CINEA’s Hydrogen Week

GIGA-SCALES inauguration in Belgium

The week opened with the inauguration of the GIGA-SCALES projectplant in Mortsel, Belgium - a new large-scale manufacturing facility for hydrogen components. At the ceremony, Matthias Langemeyer, Head of CINEA's Green Research and Innovation Department, stood alongside the Belgian Prime Minister and Commissioner Hoekstra.

Backed by €11 million grant from the Innovation Fund, the GIGA-SCALES project is projected to avoid approximately 6.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions over ten years, to make green hydrogen more affordable and competitive, and to generate up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs per year.

The EU Hydrogen Innovation Forum

As in previous years, CINEA participated in the EU Hydrogen Innovation Forum, jointly organised by the European Commission and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The Forum is a flagship event within European Hydrogen Week, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors and innovators from across Europe.

The 2025 edition, held under the theme "Driving Europe's Competitiveness and Market Uptake with R&I in Clean Hydrogen Technologies", addressed key topics such as scaling hydrogen start-ups, fostering funding synergies, and strengthening regional hydrogen ecosystems. Richard Ferrer, CINEA's Head of Sector, participated as a panellist in the session "Funding Synergies: Combining funding for accelerating the development of local ecosystems and bridging the gap to overcome the valley of death", where he emphasised CINEA's role in bridging funding gaps and supporting hydrogen deployment across Europe.

The 2025 EU Hydrogen Week gathered more than 1 200 participants for its renewed, conference-only format. European hydrogen leaders from all corners of the continent took part in live discussions shaping the future of the sector. From high-level policy debates to B2B exchanges and innovation showcases, lawmakers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain came together to present solutions to shared challenges - including slow implementation, high costs and complex regulatory frameworks.

CINEA's hydrogen project portfolio

To close the week, CINEA published a new thematic publication that highlights the impact of hydrogen projects across its portfolio. The document illustrates how EU-supported hydrogen initiatives promote innovation, strengthen competitiveness, and contribute to the EU's energy transition goals.

Read the publication

Looking ahead

The recent activities around Hydrogen Week underscore CINEA's positioning in Europe's hydrogen ecosystem. By steering critical funding programmes, fostering collaboration and enabling breakthrough projects like GIGA-SCALES, CINEA helps translate Europe's hydrogen ambitions into on-the-ground action. As the hydrogen sector continues to scale and evolve, CINEA remains a key institution in delivering the EU's vision of a climate-neutral, hydrogen-enabled future.