Interview with Marta García Pellicer, Director of ITE: "CDTI Innovación's support is essential to accelerate the transition towards a digital and sustainable electricity sector"
Through the R5DES – Energy 5D Strategic Programme, the Energy Technology Institute (ITE), together with CIDETEC, TEKNIKER, IKERLAN and ITG, is leading the development of advanced solutions to transform the electricity system into a decarbonised, digital, distributed, decentralised and dynamic model, with the support of Cervera grants from CDTI Innovación.
The global energy system is undergoing a historic transformation driven by climate urgency and growing sustainability demands. In this context, the Energy Technology Institute (ITE) has spent more than three decades bridging the gap between scientific research and industrial application.
The institute's origins date back to the mid-1990s at the Universitat Politècnica de València, where a disconnect between scientific laboratories and the needs of industry had already become apparent. ITE was therefore established with the mission of acting as a technology transfer organisation capable of transforming fundamental research into competitive industrial solutions.
"Our work naturally focuses on medium and high technology readiness levels, helping companies bring technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace," explains Marta García Pellicer, Director of ITE.
Over the years, the institute has expanded its areas of expertise to include renewable energy, energy storage, smart grids, electric mobility and energy efficiency. Its move to the Paterna Technology Park in 2003 marked a major milestone, strengthening its collaborative model with industry. Today, ITE employs more than 130 professionals and operates five pilot plants and 17 state-of-the-art laboratories.
The R5DES – Energy 5D Strategic Programme is built around a simple premise: today's electricity system was not designed for the world we are moving towards.
Modern power grids must be capable of integrating renewable energy, supporting the electrification of industry and transport, and accommodating new energy-intensive demands such as data centres, while maintaining affordability, reliability and security.
Meeting these challenges requires a profound transformation of electricity infrastructure. The concept of the "5Ds" summarises the pillars of this transition: a decarbonised, distributed, decentralised, digital and dynamic energy system.
"The goal is to move from a rigid, hierarchical system to a flexible and intelligent energy ecosystem," García Pellicer explains.
Research, development and innovation—and particularly the R5DES Cervera Network—play a crucial role in accelerating this transition by helping companies reduce technological risk while developing practical solutions that lower costs, improve efficiency and strengthen security of supply.
"Public-private collaboration and R&D programmes such as those supported by CDTI are essential to turning this vision into practical solutions for both businesses and society."
Spain's electricity system still faces several challenges, including managing the intermittency of renewable generation, encouraging consumer participation and optimising energy storage. To address these issues, R5DES is developing advanced solutions capable of predicting grid behaviour, automating system flexibility and maintaining real-time grid stability.
By combining artificial intelligence, data management and digital battery twins, the project aims to modernise electricity networks while enabling more efficient electricity market models.
Although these technological advances may appear highly specialised, their benefits will be felt directly by citizens.
A modernised electricity grid provides a more reliable power supply with fewer outages affecting homes, hospitals, transport systems and other essential services. At the same time, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy contributes to cleaner cities and industrial environments.
The project is therefore closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to affordable and clean energy, industry and innovation, resilient infrastructure and sustainable cities.
The new model also seeks to empower consumers to become active participants in the energy system.
"Through digital tools, energy management platforms and aggregation models, users will be able to make informed decisions about their electricity consumption, optimise costs and even participate in energy markets by providing flexibility," says García Pellicer.
The scale of this technological challenge requires close collaboration that no single research centre could achieve independently.
Within the R5DES Network, each partner contributes its own area of expertise. CIDETEC leads battery technologies, TEKNIKER specialises in power system control, IKERLAN develops digital energy management systems, ITG focuses on digital twin technologies, while ITE coordinates overall system integration and interoperability.
"This is much more than a collection of individual capabilities," García Pellicer notes. "R5DES represents an advanced public-private collaboration model that transforms knowledge into tangible impact while strengthening Spain's position in energy innovation."
According to García Pellicer, support from CDTI through programmes such as the Cervera grants has been instrumental in strengthening ITE's technological capabilities and building high-level research consortia aligned with Spain's and Europe's strategic priorities.
Participation in initiatives such as R5DES, HYSGRID, ALMAGRID and H2ENRY—all focused on smart electricity networks—has enabled the institute to make a significant technological leap forward.
"We want to highlight CDTI's role as a driving force behind this transformation. Thanks to its support, technology centres like ours generate knowledge that becomes real solutions for industry and society."
Looking ahead, ITE aims to develop electricity networks that are increasingly intelligent, autonomous and resilient.
Its strategy focuses on four key technologies: artificial intelligence to optimise load balancing, quantum sensors capable of detecting incidents within milliseconds, large-scale green hydrogen energy storage, and shared data spaces that facilitate interoperability across the energy ecosystem.
"Our mission at ITE is to anticipate the future of the energy system by developing technologies that enable smarter, more flexible infrastructure capable of meeting tomorrow's challenges," García Pellicer concludes.
The Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI E.P.E.) is the innovation agency of Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Its mission is to promote technological innovation within the business sector and help Spanish companies transform scientific and technological knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth.
In 2025, במסגרת its 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, CDTI provided €2.423 billion in support to Spanish companies and startups.
More info:
Web: www.cdti.es
En Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/29815
En X: https://twitter.com/CDTI_innovacion
En Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CDTIoficial
cloud technology axon
The new company aims to build a leading embedded finance platform in G...
