The “E-World Energy & Water 2026” exhibition in Essen became the first international trade fair visited by the SMEBeyond project team together with representatives of interested small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to initiate opportunities for business expansion abroad. The event was attended by Giedrius Janušauskas, Business Development Manager at the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park (KMTP), SMEBeyond project partners, and representatives of participating SMEs.
Within the framework of the SMEBeyond project, KMTP invited SMEs to join the partner network and take part in international visits and exhibitions aligned with the project’s thematic priorities. These include renewable energy, sustainable urban development, water and waste management, food packaging solutions, advanced technologies, and maritime industries. The goal of these visits is to support companies in establishing new business connections, finding partners, and creating conditions for further international growth.
This year’s E-World Energy & Water 2026 exhibition delivered a clear message: future energy systems will not only supply electricity but will also be capable of analysing, optimising, and adapting to changing conditions. The exhibition hosted more than 1,000 participants, with the largest shares represented by the energy services sector (46%) and energy trading (23%). IT solutions were also strongly represented (39%), along with energy generation (12%), energy efficiency solutions (12%), energy storage technologies (12%), transport and grid infrastructure (9%), and mobility solutions (7%).
The visit was particularly significant for the Klaipėda region, as KMTP representatives successfully established valuable contacts with organisations presenting solutions relevant to Lithuania’s energy transition. With strong industrial clusters and a developed port ecosystem, the Klaipėda region is becoming a natural environment for the development of microgrids. Such solutions can help balance the variability of solar and wind energy, ensure reliable energy supply, and strengthen industrial resilience to geopolitical and market fluctuations.
Connections established during the exhibition opened opportunities for future projects in several key areas: deployment of renewable energy sources, monitoring and management of their performance, industrial energy storage solutions — from batteries to innovative thermal energy storage technologies (such as sand-based systems), implementation of smart industrial equipment, and real-time monitoring of grid loads. Contacts were also made regarding microgrid integration by connecting companies into shared systems and promoting industrial symbiosis and the application of circular economy principles. Equally relevant were artificial intelligence and automated modelling solutions aimed at forecasting weather phenomena and assessing their impact on energy generation and demand management.
These newly established partnerships will directly contribute to the objectives of the SMEBeyond project — strengthening SME internationalisation, encouraging innovation adoption, and increasing SME involvement in the green and digital transformation value chains in the Baltic Sea Region. We welcome the opportunity to build international partnerships that strengthen Lithuania’s economic resilience and accelerate the transition towards climate-neutral industry.
The next exhibitions to be visited by the SMEBeyond project team and interested business representatives will take place on April 14–16 in Warsaw (Warsaw Pack) and on May 4–7 in Munich (IFAT Munich 2026).
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