UNLOCK makes Puglia the hub of green hydrogen discussions
The Puglia Region, in collaboration with the National Energy Technology District (DiTNE), successfully hosted the 4th Interregional Event and Study Visit of the Interreg Europe UNLOCK project on February 5-6, 2025, in Bari. During the two days, partners and stakeholders from the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden discussed green hydrogen in Puglia and the opportunities offered by this market for SMEs.
The UNLOCK project "Unlocking Green Hydrogen Economy for SMEs in European Regions", funded by the Interreg Europe 2021/2027 Programme, aims to improve regional policy tools to foster sustainable economic growth, increase the competitiveness of SMEs and create jobs within emerging green hydrogen economies in Europe.
The event in Bari highlighted the strategic role of regional policies in fostering the development of green hydrogen, creating new opportunities for SMEs and strengthening collaboration between institutions, businesses and stakeholders.
"The ambitious challenge of the energy transition," commented the Councillor for Economic Development, Alessandro Delli Noci, "has led us to focus on green hydrogen and the construction of a complete regional ecosystem focused on the energy vector, with specific actions put in place especially in recent years. The important 'Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley' project, the establishment of a special Observatory, and projects on European funds and PNRR make Puglia a cutting-edge region and a point of reference for other countries as well. I am sure that these two days will allow us to compare ourselves with other European realities and to learn about and deepen good practices and significant experiences in the field of hydrogen and in the development of associated economic supply chains".
The event began with the UNLOCK Symposium on February 5, from 08:30 to 15:00 at the Conference Hall of the Apulian Aqueduct in Bari. Institutional representatives, industry experts, companies, and researchers addressed key issues related to the development of green hydrogen, including the Regional Hydrogen Strategy (#H2Puglia2030), overcoming regulatory barriers, involving SMEs in sustainable development, and innovation and research in the green hydrogen sector. The conference concluded with the round table "Hydrogen Valleys for the green hydrogen supply chain."
On February 6, the project meeting between the UNLOCK partners and a Peer Review session took place, during which updates on policy tools in support of hydrogen and stakeholder engagement activities were shared.
Follow the link to the article in Italian published on the website of the Puglia Region here.