Resilience Is Europe's New Compass

Eline Vigre took Stavanger’s virtual energy islands to Brussels—and came home with a network that Rogaland can build on.

Eline Vigre, who leads Nordic Edge’s new EU initiative, was in Brussels in June to present Stavanger’s virtual energy islands and connect Rogaland more closely to the EU’s efforts. Current funding for climate adaptation is insufficient; up to 70 billion euros per year will be needed through 2050 if we are to meet our climate goals. One word, therefore, was repeated in every session: resilience—the ability to stand firm when crises strike.

Every year, small and medium-sized cities from across Europe gather in Brussels for the “Innovative and Resilient Small and Medium-Sized Cities” workshop. The Stavanger region’s EU office is one of the organizers. This year, city teams from as far afield as Sweden and Spain attended, and Nordic Edge was there, led by Vigre for the very first time since joining Nordic Edge.

“The main goal is for the cities and their ecosystems to connect with the business community, academia, and the public sector. The cities present the challenges they face and the solutions they’re proud of, and identify potential partners for future collaboration. In addition, the Commission and other EU institutions present the strategies that will shape the years ahead,” says Vigre.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, delivered the opening address on what it is like to lead a society at war. The Commission has made resilience a cornerstone of its policy; it is described by the EU’s research center as “a new compass”: the ability not only to withstand crises but to emerge stronger through transformation.

The Islands That Became a European Model

What Vigre and the City of Stavanger brought to Brussels was a concrete story from Ryfylke. Together with Birger Haraldseid, special advisor on energy for Stavanger Municipality, she presented the work on virtual energy islands in the northern part of the municipality: Finnøy, Talgje, Fogn, and the Sjernarøyene islands.

The starting point is vulnerable. The islands are connected by radial undersea cables without a ring connection, with limited capacity and aging infrastructure. More electricity alone won’t solve the problem. The answer lies in storage and management.

– “We presented the virtual energy islands, and many people were interested. The islands aren’t connected to the power grid in the same way as the rest of the region. You have to think in terms of energy hubs—how to integrate different types of energy into a single area and distribute them among them. It’s a challenge many in Europe can relate to, says Vigre.

The solution is now a reference case in the EU’s NetZero Cities initiative.

A team from Rogaland

The partner in this effort was the City of Stavanger, and the collaboration is no coincidence.

“We work as a team from Rogaland. The municipality holds decision-making authority and is responsible for much of the community’s development, so it’s absolutely essential to work together with them. At the same time, as a neutral party within Nordic Edge, we can move faster and tap into networks and expertise in a completely different way,” says Vigre.

She has no doubts about her partner on the team:

“Birger Haraldseid is incredibly knowledgeable. I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion,” she says.

In Brussels, they also met with the region’s energy cluster and Rogaland County Council—the same stakeholders they could have met at home, but standing together with them here in Europe adds something extra.

“When we represent the region together as a team, we do a great job,” says Vigre.

Energy security, food, and emergency preparedness—all part of the same conversation

The topics Vigre brought home are closely intertwined. In Brussels, resilience has become a common entry point for issues that were previously treated separately.

– “The word ‘resilience’ is the new main theme in the EU.” “It’s linked to emergency preparedness, energy solutions, and food security all at once,” says Vigre.

Climate adaptation was also a key focus. EIT Climate-KIC used the flooding in Valencia as an example of the costs of a lack of preparedness. This is an issue that ties together energy, insurance, and public safety.

What’s next?

“There’s something about being physically present rather than just reading about the challenges other cities face. You pick up on all the conversations that aren’t on the agenda. When one of our members later comes up with a solution to one of the cities’ challenges, we know who to contact,” she says.

That’s the core of Nordic Edge’s role: to be the neutral actor that connects business, research, and municipalities—and that finds the partners a project needs, even before the project exists.

The week in Brussels yielded several concrete leads to pursue further.

“There are several projects and topics we’re taking with us after this week. Now it’s a matter of following up,” says Vigre.

Contact

Eline Vigre

Head of EU Project development
+47 926 84 821

eline@nordicedge.org