Cybersecurity of energy systems in the spotlight –German-Israeli energy partnership proceeds with a new program for 2026

During the inaugural visit of German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche to Israel, Minister Reiche and her counterpart, Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eliahu Cohen, signed the 2026 Work Program of the German-Israeli Energy partnership. Next year’s program highlights the importance of energy security with new focal points on cybersecurity and physical protection of energy infrastructure.

Minister Reiche: „Germany is facing big challenges in the energy sector. We need to dampen energy costs, increase security of supply and reduce our vulnerability to outside interference. These challenges can only be overcome with technological strength, strategic foresight and reliable partners. Israel is providing just these qualities. Thus it is a great asset to be working together closely, pragmatically and result-oriented in the German-Israeli Energy Partnership – with the common interest to provide concrete answers to the pressing issues of our time.”

Minister Cohen: “Israel and Germany are two of the world’s most advanced economies. In my meeting with Minister Katherina Reiche, we discussed expanding ties in the fields of energy and innovation, natural gas, solar energy, and more. Deepening our cooperation will serve the interests of both countries and contribute to prosperity and growth globally, and particularly in the Middle East.”

Since its establishment in 2022, the German-Israeli Energy Partnership has served as a high-level intergovernmental platform that brings together political decision-makers, companies, and leading research institutions from both countries to promote innovation and progress in the energy sector. The energy partnership can already boast first successes, including the establishment of a research cooperation in the field of cybersecurity between the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the German National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE, as well as the conduct of a multilateral cybersecurity exercise in the energy sector with high-ranking representatives from Israel,
Germany, the USA, and Australia.

Through the cooperation in the energy partnership, Israel also decided to introduce a connection right for small and medium-sized photovoltaic systems, which has led to an increase in the capacity for renewable energies in the grid by 2.5 GW.

The 2026 Work Program builds on the successes of the past years and paves the way for the future with a series of new focus areas to address the changing challenges in the fields of energy security, infrastructure resilience, energy transition, and technological innovation.