Guiding and governing a System of Systems approach to infrastructure networks involved in the energy transition in the EU, through public values.

Description

The European Union needs to shift from an energy system that is dependent on fossil fuel to clean and sustainable energy sources, in order to meet the 2050 goal of achieving a carbon-neutral economy.

However, building such infrastructure systems cannot be done by a single operator or even within a single sector. It will require independent infrastructure operators, who have thus far operated in silos, to collaborate and integrate with other operators and systems under an overarching system in the pursuit of a common goal, i.e. adopt a System-of-Systems (SoS) approach to infrastructure management. An example of this is the creation of a hydrogen system.

Additionally the legal frameworks which govern energy systems in the EU and its member states, function on the basis that infrastructure networks operate as silos and use traditional market models. Thus, each sector is governed by different legal regimes and rules, often strictly regulated given that infrastructure sectors are naturally monopolistic. This creates a problem, for infrastructure operators who must now collaborate across sectors whilst navigating several different legal regimes without clear guidance from lawmakers on how they should reconcile these differences and pursue the goals of the energy transition.

This research explores how the overarching system can be guided by the public values that underpin overarching goal of the system itself, i.e. energy transition and how key public values can act as a basis for collaboration and governance.

Period	14 Nov 2023 → 15 Nov 2023
Event title	Critical Infrastructure Interdependencies : A ‘System of Systems’ Approach
Event type	Conference
Location	Darmstadt, GermanyShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International