LucidCatalyst's Antonio Vaya Soler on VIGS Panel: "When Will the Lights Go Out in Europe?"
Updated: Jul 27
Vienna Institute for Global Studies
Vienna, Austria
June 26th, 2026
Antonio Vaya Soler of LucidCatalyst served as an expert for a discussion on Europe's energy future. The event, put on by the Vienna Institute of Global Studies, brought together a panel of international energy experts for a moderated scenario session examining Europe's energy vulnerabilities and strategic options, structured around the provocative central question: "When will the lights go out in Europe?"
The discussion moved beyond conventional policy debate to explore competing pathways for the continent's energy future, ranging from nuclear expansion and renewable stabilization to renewed dependence on external suppliers or the risk of structural decline. Panelists from across energy, infrastructure, geopolitics, and markets pushed toward specificity on timelines, key assumptions, and the decisions they believe policymakers are getting right and wrong. The pathways discussed included:
A — Europe reconnects with Russian energy
B — Europe goes nuclear
C — Renewables, storage, and grids stabilize the system
D — Long-term dependence on US LNG
E — Europe moves too slowly and faces structural decline
Antonio's fellow panelists included: Ms. Devora Mason (Israel/Canada) – Co-Founder & Strategic Capital Lead, Acadia Green; Mr. David Terblanche (South Africa) – Co-Founder & Director, ScarabTech; Ms. Klara Dimmel (Austria) – Co-Founder, eFRIENDS. The panel was moderated by Ms. Eleonora Neri (Italy) – International Relations Specialist at Vienna Institute for Global Studies (VIGS).
During the panel, each participant addressed:
Their baseline diagnosis of Europe’s energy position
Whether they see a credible “lights-out” risk — and on what timeline
The assumptions their outlook depends on
The single most important lever policymakers are ignoring
One trend they believe is overhyped
One risk they believe is underestimated
Event Details
Venue: WeXelerate, Praterstraße 1, 1020 Vienna
Date & Time: Friday, 26 June 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
This was an interesting look at the discussion around technology and future developments. It’s helpful to have different ways to take in information, and an English text reader can make longer articles easier to follow.