The 9th meeting of the Energy and Environment CapTech (EnE CapTech), operating under the auspices of the European Defence Agency (EDA), took place in Larnaca, Cyprus, from 25 to 27 February 2025.

The event brought together experts and representatives from the EDA, NATO, the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), and European defence ministries to discuss strategic priorities in research and development, ongoing defence energy projects, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration with industry.

EnE CapTech's industry rapporteur and TECES Director Matej Gajzer, actively participated in the event, emphasising the need to align the group's strategic directions with geopolitical and technological changes and to enhance cooperation between defence ministries and industry.

Presenting the Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors in Defence Infrastructure

The opening day featured plenary sessions involving all CapTech members, including EDA, NATO, and EUMS representatives. A key focus was updates regarding EDA and EUMS energy-related initiatives, including the CF-SEDSS, IF-CEED and the Hybrid Energy Development Initiative (HEDI). TECES actively participates in all these initiatives by attending international conferences and proposing international project proposals for funding opportunities.

Introducing nuclear power for military infrastructure was a significant topic, with ULC Energy leading the session on opportunities and challenges. There was considerable interest in the presentation of nuclear reactors, particularly smaller ones, and energy generation from atomic sources, indicating a potential and growing interest in this technology within the EU.

The day concluded with a guided tour of Larnaca, including a visit to the museum housed in the seaside fortress (Larnaca Medieval Fort). The monuments reminded us of the island's turbulent history, and the tour ended at the Church of Saint Lazarus. The organiser, CY MoD, hosted a group dinner featuring local seafood specialities. The dinner provided an excellent opportunity for networking, meeting new EnE CapTech members, strengthening connections, and exchanging ideas.

Active role of SiEnE representatives in updating the strategic directions of EnE CapTech and proposing new Cat B projects

The second day focused on technical and research-driven discussions, beginning with operational energy updates on energy management, distribution, and storage systems. Several presentations on EnE CapTech's Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and Technology Building Blocks (TBBs) provided guidelines for future development and research projects. In his role as an industrial rapporteur, Mag. Matej Gajzer proposed a new approach to renewing technological building blocks (TBBs), ensuring that each CapTech remains aligned with current geopolitical changes and emerging innovations.

Mag. Matej Gajzer led discussions on improving an agile preparation process for Cat B projects. The TECES representative, Aleksander Majerič, presented the activities related to preparing the E+ZERO project—the first Cat B project proposal within EnE CapTech. TECES will assume the coordinator role for the project, which is set to launch in the coming months. SiEnE expert Dr Andrej Kitanovski also participated in presenting other Cat B project proposals, which are directly funded by defence ministries. He introduced the Austrian initiative focused on utilising excess heat and gases from electrical power generators in military bases for cooling and heating. TECES is contributing to the conceptual design of this project.

The day concluded with an informal group dinner featuring excellent local cuisine in a relaxing setting that allowed participants to learn more about one another in preparation for future collaborative opportunities.

Enhancing MoD-industry coordination within the CapTech framework

The final day strongly emphasised industry collaboration and research-to-implementation pathways. A pitching session featured presentations from domestic Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs) and industry stakeholders, followed by a discussion on enhancing MoD-industry coordination within the CapTech framework, focusing on improving technology transfer and collaborative defence energy initiatives.

We are pleased to be actively involved in EnE CapTech's activities, which play a crucial role in strengthening the EU defence sector and its key stakeholders. TECES and SiEnE representatives and experts used this opportunity to enhance SiEnE's visibility, contribute to discussions on key topics, and foster new connections while reinforcing existing collaborations. Face-to-face meetings like this are always valuable, and we look forward to building on this momentum at the 10th CapTech meeting in June in Belgium.