At the forefront of Europe’s hydrogen transition, the Innovation Forum of EU Hydrogen Week 2025 (2nd of October 2025, Brussels) brought together leaders from industry, research, and policy under the theme “Driving Europe’s Competitiveness and Market Uptake with R&I in Clean Hydrogen Technologies.”
Among the key contributors was Mr. Konstantinos I. Chatzifotis, EU Affairs Manager at Motor Oil Group and coordinator of TRIĒRĒS – the Greek Hydrogen Valley. His participation reflected Motor Oil’s active role in shaping Greece’s clean hydrogen strategy and integrating industrial, regional, and European initiatives into a coherent ecosystem.
As a panellist in “Unleashing the Power of Synergies – Part 2: Funding Clean Hydrogen Innovation” moderated by Mirela Atanasiu (Clean Hydrogen Partnership), Mr. Chatzifotis joined Tudor Constantinescu (DG Energy) and Richard Ferrer (CINEA) to discuss how EU programmes can better complement one another to support the full development cycle of hydrogen technologies.
The panel’s core messages were as follows:
- No single EU programme spans the full hydrogen innovation-to-market journey, institutional cooperation is essential.
- Application complexity persists; better coordination and complementarity are needed.
- Beneficiaries need clearer guidance to manage cost reporting and avoid double funding.
- The 2028–2032 EU financial framework should back the green transition with tools like a European Competitiveness Fund and stronger national/regional partnerships.
Drawing from the TRIĒRĒS Hydrogen Valley experience, he highlighted the importance of combining multiple funding mechanisms (EU, national, regional, and private) to ensure scalability and financial sustainability, while maintaining transparency and avoiding double funding. He stressed that early coordination among stakeholders and clear governance structures are key to accelerating project delivery and maximizing the impact of public investment.
Ultimately, his intervention at the Innovation Forum showcased how pragmatic, multi-level cooperation can unlock Europe’s clean hydrogen potential, and why aligning funding tools remains essential for the next EU financial framework.
