#H-2gether!

This week, the European Hydrogen family was gathered in Brussels for a first-of-its-kind event dedicated to #REPowerEU with hydrogen innovative solutions implemented in our hydrogen valleys, at every corner of Europe!

Time to seize the momentum.

Renewable hydrogen plays a strategic role for our European strategic autonomy, and we have to accelerate our path to foster a new growth. It is the?momentum?to move our renewable hydrogen economy from niche to scale.

Hydrogen valleys are the centerpiece of our vision for the creation of a European research and innovation union for hydrogen. They demonstrate how European cooperation can catalyse innovation, creating jobs and opportunities while tackling the great energy challenges of our times.

Precisely, large investments all along the hydrogen value chain are required to increase the competitiveness of the EU renewable hydrogen industry. To this end, our Horizon Europe programme invests 1 billion euro in the Clean Hydrogen Partnership for research and innovation in the field.?

A joint declaration to move the H2 economy from niche to scale.

Together with Hydrogen Europe CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis , Hydrogen Europe Research President Luigi Crema , S3 European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership co-leader, Regional Minister Tjisse Stelpstra , we signed a joint declaration to move the hydrogen economy from niche to scale!

The declaration aims to encourage continuous investment in research and innovation, promote synergies between funding resources, knowledge sharing, education, and skills training. Additionally, it calls for the development of regional hydrogen networks and interconnections among Hydrogen Valleys.

Hydrogen Valleys are key to connect hydrogen production, transportation, and a range of cutting-edge applications - from clean mobility to industrial feedstock - creating fully functional and sustainable clusters of supply and demand. With the #REPowerEU plan, we have allocated an additional 200 million euros to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership to accelerate the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys in Europe.

This is a reality: Hydrogen Valleys catalyse innovation, create jobs and opportunities for researchers, innovators, students, teachers, and citizens.

To ensure that actions for education and skills are connected with our efforts on research and innovation, 4 million euros under ERASMUS+ have been put aside to select 19 core jobs for the hydrogen industry and define the requirements for their curricula. And to further strengthen the skills agenda, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership will support a European Hydrogen Academy!

Showcasing innovative solutions: a European pride!

We need a courageous approach to lead this economic transformation, for the benefit of all citizens. And let me tell you how innovators, industry actors and hydrogen stakeholders are courageous in leading the transitions!

During our event, I was particularly honoured to discover with Automobile Club de l'Ouest President Pierre Fillon the new MissionH24 racing car in its 2023 livery. A genuine example of an inspiring work, speeding up research and innovation in hydrogen powered vehicles.

From hydrogen trucks, bicycles, engines, fueling stations, we can be sure that the future of mobility and clean energy is here, in Europe!

Time to implement.

We have the tools. We have the energy of our industrial actors, from SMEs to major companies. Now, we need to pass the phase of establishing ambitious targets to a phase of concrete implementation, where education and new competencies, research and innovation play a critical role.

This event this week in Brussels was a call-to-action! To develop a roadmap on Hydrogen Valleys, to accelerate their deployment across Europe, to make full use of our common vision to incubate and grow a European and global hydrogen economy.?