batteries, electrolyzers and heat pumps) specifically will also triple by 2035 to more than $2 trillion.
“The transition to a low-carbon economy is a global challenge that calls for innovative solutions and efficient access to finance. At BBVA, we believe in the power of innovation and in the role of banking as an enabler of change. This event allows us to connect with the main players in the cleantech ecosystem and explore new opportunities to drive decarbonization,” remarked Roberto Albaladejo, Global Head of Strategy, Industries and Cross-Border Business at BBVA’s Sustainability and CIB areas, who will take part in one of the closing sessions of this forum.
Several other BBVA representatives will also be speaking on various panels over the course of the two-day event, alongside other industry experts. Running parallel to the congress, the bank is also co-organizing the ‘Growth Meets Capital’, ‘Growth Meets Industry’ and ‘Growth Meets Infrastructure’ events alongside Contrarian Ventures.
Growth Meets Capital will connect advanced stage (Series A+) climate technology companies with the world’s leading growth investors in climate technology, including funds in which BBVA has investment commitments. Meanwhile, Growth Meets Industry will bring together innovative companies with corporate industries from around the world that are at the forefront of decarbonization, and Growth Meets Infrastructure will explore what’s in store for data center infrastructure.
BBVA will also be taking part in Energy Tech Challengers, as a member of the awards panel tasked with picking out the most innovative projects in the sector. It is an annual competition that brings together the most innovative minds within the industry to present new technologies and solutions that redefine the future of energy. The event will culminate in a grand finale, where startups pitch their disruptive proposals to a panel of judges, competing for recognition, investment and the opportunity to make a real impact on the energy landscape.