Barcelona, 01 April 2016 – The Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) participated yesterday at the final event of the SHAAMS (Strategic Hubs for the Analysis and Acceleration of the Mediterranean Solar sector) project, organized by the ANEA (Neapolitan Agency for Energy and the Environment) in the framework of the Energy Med fair in Naples.

The event was the occasion to present the main results of this EU funded project, in which ASCAME has closely collaborated with the lead partner, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. The outputs delivered by the SHAAMS project constitute a key step towards bigger investments leading to the increased use and promotion of solar energy in the Mediterranean. During the meeting, some achievements were highlighted such as the improvement of private agents’ knowledge on solar energy projects, funding and market requirements, the promotion of new financing mechanisms to facilitate the take-up of solar technologies, as well as new cross-sector and inter-regional contacts between potential partners.

ASCAME presented to the invited speakers, among them, the Head of Climate Change and Energy Program of WWF Italy, Mrs Midulla, the current challenges for solar energy in the region. For instance, in MENA countries it is detected a low diffusion of solar technologies as they are considered an expensive technology, for not grid-connected areas.

Raising awareness on the opportunities and potential of solar energy in the Mediterranean among the private sector, public authorities and civil society in the Mediterranean must, therefore, be a key starting point for improving the region in terms of social, economic and environmental development.