Pilot-E

Launched in 2016, PILOT-E is a financing tool inspired by ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency in Energy of the United States, and offers a “fast track from concept to market” for a broad range of participants from the research community, industry, and the public. It was set up by the Norwegian Research Council (RCN) under the ENERGIX programme together with Innovation Norway and ENOVA after a call from the Norwegian ministries to the nation al research agencies to improve the inter-agency coordination and focus their support on the energy transition and the associated business models. Funding is granted phase-by-phase on a performance basis, i.e. a PILOT-E project receives funding for the next phase after it has met the objectives and criteria for the preceding one. Since 2016, Pilot-E has conducted five calls for proposals focused on emission-free maritime transportation and increased its available funding from NOK 70 million in 2016 to NOK 120 million in 2018.