EnergIntell, a remarkable international conference titled “Energy Concerns in National Security and Business Intelligence” (https://energintell.fabiz.ase.ro/) took place on October 26-27, 2023, in Bucharest, Romania, with the goal of identifying threats and developing solutions in the realm of energy and intelligence. Reaching this goal was made possible through the joint efforts of the Faculty of Business Administration in Foreign Languages from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, the “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy, and the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. The organizing team was coordinated by Mireille Rădoi, PhD, general director of the „Carol I” Central University Library.

“I would dare, like Parsifal, to pose the right questions, hoping to guide our search for the path between what is desirable and what is feasible in the current geo-economic situation.

To what extent is the option for energy independence still opportune these days and for which states? How many European countries can have a diversified and well-balanced internal production equation in order to be able to aspire to this independence?

Versus how much should we think in terms of a healthy interdependence and interconnection, at least at the European level, so that the possible endangerment of one energy source can be quickly supplemented by another?

There is an agreement regarding the necessity to continue and speed up efforts to implement green energies but how and what we can bridge the long road until renewables become fully sustainable and sufficient. Gas resources from non-EU states may become less viable and accessible for various geopolitical reasons, as well as economic balance. Could they be supplemented by exploiting gas from the Black Sea or even deposits exploited by fracking? What is the concrete impact on the environment and what is the non-ideological balance between risks, costs, and benefits?

Is the development of nuclear energy production either through large reactors or through small nuclear reactors, NuScale, a real game changer in this respect, one of the solutions available to Europeans?

To what extent is the energy issue still exclusively a matter of national or global security and how much of it is influenced by non-state, economic or even individual actors? Where does strategy intervene, where do economic interests and the wills of companies or individuals intersect? And how much do intelligence flows impact all these processes?”, declared Mireille Rădoi.

The presentations and discussions held on October 26 were hosted by the Library. The headquarters of the institution are a symbol of the inextricable link between the past and the present. The Aula of the Library, where the keynote speeches and the follow-up discussions took place, has a rich historic significance, being envisioned by the first king of Romania, Carol I, as the core of a foundation meant to make knowledge accessible for generations of Romanian students.

The event convened a slate of international experts who offered diverse perspectives on the intersection of energy, security, and intelligence in an increasingly interconnected and volatile global landscape. The opening remarks were delivered by Mireille Rădoi, Tănase Stamule, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, and Jan Goldman, Professor of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel, South Carolina. These speeches set the stage for a series of keynotes and panel discussions, which featured experts and speakers from various countries and institutions spanning a wide spread of regions around the world like the USA, Belgium, France, Israel, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Australia, and Romania. The conference included 6 keynotes, followed by 14 paper presentations coagulating 3 panels, a future-oriented roundtable, and a wrap-up at the Nuclearelectrica power plant in Cernavodă.

Keynote presentations addressed urgent topics, such as the disruption of future business intelligence and energy politics by Harvey Rishikof of the American Bar Association, synergizing of intelligence energy for building communities by Cecilio Ortiz Garcia of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the EU security environment by Georgică Panfil of the European Security and Defence College, energy resilience in the context of modern warfare by Gordon Akrap and Ivan Vrdoljak of the Hybrid Warfare Research Institute, or the critical role of hydrogen in renewable energy by Michael Goodsite of the University of Adelaide. Panel discussions fostered in-depth analysis on three major themes: innovations in security in the energy sector, intelligence strategies for safeguarding global energy resources, and exploring regional dynamics in energy and intelligence strategies.

The comprehensive dialogues from the panels included critical discussions on energy, intelligence challenges, the terror threat to oil and gas supplies, asymmetric conflicts, business intelligence synergies for energy security, and cybersecurity’s impact on energy threat perceptions. Experts like Vlado Vivoda from Rabdan Academy, Iulian Chifu from The Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, Ovidiu Raețchi from the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, Slawomir Raszewski from the University of East London, Shaul Shay from Institute for Counter Terrorism, Reichman University or Narciz Bălășoiu of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies shared their insights and interacted with the audience.

The outcomes of the conference, including proposed frameworks, methodologies, and strategic insights, aim to contribute substantially to the fields of energy and intelligence. The best submitted papers will be revised and after that published in the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence.

The gala dinner highlighted that the event fostered a network of professionals dedicated to advancing research, policy-making, and practical solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. The shared conclusion of the participants was that they plan to be a part of future editions as well.

On October 27, the participants were able to tour the sole nuclear power plant in Romania. At Cernavodă, the hosts from Nuclearelectrica made a presentation about the company and also showed the simulation room, which represented the perfect opportunity to see how the plant operates and to analyze different emergency scenarios.