Energy supply and usage and the stimulation of innovation activities are some of the most important challenges for the EU and for the Eastern European countries within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Increased resource efficiency and innovation in renewable and sustainable energy offers the best potential to solve the urgent, interrelated societal challenges of insecurity over energy supplies, growing energy demand, and looming climate change. The ener2i project focuses on the need to find innovative and sustainable solutions to these challenges, directly addressing the gap between new energy research and European industry. Existing research results are not being sufficiently transferred into innovative processes and products, and in Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Molsova) cooperation among research institutes, universities, and the business sector are at an early stage of development.