2025 HE Conference

Thank you for joining us for the fifth edition of the international Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic Conference, which took place on 12th and 13th November 2025 in Nova Gorica and Gorizia.

This year’s programme placed a strong emphasis on hydrogen valleys across Europe, showcasing successful models, challenges, and opportunities for cooperation. In addition, the event highlighted the role of municipalities in shaping hydrogen ecosystems and opened space for intergenerational dialogue, ensuring that the voices of both emerging talents and experienced leaders contributed to shaping future policies and innovations.

The two-day programme featured keynote speeches, expert panels, project showcases, and networking opportunities—bringing together policy-makers, researchers, industry leaders, and young innovators.

In Case You Missed It

  • The conference served as a meeting point for key decision-makers of the Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic, bringing together industries, policy-makers, and all initiatives deriving from the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV).
  • The HE Listing of leading hydrogen innovators had been launched—top-ranked initiatives were invited to pitch live at the conference.
  • We continued our intergenerational dialogue, giving young leaders a central role in shaping conversations on technological and societal innovation.
  • The 5th Conference coincided with COP30 in Belém, Brazil, creating a timely platform for international dialogue on urgent climate action.
  • The event concluded with a high-level HE Summit, featuring key representatives from Slovenia, Croatia, and Friuli Venezia Giulia, reinforcing regional cooperation at the highest level.

Day 1 - 12th November 2025

8:45

Registration and welcome coffee

Opening of the first day of the 5th HE Conference

9:30

Opening of the conference

Introduction to the programme – Jurij Giacomelli, Founder, Managing Director, META Circularity
Organisational guidelines – Stephen Taylor, Strategic Coordinator, NAHV JWG

9:40

Institutional introductions: Hydrogen ecosystem and transnational cooperation in the EU

Tina Seršen, State Secretary of Energy in the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Slovenia
Alessia Rosolen, Regional Minister for Labour, Training, Education, University, Research and Family, FVG
Vjekoslav Jukić, Ministry of Economy, Croatia

10:00

Towards a systemic shift through international cooperation

Jozef Sikela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships (Video address)
Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for Mediterranean (Video address)
H.E. Sayyid Nazar Aljulanda Majid al Said, Ambassador of Sultanate of Oman in Rome (Video address)

10:15

Affordable Green Energy on Demand: Hydrogen for a Resilient Europe

Aleksander Gerbec, Founder and Managing Director, ECUBES, Initiator of the HE Conference

EU Hydrogen Market and State of the Art of the EU Hydrogen Strategy

STRATEGY

10:30

Pursuing the implementation of the EU Hydrogen Strategy: Results and Milestones ahead

Valerie Bouillon-Delporte, Executive director, Clean Hydrogen Partnership

10:45

The evolution of the hydrogen economy and its frontiers

Luigi Crema, President, Hydrogen Europe Research

11:00

Global developments in the hydrogen sector: Resilience as a priority

Steven Libbrecht, Hydrogen Ecosystems, ECUBES

11:10

Q&A

11:20

Coffee Break

FINANCING INNOVATION

11:40

Financing progress of the hydrogen economy – the EIB Group support

Simon Savšek, Head of EIB Group Office, Ljubljana

11:50

Investment instruments and support actions inducing a new growth from within

Maja Ferlinc, Project Advisor, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)

12:00

A new funding continuum for innovation and hydrogen industry in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF)

Marco Molica Colella, R&D, Hydrogen Europe

12:10

Q&A

BOOSTING COMPETITIVENESS BY STIMULATING INNOVATION

12:20

FVG, an innovation leader changing a multi-level competitive landscape through hydrogen

Ketty Segatti, Central Director of Specialist Operational Unit Research and Innovation; Regional interdepartmental North Adriatic hydrogen valley working group coordinator, FVG

12:30

Regulatory framework in the NAHV

Martina Zupan Urek, Ministry of Economy, Croatia

12:40

Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic and competitiveness for the Slovenian economy

Marija Čebular Zajec, Directorate for Industry, Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport, Slovenia

12:50

EU Hydrogen regulatory framework and the North Adriatic: Milestones reached, opportunities ahead

Massimiliano Rudella, Senior Researcher, Area Science Park

13:00

The role of standardisation and the evolution of the hydrogen market

Patricija Doplihar, Slovenian Institute for Standardisation (SIST)

13:10

Implementing a renewable hydrogen certification scheme

Yasaman Nosrat Tajoddin, Fondazione Bruno Kessler

13:20

Q&A

13:30

Lunch

EU Hydrogen Valleys and Hubs: Frontrunners, barriers and experience shared

14:20

EU Hydrogen Valleys and Hubs

Hi2 Valley, Austria – Margherita Matzer, Project Coordinator, HI2 Valley, Austria
The making of transnational hydrogen valley in Central Europe – Jasmin Schiefer, Wien Energie
Green Corridor of Hungary – Elena Boškov, Jozsef Szuper, Hydoeconomy Technology Cluster Kft.
The Saxonian Approach at HZwo e. V. – Frederik Wewetzer, Head of HIC Research and Transfer Center, HZwo e. V., Chemnitz
Baltic SeaH2 – Aivars Starikovs, Latvian Hydrogen Association

