What drives a school: meet our researchers in action
This is the second installment of the Topic of the Month 'FSR research in action'
At the Florence School of Regulation, research is not a solitary pursuit.
It’s a dynamic process of collaboration, dialogue, and exploration — from the first idea discussed in a meeting or drafted on paper to the moment it informs a training course or shapes a discussion with policymakers and practitioners. Behind every publication, policy brief, course or event, there are researchers whose curiosity and commitment drive our mission forward.
In our previous instalment of the Topic of the Month, we introduced the FSR Researcher Development Framework — our structured approach to supporting researchers as they grow, learn, and shape their careers.
In this instalment, we take the next step in that journey by turning the spotlight on the people who bring FSR’s knowledge to life and ensure that our work continues to inform policy, inspire training, and engage the broader community.
From data sharing to flexibility: engaging with the European research community
In early September, several members of the FSR Electricity team took part in key European research and stakeholder events.
From 10 to 12 September, Sofia Nicolai, Nicolò Rossetto, and Ellen Beckstedde joined the General Assembly of the Horizon project EDDIE in Copenhagen — a project dedicated to building a decentralised, open-source energy data space aligned with EU interoperability goals. Sofia presented the team’s recent article on ‘The EU Data Act and electricity consumer participation in demand response and flexibility services‘. Nicolò and Ellen shared insights from their latest FSR Policy Brief on consumer data management models in Europe, providing a refined taxonomy for understanding regulatory approaches across Member States (related to which a FSR online debate was also organised).
The following day, the team participated in the SustainED 2025 Conference, hosted by Copenhagen Business School and titled ‘The Rise of Flexibility: A Demand-Side Story?’. During the conference, Ellen Beckstedde presented a co-authored working paper with Marta Vanin titled ‘Overlooked factors in transparent hosting capacity calculations‘. The event also included a keynote speech by Professor Catharina Sikow-Magny, who was honoured for her contribution to the European energy sector.
Collaborative policy research: from Brussels to Vienna
Just a few days later, Nicolò Rossetto travelled to Brussels (17–18 September) to take part in workshop organised in the context of the Horizon project int:net — an initiative promoting interoperability between transmission and distribution system operators. Nicolò moderated the final session of the workshop, aimed at facilitating stakeholder and expert dialogue. He also contributed to the final conference of the project.
Meanwhile, Ellen Beckstedde joined Leonardo Meeus on a mission to Vienna (10 October) to meet with Netz Niederösterreich, a key FSR donor and partner of the FSR Loyola de Palacio Chair. The team presented ongoing FSR research, including recent policy briefs on Simplification and Data Management Models, as well as a working paper on Hosting Capacity Calculations. They also discussed emerging research from Tomás Reilly’s PhD project on anticipatory investments — a reminder that research development and impact go hand in hand at FSR.
At the ESEA Global Conference in Brussels, Emma Menegatti contributed to the panel on State Aid for Energy Storage Deployment.
Bridging research and practice in transport policy
On 18 September, Elodie Petrozziello from the FSR Transport area, together with Professor Juan Montero, co-organised a workshop in Paris titled High-Speed Financial Models for Infrastructure, in collaboration with the International Union of Railways (UIC). The session presented preliminary findings from a joint study examining over 15 major high-speed rail and infrastructure projects worldwide. The research examines how various financial models — ranging from state-owned frameworks to public–private partnerships — have been applied in practice, offering valuable insights into the economics of sustainable transport infrastructure.
Legal research across Europe: from energy law to simplification
In September, Alessandra Porcari and the FSR Energy Law and Policy team were active in several international academic events, sharing research at the intersection of energy law, regulation, and sustainability.
In Bratislava (10–11 September), Lucila de Almeida, Alessandra Porcari, and Max Münchmeyer attended the U2Demo Horizon Project General Assembly, where they discussed legal divergences and convergences in EU countries regarding the governance of energy communities.
Their forthcoming report, Mapping Law and Regulation in Energy Sharing and P2P Trading within Energy Communities, will offer one of the first comparative analyses in this field.
On 19 September, Alessandra presented at the Workshop on Energy Law, International Law, and Comparative Law (University of Trento), sharing the methodology developed under U2Demo through her presentation Who Needs Simplification? Exploring the Complexities of Energy Sharing, Energy Communities, and Jointly Acting Self-Consumption from a Comparative Law Perspective.
Later in the month, 25–27 September, Alessandra and Lucila took part in the inaugural conference of the European Law Unbound Society, contributing to a roundtable on Consumer Rights and Protections in the Context of Innovative Energy-related Services and a panel discussion on Simplification and the Green Transition. These contributions will feed into forthcoming EU policy reflections and reforms.
Climate policy beyond borders
In September and October 2025, the FSR Climate team actively contributed to shaping climate and energy policy through research and international engagement. At the 12th FAERE Annual Conference (4–5 September 2025 in Nantes, France) and the 3rd DISEI Workshop on Heterogeneity, Evolution, and Networks in Economics (8–10 September 2025 in Florence, Italy), Marie Raude presented her research on the dynamics of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Her talks, “From Auctions to Exchanges: Permit Flows in the EU ETS” and “Who Is Who: Financial Actors and Their Role in the EU ETS”, were conducted within the framework of the LIFE COASE and CAPABLE projects. From 13 to 15 October 2025, Jacopo Cammeo of FSR Climate participated in the 14th International Workshop on Advances in Cleaner Production at HEC Paris. He presented “Beyond Borders: CBAM’s Global and EU Impact,” a study developed under the Horizon Europe SPES project, in which FSR is a partner.
Looking ahead: from development to impact
From Copenhagen to Vienna, from Paris to Prague, FSR researchers are continuously engaging with the scientific and policy communities that shape Europe’s energy, transport, and legal landscapes. Their missions and collaborations exemplify the Researcher Development Framework in practice — building expertise, fostering dialogue, and translating knowledge into real-world impact.
In the coming months, we’ll continue to share more stories from our researchers — the people behind the policy briefs, the data analyses, and the training courses that make FSR a unique hub of regulatory innovation.
