Case Study / Island Energy Transition
Bringing the Right Partners Together for Island Energy Transition
Island Innovation supported a collaboration between ABB and Xynteo to explore opportunities for Battery Energy Storage Systems adoption across island regions.
Partners: ABB and Xynteo
islands shortlisted for near-term BESS adoption
strategic stakeholders mapped across EU, regional, and island networks
representatives engaged across key stakeholder groups
The transition to clean energy presents significant opportunities for island regions, but identifying and advancing viable solutions requires more than technical innovation alone. It requires an understanding of local contexts, market opportunities, stakeholder ecosystems, and the ability to connect technology providers with the communities, policymakers, businesses, and experts needed to turn ideas into action.
Recognising this need, Island Innovation supported a collaboration between ABB and Xynteo to explore opportunities for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) adoption across island regions. By leveraging its global island network, stakeholder expertise, and understanding of island development challenges, Island Innovation helped identify priority opportunities, map relevant stakeholders, and facilitate connections to support future energy transition pathways.
The Opportunity
Many islands face complex energy challenges, including reliance on imported fossil fuels, isolated grids, and barriers to renewable energy integration. These challenges also represent significant opportunities for innovative energy solutions that can strengthen resilience, improve energy independence, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy systems.
ABB and Xynteo sought to better understand the island energy landscape, identify locations with strong potential for BESS adoption, and engage the stakeholders needed to explore practical implementation pathways.
Island Innovation's role was to bridge the gap between global energy solutions and local island realities - providing the networks, insights, and stakeholder connections required to identify opportunities and build meaningful engagement.
What We Delivered
Drawing on our global island network and deep understanding of island energy ecosystems, Island Innovation provided strategic stakeholder engagement and market insight to support the partnership.
We:
- Identified three islands with strong potential for near-term BESS adoption, developing profiles to support future engagement and opportunity assessment.
- Mapped 15 strategic stakeholders across European, regional, and island networks, including representatives from island communities, energy organisations, policymakers, and sustainability networks.
- Led targeted outreach and facilitated introductions between ABB/Xynteo and relevant stakeholders.
- Provided local context and insight to help ensure potential energy solutions aligned with island priorities, market conditions, and implementation opportunities.
Islands Catalysation Workshop
November 2024 · Samsø, Denmark
Island representatives, energy experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders came together to explore island energy transition challenges and opportunities.
The Results
The Islands Catalysation Workshop took place in November 2024 in Samsø, Denmark — a globally recognised example of community-led renewable energy transition. The workshop brought together island representatives, energy experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with accelerating island energy transitions.
Through Island Innovation's stakeholder engagement, the workshop successfully connected key actors from across the island energy ecosystem, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, relationship-building, and future collaboration. The engagement demonstrated the importance of combining technical expertise with trusted local networks to identify opportunities and support the development of practical energy solutions.
Following the collaboration, ABB continued to engage with Island Innovation's wider island network and became a sponsor of the Global Sustainable Islands Summit, strengthening the partnership and creating further opportunities to connect with island stakeholders working on sustainable development and energy transition.
The project demonstrated how Island Innovation helps organisations navigate complex island ecosystems, identify strategic opportunities, and build the relationships needed to advance sustainable solutions.
About the Partnership
Island Innovation works with governments, businesses, communities, and organisations to accelerate sustainable development in island regions. By connecting local knowledge with global expertise, we help partners identify opportunities, build meaningful relationships, and design initiatives that are relevant, practical, and impactful.
This initiative brought together ABB's expertise in electrification and energy technologies, Xynteo's experience in collaborative sustainability transformation, and Island Innovation's global island network and stakeholder engagement expertise. Together, the partnership combined technical knowledge, market insight, and local understanding to explore opportunities for resilient, renewable energy systems across island regions.
Through this collaboration, Island Innovation helped bridge the gap between global energy solutions and island realities - connecting the right stakeholders, providing contextual insight, and supporting the development of potential pathways for future energy transition projects.
The outcome often comes down to who is in the room.
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