Ten years have passed since the first AIEE Symposium – Milan 2016 , Bicocca University – which has since become a well-established annual appointment and a platform for continued dialogue as well as for the exchange of best practices and experiences with delegates from around the world, whose valuable contributions have greatly enhanced the prestige and success of our event.

This 2026 edition will focus on the revision of the energy security framework. The evolving geopolitical landscape, accelerating energy transition, climate-related risks, and growing market volatility have highlighted the need to reassess traditional approaches to energy security. What was once primarily defined in terms of uninterrupted access to fossil fuel supplies at affordable prices must now be reframed within a broader and more dynamic context that encompasses sustainability, resilience, technological innovation, and strategic autonomy.

The revision of the energy security framework requires moving beyond conventional supply-oriented perspectives toward a multidimensional approach capable of addressing new vulnerabilities and emerging interdependencies. Energy systems are increasingly shaped by renewable integration, critical minerals supply chains, digital infrastructures, cyber resilience, and global investment patterns. Consequently, energy security can no longer be understood solely as security of supply, but rather as the capacity of energy systems to adapt, withstand disruptions, and ensure long-term reliability while supporting decarbonization objectives.

A key implementation takeaway concerns the importance of diversification. Countries and energy systems must diversify not only energy sources and suppliers but also technologies, infrastructure, and financing mechanisms. The recent disruptions in global energy markets have demonstrated the strategic value of flexibility, regional cooperation, and robust contingency planning.

Equally important is the role of infrastructure resilience. Modern energy security depends increasingly on the reliability of electricity grids, energy storage systems, LNG terminals, interconnections, and digital monitoring capabilities. Investments in infrastructure should therefore prioritize adaptability and resilience against physical, geopolitical, and cyber threats.

Another crucial lesson relates to governance and policy coordination. Effective implementation of a revised energy security framework requires stronger cooperation among governments, regulators, private-sector stakeholders, and international institutions. Policymaking must be sufficiently flexible to respond to rapidly changing market conditions while preserving regulatory certainty for long-term investments.

Moreover, the clean energy transition itself should be integrated into the concept of energy security rather than treated as a competing objective. Expanding renewable energy capacity, improving energy efficiency, accelerating electrification, and supporting low-carbon technologies can contribute significantly to reducing external dependencies and strengthening system resilience.

Our event is always an opportunity to discuss all these issues, it will bring together prominent academic voices as well as experienced practitioners and policymakers, offering an opportunity to “bridge the gap” between these sectors. Participants in the conference will identify critical issues and challenge competing perspectives, will explore new and existing trends, creative solutions of new technologies, the emergence of new market conditions and of new market operators.