UNLOCK
Unlocking Green Hydrogen Economy for SMEs in European Regions
Project summary
Many regions across Europe are developing or preparing to establish local green hydrogen economies—known as "hydrogen valleys"—which include initiatives for smart and green mobility, circular economy, and climate adaptation. However, the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development of these green hydrogen economies remains limited. Many SMEs are either unaware of or unprepared for these emerging opportunities, despite their critical role in local economic development, including job creation, growth, sustainability, social cohesion, and the spread of innovation.
Policy authorities can play a pivotal role in raising awareness of these opportunities and facilitating SME participation in local green hydrogen economies, thereby unlocking the full potential of regional hydrogen economies for SMEs. By improving policy instruments, regional public authorities can foster sustainable growth, enhance SME competitiveness, and support job creation within SMEs.
The established consortium of nine partners from different European regions addresses the challenge of sustainable growth, SMEs competitiveness, and job creation within the fast-developing regional green hydrogen economies.
Through the exchange of experiences and joint learning activities, these regions, together with stakeholders and supported by expertise of involved universities, will identify the best policy practices and draw actionable lessons to promote sustainable growth, SMEs competitiveness, and job creation within SMEs in the evolving green hydrogen sector.
What will this project change
The project boosts green hydrogen economies by improving policy instruments that promote sustainable growth, SME competitiveness, and jobs creation within SMEs.
It reduces regional disparities across Europe by facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practices, while encouraging both individual and organisational learning.
This project improves the quality of governance networks by prioritizing the active involvement of policy authorities alongside diverse stakeholder groups.
Additionally, the project strengthens the organisational capacity of European regions by equipping policy authorities with access to best practices, fostering new knowledge development, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and leveraging expertise from participating universities and centres of excellence to craft more effective policies.