Energy security innovation in the Baltic Sea Region

The crisis sparked by the outbreak of war in Ukraine has catapulted energy into the security domain across Europe. However, in some countries, the geopolitical dimension of energy security has been apparent for decades, driving a quest for technological answers.

This article delves into the Polish and Lithuanian cases to show how national (in)security can be managed through technological innovations and how desired energy visions can be attained in the process. In Poland, this happened through the imaginary of energy sovereignty achieved with coal and nuclear energy, while in Lithuania the bright future of energy independence was to be gained by the acquisition of a liquified natural gas terminal. The article traces these mainstream energy visions along the historical narratives and energy discourses. The analysis sheds light on innovation as something that is dependent on the basic state‒nation concepts and a sense of ontological security, making what is novel to some seem antiquated to others. The two country cases serve as inspiration on how to construct a secure energy future in an age of the return of geopolitics.