The PPC Group supports the Powering Forward Initiative (Powering Forward Initiative - PFI) launched by The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). This ambitious five-year program will focus on how energy, infrastructure, and technology are reshaping the geopolitical landscape of Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The PFI is designed to serve as a platform for analysis and events that will explore policies at the intersection of geopolitics and connectivity. Over the next five years, it will bring together experts and stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic from a wide range of sectors, including energy, digital infrastructure, foreign policy, security policies, as well as finance.
The main objectives of the Powering Forward Initiative include assessing global strategic shifts concerning the energy-technology-geopolitics triangle, strengthening the resilience of networks and digital infrastructure, as well as contributing to transatlantic policy. To fulfill its mission, the PFI will develop a multi-layered transatlantic agenda. This includes high-level transatlantic dialogues, as well as outreach initiatives with international events in Washington, Athens, and Europe – among them the annual conference on European energy security to be organized by CSIS and the GMF annual conference in Brussels. At the same time, the PFI will focus on conducting in-depth strategic research, while also offering development opportunities to the next generation of leaders in the fields of transatlantic, energy, and economic security.
This new initiative comes at a pivotal geopolitical moment. Governments, leading market players, and international organizations are facing increasing pressure to guarantee energy security, diversify supply routes, and safeguard physical and digital infrastructure. At the same time, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and technologies that process enormous volumes of data is driving unprecedented demand for clean, uninterrupted energy - inextricably linking the future of electricity systems with digital and national security.
The Chairman & CEO of the PPC Group, Georgios Stassis, stated: “Southeastern Europe stands at the crossroads of Europe’s energy and digital future. At a time marked by rapid technological transformation and complex geopolitical realignments, energy security cannot be separated from critical digital infrastructure and transatlantic solidarity. Through the PPC Group’s strategic investment plan of €24 billion in clean and flexible energy, networks, and technology in central and southeastern Europe, we are creating a new, resilient ecosystem and improving the overall competitiveness of Greece and the wider region. We are proud to support GMF and CSIS in the Powering Forward Initiative, which we see as an important opportunity to strengthen the transatlantic alliance. By connecting policymaking, industry, and strategic foresight, this five-year partnership will help shape a resilient European energy market, support the rapidly growing needs of the digital economy, and promote sustainable growth both in our wider region and in the transatlantic community.”.
GMF President, Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, stated: “Connectivity in all its forms is set to become a key driver of economic competitiveness, geopolitics, and security in the years ahead. The PFI builds on GMF’s expertise and convening power to support leaders on both sides of the Atlantic in deeply analyzing the issues and policy implications. We are extremely grateful to Chairman & CEO Georgios Stassis and his team at the PPC Group for their continued support of this important work”.
CSIS CEO, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (Ret.), stated: “The pressure on Europe’s energy system is real – electricity supply disruptions, high costs, and networks being called upon to support ambitious plans for digitalization, competitiveness, decarbonization, and rearmament. Addressing these pressures is a shared transatlantic interest, and the Powering Forward Initiative will bring together American and European expertise to address them. A Europe that is energy secure is a stronger and more capable partner for the United States”.