ELEK BIDEA: towards a zero-emission corridor linking Aquitaine, the Basque Country and Navarre

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On 20 May, ESTIA hosted the first ELEK BIDEA workshop, co-organised with EDF, ENEDIS, NAME and ID4Mobility, bringing together more than 30 key players from the ecosystem: transport operators, energy companies, manufacturers, public institutions and research centres.

Our ambition: to make the Aquitaine–Euskadi–Navarre region a leading European showcase for zero-emission corridors.

This workshop confirmed a key reality: the electrification of long-distance heavy goods transport is not merely a technological challenge, but a complex, multi-scale system.

> fundamental economic barriers (CAPEX, TCO, investment uncertainties)

> critical infrastructure and network challenges (power capacity, energy planning, interoperability)

> a necessary reconfiguration of logistics operations and usage patterns

> regulatory, territorial and cross-border challenges

> as well as decisive human and social acceptance factors

 

It is precisely to address this systemic complexity that ELEK BIDEA has been structured. We aim to co-develop an integrated approach based on four pillars:

  • A cross-border Living Lab (Aquitaine–Euskadi–Navarre) as a testing ground on the scale of the Atlantic Corridor (~10,000 lorries/day)
  • An Industrial Chair, dedicated to the co-creation of scientific knowledge and training
  • A leading European event (EHET Forum) to bring the ecosystem together
  • A technical committee (COTECH) to structure, prioritise and steer projects

 

Objective:

To develop a scientific and operational framework enabling:

  • model the interactions between energy, mobility and logistics
  • test high-power solutions (MCS), smart charging and multi-stakeholder systems
  • optimise flows using data, simulation and AI
  • remove barriers to adoption (economic, organisational and societal)

 

Thank you to all participants for their commitment to this first, foundational stage.

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