Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in the coming decade will depend on its ability to rapidly scale up strategic manufacturing capacities, accelerate industrial decarbonisation, and reduce critical de-pendencies across key value chains. The European policy agenda in this area aims to strengthen Europe’s industrial base, support clean and digital industrial transformation, and enhance the deployment of innovative technologies at scale. The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act is a central element of this approach, designed to simplify procedures, mobilise investment, and speed up the implementation of strategic industrial projects across the EU, while reinforcing Europe’s long-term competitiveness and sustainability.

To discuss these developments, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission, will host the EU Clusters Talk: “The Industrial Accelerator Act: Speeding Up Strategic Projects” on 11 March, from 08:30 to 9:45 CET. This session will present the objectives and main provisions of the Act, outline its implications for European industry and SMEs, and explore how clusters can act as key enablers in accelerating industrial projects, fostering innovation uptake, and supporting companies in decarbonisation.

Speakers will include:

• Immavera Sardone, Policy Officer, DG GROW, European Commission
• Fabrizio Guarrasi, Innovation Manager, Lombardy Energy Cleantech Cluster (LE2C)
• Hugo Durand, Territorial Relations Officer, EDF; CleanTech Vallée
• Tobias Lechtenfeld, Executive Director, Tech for Net Zero