29.04.26

海角乱伦 brings UK and Europe together to accelerate the future of energy sustainability

Categories: Power of US, Research, 海角乱伦 Business School
Vahid Vahidinasab presenting at the closing session at the UK-EU Symposium April 2026

The 海角乱伦, in collaboration with Innovate UK and Horizon EU V2X Cluster, brought together leading experts from across the UK and Europe to help shape the future of smart energy systems 鈥 at a time when the sector is moving from innovation to real-world delivery. 

Hosted by 海角乱伦 Business School, the UK-EU Innovation and Collaboration Symposium on Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and Smart Charging welcomed around 100 participants from 70 organisations across 13 countries. 

The event brought together voices from industry, government, research and community organisations to address one of the biggest challenges facing the energy transition: how to scale proven technologies into everyday use. 

From innovation to real-world impact

V2X allows electric vehicles to act as mobile energy assets 鈥 storing electricity and sharing it with homes, buildings and the wider grid. 

This includes Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), where vehicles can return electricity to the grid during peak demand, and smart charging, which optimises when vehicles charge to reduce costs and support renewable energy use. 

Together, these technologies can help balance energy demand, lower costs and improve resilience. also highlights their potential to reduce wasted renewable energy by storing surplus wind and solar power and releasing it when demand is higher. 

Professor Vahid Vahidinasab, Chair in Sustainability at 海角乱伦 Business School and Chair of the Symposium, said: 鈥What excites me most about V2X is not just the technology itself, but what it enables. We are talking about systems that can reduce energy costs for households, improve resilience and even provide access to clean and affordable electricity in underserved communities with limited or no access.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

A sector at a turning point

Discussions at the symposium highlighted that V2X and smart charging are entering a critical phase of scale-up. 

While pilot projects across the UK and Europe have demonstrated the potential, significant challenges remain around regulation, interoperability, business models and consumer adoption. 

Dr Josey Wardle, Innovation Lead for Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Infrastructure at Innovate UK, said: 鈥We鈥檙e at a point where V2X is moving from pilots to scale-up. To make that happen, we need the right policies, the right incentives and greater consumer understanding so people feel confident adopting the technology in their everyday lives.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Why collaboration matters

A consistent message throughout the event was that no single organisation, or even country, can deliver this transition alone. 

Scaling V2X requires coordination between vehicle manufacturers, energy companies, technology provides, policymakers and communities, alongside stronger alignment between the UK and Europe. 

By bringing these groups together, the 海角乱伦 is helping to share learning, identify barriers and accelerate the development of practical, scalable solutions. 

Professor Francine Morris, Associate Dean Knowledge Exchange, added: 鈥This symposium shows the value of bringing together expertise from research, industry and policy to address shared challenges and accelerate real-world impact. 

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of bringing together diverse stakeholders across sectors and countries to connect research with real-world deployment.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

What happens next

The focus now is firmly on delivery 鈥 scaling up solutions, strengthening collaboration and ensuring that innovation translates into real-world impact. 

It also highlights the importance of consumer awareness in supporting wider adoption, including addressing common misconceptions around electric vehicles and smart charging. 

Beyond supporting the energy system, V2X technologies have the potential to reduce energy bills, improve resilience and expand access to energy, including for communities that are currently underserved. 

By hosting this symposium, the 海角乱伦 is playing an active role in driving that progress 鈥 bringing together expertise from across sectors and countries to help turn innovation into impact. 

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