H2CE partners held their sixth transnational meeting in Graz, Austria, from 22 to 24 September 2025. The meeting was hosted by the Energy Agency Styria.
Partners from Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia reviewed the project’s implementation and refined approaches to regional hydrogen planning.
Main areas of work
The meeting focused on:
- regional hydrogen strategies and action plans;
- shared planning and decision-support tools;
- development of the H2CE Collaboration Platform;
- Regional H2 Competence Centre approaches;
- capacity building for public authorities; and
- opportunities for cross-border cooperation and policy coordination.
The discussions highlighted the importance of data-driven planning and stronger links between public authorities, research organisations and industry.
Regional H2 Competence Centres
Partners examined how competence centres could serve as regional knowledge and coordination hubs.
Their potential functions included:
- mapping available hydrogen expertise;
- connecting regional stakeholders;
- providing training and knowledge transfer;
- directing users to relevant technical and policy support; and
- strengthening cooperation between research, government and industry.
Study visit to Gabersdorf
Participants visited the Renewable Gasfield in Gabersdorf, where they examined technologies and practical arrangements for green-hydrogen production, storage and use.
The visit demonstrated how pilot facilities could provide evidence for regional planning and help stakeholders understand the operational requirements of hydrogen projects.
Practical value
The meeting helped partners connect their strategic and methodological work with a functioning hydrogen initiative. It also supported the final refinement of the Collaboration Platform and regional planning outputs before project closure.