On 4 March 2026, the think tank Future Cleantech Architects (FCA) released the “2026 EU Renewable Energy Innovation Planning Assessment Report”. The report evaluated 27 member states on their policy readiness for seven categories of next generation clean energy technologies: perovskite solar cells, floating offshore wind, concentrated solar power (CSP), wave and tidal energy, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and industrial waste heat recovery.

The results show that Germany, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands are “frontrunners” – they have already introduced dedicated R&D demonstration funding, simplified experimental project permits, and established joint innovation centres with industry. For instance, Germany has set up a €5 billion “Energy Transition Innovation Fund”, 15% of which is allocated to roll to roll production pilots for perovskite cells. In contrast, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania are rated as “laggards” – they have almost no public support for next generation technologies and still rely on EU cohesion funds to purchase conventional renewable equipment.

The lead author warns: “If this gap is not addressed, by 2030 Western European countries will control the intellectual property of key clean technologies, while Eastern Europe may permanently remain an importer of technology and an assembler of equipment.” In response, the European Commission announced that in the second half of 2026 it will launch a “Clean Tech Innovation Accelerator” with a budget of €2 billion, specifically targeting lagging member states to provide capacity building, technology transfer and joint research projects.