Marta García Pellicer, Director of the ITE: “The support of the CDTI Innovation is essential to accelerate the transition to a digital and sustainable electricity sector”

The global energy system is undergoing a historical transformation marked by climate urgency and sustainability requirements. In this context, the Technological Institute of Energy (ITE) has been acting as a bridge between scientific research and industrial reality for more than three decades.

Its origins date back to the mid-nineties, in the surroundings of the Universitat Politècnica de València, where a disconnection between the activity of scientific laboratories and the needs of the productive sector was already detected. Therefore, the center was born with the vocation of acting as a transfer agent capable of converting basic knowledge into competitive tools for the industry. “Our activity is naturally located at intermediate and high levels of technological maturity, accompanying companies in the process of taking technologies from the laboratory to their implementation in the market,” explains Marta García Pellicer, director of the institute.

Over the years, the scope of the ITE has expanded and already integrates areas such as renewable energies, energy storage, smart grids, electric mobility and energy efficiency. Its definitive consolidation came with the transfer to the Paterna Technology Park in 2003, a milestone that reinforced its model of business cooperation. Currently, the ITE has more than 130 professionals, five pilot plants and 17 state-of-the-art laboratories.
 

5D Energy Program: the roadmap of the new electric model

The philosophy of the R5DES - Strategic Energy 5D Program is based on a clear idea: the current electrical system was not designed for the world we are heading to. Today we need a network capable of integrating renewable energies, electrifying industry and transport, and responding to new intensive consumptions such as data centers, all with guarantees of cost, quality and safety.

To achieve that transition, the infrastructure needs a deep upgrade. The 5D concept summarizes the pillars of that change: a decarbonized, distributed, decentralized, digital and dynamic model. The idea is to move “from a rigid and hierarchical system to a flexible and intelligent ecosystem,” summarizes García Pellicer.

The R5DES project develops digital tools to manage more intelligent, flexible and sustainable electricity networks

In this context, R&D&I and, in particular, the Cervera R5DES Network play a key role in accelerating the transition, helping companies to reduce technological risk and develop real solutions that lower costs, improve efficiency and secure supply. “Public-private collaboration and the promotion of R&D&I programs, such as those supported by the CDTI, are essential to turn this vision into a useful reality for companies and society.”

In addition, challenges remain in the Spanish electricity system, such as managing the intermittence of renewables, encouraging consumer participation and optimizing energy storage. To address these shortcomings, R5DES is working on advanced solutions to predict network behavior, automate its flexibility, and ensure real-time supply stability. Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, data management and virtual battery replicas, the project focuses on the modernization of the system and facilitates the creation of more efficient market models.

Shared talent for the benefit of the citizen

Although these advances may seem strictly industrial, their impact reaches households directly. A modernized electricity network translates into a more stable supply, with fewer microcuts affecting both household appliances and essential services in hospitals and transport. At the same time, the progressive replacement of fossil sources with renewable energies generates less polluted urban and industrial environments.

In this sense, the project is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in terms of affordable and clean energy, industrial innovation, infrastructures and more sustainable cities.
The new model also seeks to give the citizen tools to become an active player in the energy system. “Thanks to digital tools, management platforms and aggregation models, the user will be able to make decisions about their consumption, optimize costs and even participate in energy markets providing flexibility,” explains the director of the ITE.

Members of the R5DES Network

The scale of this technological challenge requires a coordinated effort that no research centre could undertake in isolation. Therefore, the R5DES Network functions as a chain of competences in which each member contributes his/her specialization: CIDETEC leads the area of batteries, TEKNIKER brings its experience in the control of power systems, IKERLAN develops and deploys energy management systems in digital architectures, ITG develops digital twins and the ITE coordinates the integration and interoperability of the whole.
This alliance not only prevents duplication, but also accelerates the arrival of these solutions to the market: “R5DES is not only a sum of capabilities, but an advanced public-private partnership model that allows transforming knowledge into real impact, strengthening Spain’s position in the field of energy innovation,” he says.

The impetus of CDTI Innovation and the challenges of the future

Marta García Pellicer recognizes that the support of the CDTI, through programs such as Cervera grants, has been key to strengthening the technological capabilities of the center and articulating consortiums of excellence aligned with the great challenges of the country and Europe. In the case of the ITE, their participation in strategic initiatives such as R5DES, HYSGRID, ALMAGRID or H2ENRY, focused on smart electricity networks, has allowed them to make a very relevant qualitative leap.

“We want to highlight the role of the CDTI as a driving force behind this transformation. With their support, the technology centers generate knowledge that becomes real solutions at the service of industry and citizens,” says the director.

Looking to the future, the ITE strategy seeks to turn electricity networks into smarter, more autonomous and more resilient systems. To do this, it bets on four key lines: artificial intelligence to balance loads, quantum sensors to detect incidences in milliseconds, large-scale storage with green hydrogen and shared data spaces.

The ultimate purpose is to modernize the infrastructure to ensure a secure and sustainable supply. “The ITE works to anticipate the future of the energy system, developing technologies that allow us to build more intelligent, flexible and prepared infrastructures for the challenges of the coming years,” he concludes.

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

 
More information:

Press Office
press@cdti.es
91-581.55.00

On the Internet
Website: www.cdti.es
On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/29815
On X: https://twitter.com/CDTI_innovacion
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CDTIoficial

This content is copyright © 2026 CDTI,EPE. The use and reproduction is allowed by citing the source and digital identity of CDTI (@CDTI_innovacion).