ITALY - UK PARTNERSHIP

PARTNERSHIP | Autumn 2019 22 A green future for Scotland All Energy 2020 S cotland is an avant-garde country, having put renewable and low carbon energy at the foundation of its future energy system, seeing huge opportunities for both economic and industrial growth, and environmental and health protection. The Scottish Government objective for the next 10 years is to promote and explore the potential of Scotland’s renewable energy resource and its ability to meet its local and national heat, transport and electricity needs. By 2030, Scotland aims to generate 50% of its overall energy consumption from renewable sources and by 2050 to have decarbonised the energy system almost completely. Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, clarified that she wants Scotland to be “a world leader in developing new low carbon energy technologies” and to “embrace social changes that will reduce emissions”. In order to support low-carbon energy, the Government has recently put forward a number of bold measures, establishing a £20m Energy Investment Fund for low-carbon energy infrastructure and a £10m Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund to support the marine energy sector and tidal innovation. The Government is also investing £60m in the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme and it is promoting the development of onshore wind, making it easier to invest in local and small-scale renewables, and developing a new bioenergy action plan. THE RENEWABLE POWER COMMUNITY It is no surprise then that All-Energy, the UK’s leading renewable energy event, is organised in such a vibrant place. The fair showcases the latest technologies and services for the energy supply chain, for both private and public sector energy end-users, developers and investors. As explained by the organisers, the event’s mission is to “enable the UK renewable energy community to interact, conduct business, network and learn, whether face-to-face or online”. In 2020, All-Energy will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Now based in Glasgow, the fair connects every year more than 300 energy suppliers, developers, investors, technology developers and policymakers with more than 7,000 energy industry buyers. The top exhibitor product types are onshore and offshore wind, grid, energy storage, wave & tidal, biomass and solar PV: just last year, the event welcomed top suppliers such as Siemens Gamesa, Centrica, and Vestas. All Energy is also a great opportunity to generate business: in 2018, about 20% of attendees expected to place orders with a value of £50,000 or higher as a direct result of the event. The fair is attended by people coming from all over the world: in the top 10 visitors per country of origin index, Italy is at 4th place, preceded by the UK, France, and Germany, and followed by countries like USA, Spain, China, Switzerland, and South Korea. Considering the incredible opportunity for companies to make business during the event, the Italian Chamber of Commerce for the UK intends to support the Italian enterprises that would like to attend the event as exhibitors next year. · For more information, please contact scotland@italchamind.org.uk