The opening TwinSider webinar marked the start of an ambitious journey by the TwinEU partnership, which brings together 75 organisations from across the continent. Their goal: to design and connect a network of national digital twins into a unified European model of the electricity grid. With pilots running in 11 countries, the project blends technical know-how, data integration, and cross-border collaboration to rethink how Europe’s power system is managed and improved. If you’re curious about where Europe’s energy future is heading, follow the link and watch the full recording—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Working in line with the EU’s Digitalisation of the Energy System Action Plan, TwinEU supports investment in advanced grid technologies, harmonised data exchange, and stronger ties between transmission and distribution operators. It confronts head-on the sector’s toughest hurdles, from safeguarding sensitive data and connecting old and new infrastructure, to making sure proven standards are actually put into practice.
The programme is exploring ways to harness real-time grid insights, predictive AI tools, and fresh market designs that reward flexibility and innovation. Central to this is the creation of secure energy data spaces—shared environments where trusted, sovereign data can move easily between partners, enabling more informed decisions and faster progress.
Speakers looked well beyond technical details to explore what it will take to embed digital twins into Europe’s energy landscape. A new European Commission strategy on digitalisation and AI in energy—set for release early next year—will give fresh direction to these efforts. While standards for digital twin deployment already exist in abundance, the real challenge lies in their consistent use. Building trust in AI-driven tools, supported by policies like the AI Act, emerged as essential to encouraging—not stifling—innovation. Panellists also emphasised that digitalisation demands a skilled workforce now, not just in the future, and that as cross-border energy exchanges grow, interoperable data spaces will be the glue holding the system together.
Ultimately, TwinEU is about moving beyond isolated national solutions. By linking them into a transparent, interoperable framework, the project aims to speed up the transition to a more intelligent, adaptable, and secure European energy system—one ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
