H2SHIFT, a groundbreaking initiative, has officially kicked off its mission to revolutionize hydrogen technologies. As the first Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB) dedicated to innovative hydrogen technologies, H2SHIFT aims to accelerate breakthroughs and foster collaboration among startups, SMEs, and large industries. H2SHIFT will be a Single Entry Point acting as a catalyst for EU technological leadership in hydrogen production and local business development and innovation and will work closely with companies on applied research projects that will be demonstrated in industrial environment to advance their technology readiness.
H2SHIFT combines an innovation model based on:
- Test Lines and Clusters: The initiative offers seven test lines grouped into four clusters:
- Advanced Water Electrolysis
- Bio-Hydrogen
- Direct-Solar Hydrogen Production
- Hydrogen Production in Offshore Environments
- Technology Upscaling: H2SHIFT provides services for technology upscaling, including prototyping for industrial scalability and computational modeling.
- Beyond Technical: Non-technical services cover techno-economic and environmental assessments, legal compliance, and business development.
H2SHIFT will contribute to making hydrogen a key player in a cleaner and more secure energy future by advancing high-temperature and AEM electrolysis, bio-hydrogen, direct-solar, and offshore hydrogen production. It will bridge the gap between research, academia, and industry, while fostering partnerships with startups, SMEs, and final investors, ensuring that groundbreaking solutions are tested and demonstrated in real-world industrial environments. The project will also lower investment risks for early-stage innovators, attracting private capital and driving innovation.
The project has a total budget of ~9M€ and will run for 4 years. The consortium is formed by European partners including Snam S.P.A. (Italy) (leader), IREC, Politecnico di Torino, H2B2 and 7 additional entities.
Researchers from the Nanoionics and Fuel Cells group at IREC, including Prof. ICREA Albert Tarancón, Lucile Bernadet and Marc Torrell, Researchers from the Nanoionics and Fuel Cells group at IREC, will lead high-temperature characterization line and supervise the work package dedicated to the showcases validation to be tested with the industrial partners of the project.
Link to cordis: H2SHIFT Project.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
