LEONARDO project

Key info

Location

Trento, Italy

Period

1 September 2025 - 31 August 2028

Project Coordinator

Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Funding Scheme

LIFE

Europe’s energy system is changing rapidly. As renewable energy grows, so does the need for flexibility to keep the grid stable and secure. LEONARDO project helps unlock one of the most powerful yet underused resources for flexibility: industry.

Funded by the LIFE Programme and coordinated by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), LEONARDO enables industrial actors to actively participate in energy flexibility markets through aggregated Energy Management Systems (EMSs), innovative tools, and real-life pilot validation across Europe.

Mission

LEONARDO’s mission is to empower the industrial sector to become an active player in Europe’s energy transition. By unlocking industrial demand-side flexibility, the project supports a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy system aligned with EU climate and energy goals.

Key objectives

LEONARDO responds to Europe’s rapidly increasing need for energy flexibility by fostering collaboration among industrial actors and enabling them to actively contribute to grid stability. The project focuses on aggregating Energy Management Systems (EMSs) within clusters of geographically close industries, enhancing interoperability and expanding EMS functionalities so that diverse industrial systems can work together seamlessly. These solutions are demonstrated and validated in three real-life pilot sites, ensuring technical feasibility and practical relevance.
At the same time, LEONARDO develops the Industrial Flexibility Knowledge Hub (IFKH) and supports industries in accessing flexibility and energy markets, ultimately contributing to peak load reduction and a more resilient electricity system.

LEONARDO LIFE project

Our innovations

LEONARDO introduces a new approach to industrial flexibility built on:

Aggregated EMSs that coordinate flexibility across multiple industrial facilities.
Solutions to overcome interoperability challenges between different industrial systems.
The FlexifyMyIndustry-Assistant, the first tool designed to help industries assess their flexibility potential and market opportunities.
A cluster-based model that enables collaboration between physically proximate industrial actors.

These innovations make industrial flexibility more accessible, scalable, and market-ready.

LEONARDO plays a significant role in supporting Europe’s energy transition by unlocking the flexibility potential of the industrial sector. Its solutions help reduce peak electricity demand while strengthening grid stability and security of supply. By enabling large-scale industrial participation in flexibility markets, the project contributes to a more dynamic and responsive energy system. In parallel, LEONARDO provides knowledge, tools, and best practices that can be replicated across Europe. By the end of the project, the demonstrated real-life value of aggregated industrial EMSs will pave the way for long-term adoption and broader integration of industrial flexibility in the EU energy landscape.

Pilot sites

LEONARDO solutions are validated in three real-life industrial environments:

Italy
Austria
Bulgaria/Greece

These pilot sites test technological solutions, market integration, and operational models, providing concrete evidence of the feasibility and benefits of industrial flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

The LIFE Programme is the European Union's funding instrument for environmental, climate action, and clean energy transition projects. It supports innovative initiatives that contribute to EU climate and sustainability objectives. LEONARDO is one of the projects funded under the LIFE Programme.

LEONARDO is a European project funded by the LIFE Programme that aims to unlock industrial demand-side flexibility. It supports industries in participating in energy flexibility markets through advanced Energy Management Systems (EMSs), digital solutions, and real-life demonstrations.

Industrial flexibility enables industrial facilities to adjust energy consumption according to grid needs and market signals. This helps improve grid stability, integrate renewable energy sources, reduce peak demand, and create new economic opportunities for industries.

LEONARDO aims to:

Increase grid flexibility through cooperation among industrial facilities.
Develop interoperable Energy Management Systems.
Demonstrate flexibility solutions in real industrial environments.
Facilitate industrial participation in energy flexibility markets.
Support the clean energy transition in Europe.

The project is relevant for:

Industrial companies.
Energy Management System providers.
Aggregators.
Distribution System Operators (DSOs).
Transmission System Operators (TSOs).
Balancing Service Providers (BSPs).
Policymakers and regulators.
Researchers and innovation stakeholders.

LEONARDO develops tools, methodologies, and practical guidance that help industries understand, assess, and exploit flexibility opportunities. Through pilot demonstrations, the project validates solutions that can be replicated in different industrial sectors.

The Industrial Flexibility Knowledge Hub (IFKH) is LEONARDO's central platform for knowledge sharing, training, and stakeholder engagement. It provides access to case studies, guidelines, public deliverables, training materials, videos, and other resources related to industrial energy flexibility.

The Knowledge Hub includes:

Case studies.
Practical guidelines.
Training materials.
Webinar recordings.
Public project deliverables.
Best practices from pilot sites.
Links to relevant European initiatives and projects.

Yes. Public deliverables, technical reports, training materials, and project outcomes will be progressively published through the Knowledge Hub as they become available.

By helping industries become active participants in flexibility markets, LEONARDO contributes to a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy system. The project promotes solutions that support renewable energy integration, grid stability, and decarbonisation objectives.

You can stay informed about LEONARDO by following the news section of this website, accessing project publications, public deliverables and training materials, and participating in stakeholder engagement activities organised throughout the project's duration. You can also follow the project's LinkedIn page for the latest updates and subscribe to the LEONARDO newsletter to receive project news, events, and key results directly in your inbox.