On 9 October 2025, the EERA Joint Programme on Hydropower and ETIP Hydropower hosted a one-day in-person workshop in Brussels to develop a shared strategic vision for the hydropower sector. This event marked a key step in strengthening the community’s collective voice in shaping the European research and innovation (R&I) agenda.

Building on the insights gathered during the September Knowledge Symposium, this second gathering brought together researchers, industry representatives, and institutional stakeholders to consolidate and align R&I priorities — with a particular focus on contributing to the design of Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and preparing for a future IWG-Hydropower and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) under the SET Plan.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in targeted discussions around key themes, including:

• The role of hydropower in ensuring flexibility and system stability
• Innovation needs to enhance biodiversity and environmental performance
• Infrastructure modernisation and resilience in a changing climate
• Competitiveness

The workshop provided an open platform to reflect on how hydropower can best contribute to Europe’s evolving energy and climate objectives, and how the sector can coordinate more effectively to influence the EU R&I landscape.

One of the main outcomes of the workshop was a preliminary alignment on strategic research priorities and policy messages to be further refined in the coming months. These will support joint actions with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and other key stakeholders, ensuring hydropower is fully represented in the development of FP10 and the SET Plan’s future direction.

The workshop also reinforced the importance of structured, long-term collaboration between research and industry to address shared challenges and to capitalise on hydropower’s potential as a pillar of Europe’s clean and secure energy system.

What’s Next

The outcomes of the October workshop will feed into a consolidated position paper, setting the direction for the hydropower sector’s R&I engagement at the European level. Further consultations and working sessions are foreseen in the coming months to shape this roadmap and define concrete next steps.

We extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their valuable contributions and to everyone involved in organising this important milestone.