IENE Launches Fund Drive During «Back to Business» Event

On the occasion of the start of the new autumn/winter season (2014-2015) the Institute of Energy for South East Europe (IENE) held, on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, its annual "Back to Business” event. This year’s "Back to Business”, which took place at the hospitable and historical grounds of the Yacht Club of Greece in Kastella, Piraeus, brought together approximately 100 executives from the energy sector of Greece and, also, from other countries of SE Europe.

The "Back to Business” event signaled also the launch of IENE’s Fund Drive campaign for 2014-2015. Prior to dinner, IENE’s Chairman, Mr. John Chatzivassiliadis, at his address to the participants, stressed the need for a establishing a "Green Bank” in Greece, aiming at the funding of investments in the energy sector with a reasonable cost. The Executive Director of the Institute, Mr. Costis Stambolis, then made a short presentation of IENE’s Fund Drive, followed by statements of support by some of IENE sponsors and supporters.

As stressed at the "Back to Business” event, IENE’s Fund Drive aims at the economic support of targeted research programmes, studies and various actions of the Institute. IENE is fully committed in maintaining its status as non-governmental and entirely independent organization. At the same time, the Institute, as one of the leading independent energy think tanks in the SE European region, is going ahead with the development of a highly credible and worthwhile range of services covering research, assessment studies, sectorial surveys, educational activities, event organization and networking, with the involvement and the cooperation of leading energy experts from all different countries of the region. Thus the Fund Drive initiative is a useful and indispensable tool for the realization of this vision.

This is the first time that the Institute is organizing a focused and coordinated Fund Drive campaign over a six month period (October 2014-March2015). The aim of the Fund Drive is to raise financial support for the Institute’s varied activities across SE Europe and so enable it to develop further its research and study programmes, move into more spacious and modern offices and organize and expand its scientific library. In addition money to be raised through the Fund Drive will enable the IENE to develop and promote programmes to tackle energy poverty, set up an in-house employment office for young graduates and energy professionals but also establish the annual IENE awards for the promotion of innovation, entrepreneurship and regional co-operation in the energy sector.

Overall, "Back to Business” provided an excellent opportunity for IENE members and associates to meet in a friendly and hospitable environment, but also proved to be a pleasant and fruitful gathering for professionals and academics of the region’s energy sector.