Over 130 participants from 16 European countries gathered in Maribor from 10–12 February 2026 for the SENTINEL 1st All Partners Event – “Aligning Expectations.” The event was hosted by TECES, coordinator of the SENTINEL project, bringing together 42 consortium partners, representatives of the European Commission, Ministries of Defence, Armed Forces, and members of the End-User Advisory Board.
The opening address was delivered by Borut Sajovic, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, who highlighted the critical role of energy security in strengthening Europe’s defence resilience and operational readiness.
IDE supported the event with a keynote speech on “Operational Energy as a Defence Capability in the EU”, where Theodoros Dionysopoulos, Director Hybrid Energy Systems, discussed the emerging role of Operational Energy as a core military capability for the EU.
The €57 million project, with €39.9 million co-financed by the European Commission and the EDF program, aims to enhance operational efficiency and tactical autonomy for military camps and operations between 2030 and 2050, while reducing the logistical burden and strengthening the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base, through the development, testing and demonstration of 17 advanced energy solutions.
Within the SENTINEL’s scope, IDE is contributing to a number of Key Energy Capabilities, including Hybrid Generators, Energy Storage and Microgrid control, leading the Prototyping work package and co-leading a full microgrid deployment demo in an arid zone.
The event successfully confirmed coordinated next steps, providing a strong foundation for the next phase of SENTINEL implementation.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission.