Photo: Tatiana Kurda, Fotografen-Welt

Sweden – the Innovation Lab at E-world energy & water 2026 – A Strong Platform for Swedish-German Energy Collaboration

At E-world energy & water in Essen, the European – and global – energy sector gather to shape the future of sustainable energy systems. At the heart of this international meeting point stood a vibrant Swedish Energy Pavilion: ‘Sweden – the Innovation Lab’, made possible by the Swedish Energy Agency through their mission to support Swedish innovation on foreign markets. With high ambitions, a concrete business focus, and high-level political participation, the Swedish-German partnership demonstrated once again that the energy cooperation is strong spanning the public, civil and private sector.

Swedish Energy Agency: Driving Export of Energy Innovation

The Swedish Energy Agency plays a central role in advancing Sweden’s energy transition – both domestically and internationally. Promoting Swedish energy innovation abroad is a key part of this mission. Through structured international initiatives such as participation at E-world, Swedish energy solutions gain the platform needed to scale globally. This is not only about export growth – it is about contributing proven, sustainable solutions to Europe’s climate transition.

Swedish-German Energy Cooperation Beyond Export

Sweden and Germany share a common ambition to achieve fossil-free energy systems and climate-neutral industries. During the Opening Ceremony, representatives from Swedish Energy Agency, Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena), and Embassy of Sweden in Germany underlined the shared ambitions of the partnership. A key milestone was the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent between NRW.Energy4Climate and the Swedish Energy Agency, strengthening cooperation on cleantech innovation and sustainable heating and cooling – areas where Sweden has internationally recognized expertise. In the presence of State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Industry and Climate Action, Silke Krebs and Katarina Szécsi Åsbrink from Embassy of Sweden in Germany, Niclas Carlsson and Dr. Katharina Schubert formalised the agreement.

Sustainable Heating and Cooling: Strong Interest from Germany in Swedish expertise

A delegation from Sustainable Heating and Cooling by Sweden (SHC by Sweden) engaged in roundtable discussions with German Stadtwerke leading up to their participation in the Swedish Energy Pavilion, the discussions focused on challenges and opportunities in district heating and cooling. At E-world, the Swedish pavilion featured a Tech Showcase where the delegates presented integrated, energy-efficient solutions for urban and industrial applications. With Germany undergoing a large-scale transformation of its district heating systems, Swedish expertise continues to generate strong interest and concrete business opportunities. Thank you for your insightful presentations! Alfa Laval, E.ON, BKtech Group, Energy Opticon AB, Mittel Fjärrvärme AB, NODA Intelligent Systems, and Wioniq.

The long way to build a unicorn – experiences and insights from Sweden

Another key program highlight was the Change Forum with a focus on cleantech unicorns, moderated by Cleantech Scandinavia. The discussion emphasized that scaling energy innovations requires not only capital, but also strategic partnerships, pilot opportunities, regulatory insight, and support to build market presence. Panellists from Swedish Energy Agency, Almi Invest Greentech, Ignite Sweden, Emulate, Enpulse, Alfa Laval and German Energy Agency. All the Swedish Energy Pavilion exhibitors held compact one minute pitches to the crowd to present their solutions and contributions to a sustainable transition. German Energy Agency took the opportunity to make the SET 100 List official during the event, listing 100 the most promising starups in energy 2026.

Participating under the Swedish umbrella sends a powerful signal of quality, system thinking, and sustainability. For many smaller companies, this collective presence lowers the threshold to enter the German market. In just a few days, companies meet more relevant stakeholders than they might reach through months of individual outreach efforts.

For more information about the Swedish participation and future opportunities, please contact Christiane Binsteiner-Foberg.