A pilot outreach event aimed at the local population was recently organised in the Šaleška region in close synergy with the GREET CE project. GREET CE is an EU project that strengthens innovation ecosystems around bioeconomy, renewable energy and circular, low‑carbon solutions, where renewable gases such as hydrogen play an important role in decarbonising industry, transport and heating. Within this context, hydrogen ecosystems—covering production, storage, distribution and end‑use—represent exactly the kind of complex, multi‑actor investment that GREET CE aims to support and make bankable for SMEs and regions. HyEfRe complements this by providing concrete hydrogen planning tools, potential models and business‑model concepts that show where hydrogen makes sense and how to structure viable projects. When combined, GREET CE offers the broader platform of SMEs, clusters, investors and public authorities, while HyEfRe contributes practical methods and tools, ensuring that hydrogen is understood not as a stand‑alone high‑tech niche, but as an integrated part of a wider green‑transition portfolio in the region.
This particular event was designed to familiarise local population with the practical outcomes of HyEfRe, with a particular focus on hydrogen planning tools and, especially, the broader idea of how regional hydrogen ecosystems. The workshop was focused on clearly explaining how hydrogen fits into the regional energy transition, what role local stakeholders and communities can play, and how the new tools support concrete decision‑making in Šaleška as a pilot region.
By embedding the outreach activity within GREET CE‑related actions, participants could see hydrogen not as an isolated topic, but as one of several green and circular solutions being developed in the region. This synergy added clear value: it linked HyEfRe’s hydrogen tools and concepts to a wider portfolio of bioeconomy and green‑transition initiatives, helped reach a broader and more diverse audience, and underlined that hydrogen investments should be planned in alignment with other regional innovation and sustainability efforts.