FUNDACION ASTURIANA DE LA ENERGIA

Their core work

FAEN is the regional energy agency of Asturias, Spain, focused on supporting the energy transition at regional and local levels. They work on practical energy challenges including waste heat recovery, industrial energy auditing, and capacity building for local authorities pursuing carbon neutrality. More recently, they have expanded into AI-driven energy management and digital transformation of extractive industries, reflecting Asturias' industrial heritage and its need to modernize traditional sectors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FAEN's early H2020 work (2018–2019) centered on traditional energy agency roles: helping local authorities plan climate strategies and auditing industrial energy use for waste heat recovery. By 2021, the focus shifted decisively toward digitalisation — AI for energy management and digital transformation of mining and construction. This evolution mirrors Asturias' broader transition from heavy industry toward smart, data-driven energy and resource management.

FAEN is moving from policy advisory into applied digital tools for energy and extractive sectors, making them a relevant partner for projects combining AI with industrial decarbonisation.

How they like to work

FAEN consistently joins projects as a participant rather than leading them, and in one case contributed as a third party — typical of a regional agency that provides local expertise and testing grounds rather than driving research agendas. With 83 unique partners across 21 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large consortia and are clearly comfortable in multi-country, multi-partner environments. Their role likely involves regional validation, pilot testing, or capacity-building support within larger European initiatives.

Despite only 4 projects, FAEN has built a broad network of 83 partners across 21 countries, indicating involvement in large European consortia with wide geographic spread. Their connections span energy, digital, and environmental sectors across most of the EU.

What sets them apart

FAEN sits at the intersection of regional energy governance and industrial transformation in Asturias — a traditionally mining-heavy region undergoing deep economic transition. This gives them firsthand experience with the practical challenges of decarbonising heavy industry and adapting local economies, which is hard to replicate in a lab setting. For consortium builders, they offer a real-world testing environment in a region where energy transition is not abstract but existential.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SO WHAT
  Directly addresses industrial waste heat/cold recovery — a high-impact decarbonisation topic with clear commercial applications in manufacturing and process industries.
• I-NERGY
  Marks FAEN's entry into AI-driven energy management, combining digital innovation with their traditional energy expertise and SME support mandate.