European Investment Advisory Hub Report 2020

A CHALLENGING YEAR

No one could have predicted the effect that the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 would have on our daily lives. It upended normal life and forced us to rethink the way we went about our day-to-day activities. The inability to travel and meet with colleagues, contractors and clients slowed down activity across the board. Despite the many complications, there were some silver linings: communities came together, we developed cutting-edge technologies and digital solutions, and made great strides in healthcare and vaccines.

REBUILDING TO COME BACK STRONGER

To help ease the pandemic’s impact on society and the economy, we offered many advisory solutions that shortened the path to recovery. In doing so, we did not stop our work on climate change, but integrated it into new priorities. Our advisory services have been key to helping our clients keep their long-term investment plans on track, laying the foundations for a green and digital recovery.

The European Investment Advisory Hub, funded and managed by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, helps identify, prepare and implement investment projects across Europe. Since its launch in 2015, we have received requests for support, either directly or via our partner networks, from more than 3 300 project promoters. The Advisory Hub works on projects across a breadth of sectors, including climate and environment, innovation, infrastructure and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) access to finance. By working closely with public authorities and partner institutions, we support all phases of the project cycle and facilitate access to finance. With our help, more than 220 projects have qualified for EIB lending, with estimated total project investment costs of close to €50 billion. Around half of these projects were also considered eligible for support from the European Fund for Strategic Investments.

We place our clients’ needs at the centre of what we do, devising support packages that are enriched by the EIB’s long-established experience in providing technical and financial advice, as well as financing sustainable long-term investment.

NO PAUSE ON CLIMATE ACTION

The Advisory Hub plays a key role in building awareness and capacity in the market about green finance. For example, we helped a consortium of German public and private sector stakeholders plan a network of hydrogen refuelling stations, encouraging greater use of cleaner vehicles. In Athens and Thessaloniki, electric buses will be added to the transport network, lowering CO2 emissions and reducing noise. Our advice also helped the Greek local authorities secure EIB financing and funding from the European Union for their projects. Our work increases sustainable finance, supports Europe in meeting the Green Deal’s goals, and helps the EIB follow the Climate Bank Roadmap.

Lilyana Pavlova, EIB Vice-President responsible for advisory activities.

With a strong commitment to climate action in the crucial decade ahead, advisory services will continue to play a vital role at the Bank. Our advisory work identifies the best path forwards to create a greener future.

We recognise the value of providing services locally, helping cities and regions build their own advisory teams and boosting sustainable investments on the ground. The Advisory Hub is making funding and technical support available to our national promotional banks and institutional partners. Using this support, Banque des Territoires, one of the five arms of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, launched a programme called S’GREEN+ to provide 25 French municipalities with hands-on support for climate-change adaptation projects. Similarly, Slovakia’s national promotional institution—Slovak Investment Holdings—received help from the Advisory Hub to enhance its own advisory work by recruiting experts in sustainable investments and energy efficiency to renovate more buildings and reduce pollution.

With an increasing number of national promotional banks and institutions’ advisory programmes now being funded by the Advisory Hub, we will be able to help even more sustainable projects over the remainder of the Hub’s mandate, as we transition towards InvestEU.

Simon Barnes, Head of Advisory Services.

A digital recovery has moved towards the top of the agenda of many countries and businesses. The Hub’s advisory services seek to help Europe’s entrepreneurs overcome barriers to invest in new technologies and reach their maximum potential.

THRIVING THROUGH DIGITALISATION AND INNOVATION

Digital technology has become increasingly important as businesses strive to recover from the pandemic. In this area, small businesses are at a distinct disadvantage. Already greatly hurt by the lockdowns,