At a press conference organised by IENE at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Athens, on September 17, the Institute’s management presented an overview of its activities and plans as a number of important research projects have been completed and as the Institute gets ready for its forthcoming major annual conference and a series of regional events.
Speaking in this well attended function by journalists and members of IENE’s executive committee, the Chairman and Executive Director of the IENE, Costis Stambolis, noted that, “this year, IENE marks 23 years of operation and fruitful work in the energy sector of SE Europe and beyond. Headquartered in Athens, the Institute is active not only in Greece but also in 14 countries across the region – including the Western Balkans, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus – where it maintains an extensive network of partners and associates. The 45 partners comprising the Institute’s Board possess expertise that collectively covers the entire spectrum of the energy sector”.
As Stambolis noted, “The core of the Institute’s activities lies in its research and analytical work, which is carried out through specific, well-defined programs. Currently, IENE has 12 research programs underway. These programs between them cover electricity and natural gas markets, energy infrastructure, RES and energy storage, energy efficiency, fossil fuels, critical raw materials (CRMs), and the CO2 emissions market, as well as emerging technologies such as SMRs, CCUS, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digitalization”.
Furthermore, the Chairman of IENE stressed that, “The Institute’s research and study activities form the foundation of its operations, as they provide the necessary knowledge and expertise enabling it to engage in public discourse and to prepare and organize the information distributed to its members and the wider public”.
The Chairman of IENE then announced the release of two just completed studies by IENE. The first one on the prevailing trends in Greece’s energy markets in the first 8 months of 2026, and the other on the role of Greek Industrial Firms in the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) supply chain. The study, authored by George Papachristos, an IENE Research Fellow, entitled “Greece in the SMR Supply Chain” is the first of its kind conducted in Greece, as part of IENE’s nuclear power in SEE programme, and is the result of many months research by the author.
Professor Pandelis Biskas, of the Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Chairman of IENE’s Scientific Council, who was also present at the Press Conference reiterated the Institute’s commitment to high standards of research and its great diligence in providing accurate and factual information. He discussed some of the Institute’s research projects including the current study on Data Centres and how their operation affects electricity demand, the just released study on the 2026 Energy Trends in Greece and an upcoming project on battery storage. As Professor Biskas noted battery energy storage is proving pivotal for the further development of electricity systems and a key factor influencing market operation and electricity prices.
In addition to its research activities, the Institute organizes events covering the entire energy spectrum in Greece and abroad. Actually, on Thursday, October 1, a conference will be held in Belgrade in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS); the event will feature the presentation of the “South East Europe Energy Outlook 2025/2026” study and an examination of the current challenges facing energy markets in Southeast Europe.
Then, on November 3 & 4, 2026 at the Eugenides Foundation in Athens, IENE will be holding its leading annual energy event, the “Energy and Development” Conference. This year, the conference is celebrating a 30-year milestone of continuous organization. The 30th National Energy Conference “Energy & Development 2026”, held at a time when the global energy balance faces an unprecedented situation due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, experts, business leaders, representatives of national institutions, and academia etc. from Greece, SE Europe, the UK, France, and the Netherlands, will highlight issues concerning electricity and natural gas markets at both national and regional levels. Furthermore, a significant contribution is expected by the International Energy Agency (IEA), regarding the strategies considered in the preparation of its flagship annual study, the “World Energy Outlook 2026”.
On November 25 in Nicosia, the 14th Cyprus Energy Symposium is convened, jointly with FMW Financial Media Way. Covering, once again, the full spectrum of energy-related developments on the island, the Symposium takes place at the policy-making level, with the participation of high-ranking state officials, including the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Furthermore, in November, the Institute is holding a one-day seminar in Skopje—in collaboration with local stakeholders—to discuss the establishment of a carbon market in North Macedonia. At the event, a specialized study by IENE and proposals for the organization of the market in question will be presented.
In the field of education, the Institute organizes—on an ad hoc basis—specialized seminars and training courses covering topics such as energy and geopolitics, the organization and operation of energy markets, energy-saving techniques, and more. From 11 to 28 November 2026, at the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI-EBEA), IENE is organizing a Seminar on “Integrated Energy Renovation of Buildings through Envelope & MEP Design as a Unified System”.
Last but not least, IENE regularly updates its members by distributing information—in the form of newsletters and reports—on energy developments in Greece and SE Europe. The IENE Information Feed currently serves as a comprehensive source of information regarding domestic and international energy developments. This service is available exclusively to the Institute's members.
With over 100 corporate members and hundreds of individual members across SE Europe and East Mediterranean, and a total of 2,000 recipients of its regular updates, the Institute serves as a key hub for information and networking among energy sector professionals in the region.
