At the kick-off meeting of the ALENOS2 project, held at the TECES premises in Ljubljana, TECES, as the lead partner, in cooperation with Robotina as the technological integrator, brought together the project partners as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia (MoD) and the Slovenian Armed Forces, to align key project and development priorities.

At the meeting, end-user feedback was highlighted as a key factor, ensuring the practical applicability of the developed solutions.

Within the project, an advanced, smart, modular, multi-energy solution for supplying deployable camps and providing support capabilities will be developed and demonstrated. The system will provide electrical power from solar, wind, hydrogen, and liquid fuels, while integrating various energy sources, storage systems, and consumers into a single, smart managed energy ecosystem. Particular emphasis is placed on high system resilience, interoperability and reliable operation, ensuring tactical and operational usability even under the most demanding conditions.

A Coordinated Slovenian Response to Gaps in International Defence Value Chains

“The ALENOS2 project builds on the results of the ALENOS project and on the experience gained through international EDF projects , as well as through cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA), where we clearly identify gaps and needs in international value chains and among end users. By bringing together the complementary competences of Slovenian partners, ALENOS2 represents a coordinated Slovenian response that addresses these gaps with domestic solutions, focused on the development of competitive, market-ready and long-term sustainable products for the international environment,” emphasised Matej Gajzer, MSc, Director of TECES and President of the Slovenian Energy and Environment Partnership in Defence (SiEnE).

As the leading technological integrator and a key partner in the development of a smart, deployable and modular solution for multi-energy supply in demanding operational environments, the project involves the company Robotina. “Within the project, we will develop the most advanced mobile and modular tactical microgrid, designed in accordance with NATO and EU civil standards. This is a solution that grows together with the user’s needs and enables an exceptional level of flexibility and operational readiness,” highlighted Mr Devid Palčič, MSc, Director and Owner of Robotina, emphasising the advantages of the solution for both civil and defence applications.

From the perspective of end users, the importance of the project, building on foundations established within the PamPIK study, was highlighted by Colonel Robert Šipec, Head of the Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Division at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia.
“This is the development of a concrete product that must be competitive on the market. In this context, user feedback plays a key role, as it ensures the actual applicability of the developed solutions in practice,” Colonel Šipec emphasised.

Delivering 14 New Dual-Use Solutions for Civil and Defence ApplicationsWithin ALENOS2, 14 new dual-use end products will be developed, and an advanced testing and development environment will be established to enable faster testing, validation and industrialisation of technological solutions. TECES leads a strong consortium of Slovenian companies and research organisations, which, alongside TECES and Robotina as the technological integrator, also includes Smartis, Code-Red, Internet Institut, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics of the University of Maribor.

ALENOS2 as an upgrade of TECES | SiEnE previous projects and strategic frameworks

The ALENOS2 project builds on the results of previous national projects HibroM, ALENOS, and PamPIK, as well as international projects funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), such as EDF-2021-INDY and EDF-2021-NOMAD. At the same time, it is fully aligned with current European, NATO and national strategic frameworks. Through the project, Slovenia will strengthen the competitiveness of domestic knowledge and industry, increase national development capacities, and enhance competences in the development, testing and demonstration of advanced technological solutions applicable to both civilian and defence purposes.