On 22nd January 2021, Jan Okko Ziegler, Head of Market Studies – Global Infrastructure & Networks at ENEL started his chairmanship of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Smart Networks for the Energy Transition (ETIP SNET).
Jan Okko, an experienced manager with three decades of professional experience in the energy sector, commented the challenges of his mandate underlining that “the coming decade will be marked by the mainstreaming of renewables and more flexible energy systems, and will place electricity distribution infrastructure more than ever at the core of the transition. That’s why ETIP SNET will play a very important role in what we may call the decade of smart and flexible power grids”.
In this context, ETIP SNET will continue to deliver industry positions on Research, Development and Innovation topics related with electricity distribution to European Energy Policy initiatives. The stakeholder collaboration on technological innovation and market evolution promoted by the Platform will be critical for achieving climate protection and renewables integration with affordability and security of supply.
Jan Okko succeeded Guido Guida, member of ENTSO-E’s board of directors from TERNA, who covered the Chairman position since January 2019. Aside from providing expertise as chair of ETIP SNET, he is also chair of the Innovation & Research Committee of E.DSO, member of the Nomination Committee of the new EU DSO ENTITY, Italian member of the Distribution and Market Facilitation Committee of EURELECTRIC and coordinator of the Global DSO Platform.
Thanks to his experience as Senior Business Development Manager at Enel Global Infrastructure & Networks he gained a consolidated experience in International Institutional Affairs and in the identification and management of innovative business development projects in Italy and abroad. Finally, he has interfaced for many years with Italian diplomacy (ministry, embassies) and international institutions, facilitating multilateral dialogue for the energy sector within organisations such as the UN, OECD, G20, IRENA and AIE.
In the framework of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), ETIP SNET gathers all relevant stakeholders along the entire energy value chain to elaborate a European innovation strategy towards a smart integrated energy system.
Since its establishment in 2016, the ETIP SNET has already delivered several key publications, such as a 10-year Research & Innovation Roadmap (2020-2030), the Implementation Plan for 2021-2024 and the Vision 2050. These documents identified the necessary Research & Innovation (R&I) priorities to advance toward energy transition with the smart grid at the center of an energy system which is under transition towards a low carbon neutral energy by 2050.
Jan Okko will serve as Chairman until June 2022. He is assisted by 4 Vice-Chairpersons: Iñigo Azpiri Irazabal (EASE), Laurent Schmit (ENTSO-E), Miguel Sanchez Fornie (ETIP SNET WG4 Chair – Comillas University) and Venizelos Efthymiou (ETIP SNET WG5 Chair -University of Cyprus – EURELECTRIC).
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