Europe’s energy transition is key to the European and global goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping global temperature increases below 2°C. To ensure this, more renewable and other carbon-neutral energy sources will be introduced into Europe’s electricity, heating and cooling, and transport systems. The energy networks, especially stronger and smarter electricity grids interfaced with heating, gas and transport networks, play a key role in the energy transition while supporting security of supply and affordability. The ETIP SNET (European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition) role is to guide research, development and innovation to support Europe’s energy transition with innovation for the transmission and distribution systems. These systems form the technical and market platforms where clean electricity generation, empowered customers, storage technologies, smarter grids and interfaces to gas, heat and transport networks make the energy transition happen in secure and affordable ways.