Within the framework of Danube Transitional Programme, partners from Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Bosnia and Hercegovina will work together for the next two and a half years to improve energy planning in Danube regions through knowledge transfer and development of planning tools. 

One of the first steps in the STRIDE Project is to analyse the current energy situation in the Danube partner regions – specifically for smart grid potential and energy legislation – in order to prepare different scenarios for integration of various technologies into smart grid systems. These will serve as the baseline for the development of smart grid strategies and action plans that will provide concrete guidance and long term, as well as short term, smart goals and measures that could be implemented across the Danube region.

The partnership sees the improvement of energy planning as a joint triple-helix effort; therefore, the creation of an energy network is crucial, especially in order to ensure long-lasting smart energy planning. Thus, a platform focusing on the wider field of smart energy is being designed and developed within the STRIDE Project.

During the first months of the project, representatives of each participating partner met [virtually] several times to get to know each other, discuss first steps in the project and divide the workload using a concrete timeline. 

In November 2020, the official STRIDE Kick-off meeting took place with more than 40 participants together with representatives from the Danube Transnational Programme. Emphasis was given to the role of stakeholders throughout the project as after the project end, as active engagement of stakeholders is vital to the project’s contribution to improved energy planning in the Danube region.