This article looks at the innovation of European electricity Transmission System Operators (TSOs), which play a key role in meeting growing demand for greener and affordable power and for the development of a smarter and reliable electricity system. Due to the radical transformations occurring in the sector TSOs must increasingly invest in research and innovation and evolve by embracing new technologies, new activities and new business models. This study analyse TSO innovation approach by focusing on projects and initiatives related to some key technologies that are gaining attraction across Europe. The study also investigates whether TSOs operating under more favourable regulatory frameworks for innovation are more innovative than others. The results indicate that TSOs tend to have a conservative approach to innovation, developing projects which have the lowest impact on their current business model, while TSOs operating within more favourable regulatory frameworks are indeed more active than others. These results are aligned with previous studies on electricity network companies according to which they tend to avoid investments in innovative activities, unless they are adequately encouraged or incentivized thus bringing the attention on the urgent need for Regulators and policymakers to review and correct their regulation and incentives for innovation.

本文着眼于欧洲输电系统运营商 (TSO) 的创新，它们在满足对更绿色、更实惠的电力不断增长的需求以及开发更智能、更可靠的电力系统方面发挥着关键作用。由于该行业发生了根本性的转变，TSO 必须越来越多地投资于研究和创新，并通过采用新技术、新活动和新商业模式来发展。本研究通过关注与一些在整个欧洲越来越有吸引力的关键技术相关的项目和举措来分析 TSO 创新方法。该研究还调查了在更有利的创新监管框架下运营的 TSO 是否比其他机构更具创新性。结果表明，TSO 倾向于采用保守的创新方法，开发对其当前业务模式影响最小的项目，而在更有利的监管框架内运营的 TSO 确实比其他项目更活跃。这些结果与之前对电网公司的研究一致，根据这些研究，他们倾向于避免对创新活动的投资，除非他们得到充分的鼓励或激励，从而引起对监管机构和政策制定者审查和纠正其监管和激励措施的迫切需要的关注为创新。