15:20

Q&A

Intergenerational dialogue: The hydrogen economy redesigning a geopolitical landscape through new forms of cooperation

15:30

Our choices, whose futures? Introduction to the dialogue

Violeta Bulc, Curator of the Ecocivilisation, Former European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism

15:40

Business models and their risk typologies along a hydrogen value chain

Petrisa Čanji Vouri, IMB laureates

15:50

Patent activity in the North Adriatic

Jesus Amos Facundo, IMB laureates
and
Polona Domadenik Muren, Programme Director of IMB, School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana

16:00

Q&A

16:05

Coffee Break

16:25

Overview of the Potential of Numerical Modeling for the Deployment of Hydrogen in the Energy Transition

Marco Russo Cirillo, and students from the University of Trieste

16:35

Continuity of research in the field of hydrogen

Martina Ivić, PhD Student, University of Rijeka
Hrvoje Marušić, University of Rijeka

16:45

Shaping the Hydrogen Economy across continents: Challenges and opportunities

Students and mentors from the United World College Adriatic, Duino and
Dima Guertcheva, Maria Chiara Billi, UWCA, Duino

17:05

A moderated roundtable

All participants of the session

17:20

Conclusions of the session

Violeta Bulc, Curator of the Ecocivilisation, Former European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism

17:30

Wrap up of the day and guidelines for the remaining part of the programme

17:35 - 19:00

Aperitivo

Hotel Perla

19:30

Net-Worthing Dinner

(Compulsory registration)

Day 2 - 13th November 2025

8:45

Registration and morning coffee

Opening of the second day of the 5th HE Conference

9:30

Opening of the second day

Moderators

9:40

Institutional adress

Samo Turel, Mayor, City of Nova Gorica
Rodolfo Ziberna, Mayor, Gorizia

From a hydrogen ecosystem towards a hydrogen economy

9:50

The Hydrogen Ecosystem Report: Hydrogen in the global marketplace and the North Adriatic

Stephen Taylor, Strategic Coordinator, NAHV JWG

10:10

Q&A

10:15

Nord Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem: Results, lessons, and challenges shared

Jerneja Sedlar, Head Development and Investment Dpt., HSE and Coordinator, NAHV
Matija Pavlovčič, IJS, Coordinator, NACHIP
Suzana Vidmar Kovšca, GOLEA, Coordinator of H2READY
Alberto Soraci, AREA Science Park, Coordinator of NASCHA
Aleksander Gerbec, ECUBES, multiple consortia partner and key technologies provider
Rodolfo Taccani, University of Trieste

11:15

Coffee Break

11:35

Making a shift: Connecting EU hydrogen valleys and hubs

Roundtable

Margherita Matzer, Project Coordinator, HI2 Valley, Austria
Jasmin Schiefer, Wien Energie
Frederik Wewetzer, Head of HIC Research and Transfer Center, HZwo e. V., Chemnitz
Aivars Starikovs, Latvian Hydrogen Association
Elena Boškov, Joszef Szuper, Hydoeconomy Technology Cluster Kft.
Moderator: Matteo Testi, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, partner in the NAHV for exploitation and international cooperation

Attractiveness of hydrogen business in the eyes of investors

12:45

Investor readiness for hydrogen in the eyes of investors

Luigi Amati, Business Angels Europe (BAE) and Italian Business Angels Networks (IBAN)
Diego Bravar, Founder, Biovalley Investments Partner SpA
Marc Rechter, Founder, CEO, Resilient Group

13:15

Lunch

Deployment of hydrogen Innovation: Industry first movers in action

14:15

Session I: Industry leaders and hydrogen offtake: A global perspective

Tomaž Vuk, CEO, Alpacem
Anna Mareschi Danieli, Vice President DANIELI Group
Stefan Kanya, Director BD East Eu, AVL CEE & MEA
Mario Perić, Product and Solutions Manager for New Energy Technologies, KONČAR
Abdullah AlBalushi, Chief Information and Business Intelligence Officer, Zubair Corporation
Emmanouil Kakaras, Executive VP, GX Solution
Uroš Salobir, Director for Strategic Innovation, ELES

15:10

Q&A

15:30

Session II: First movers of the North Adriatic HE

Portfolio overview of NAHV, NACHIP, NASCHA and other Ecosystem players
Presentations of selected pilot projects from the ongoing Horizon Europe and I3 initiatives and guest cases

Progress presentations
Ugo Toić, director, Otra, Islands of Cres and Losinj
The Case of Velenje Local Hydrogen Alliance, Alenka Pogačar, Municipality of Velenje, Filip Margan, ECUBES
Nejc Kumar, Janez Furlan, Municipality of Ajdovščina

Pitching
Marko Muhar, Matija Matijevac, Patria
Federica Zagarella, CTS H2
Aleš Bratkovič, Recupera
Fausto Ferrazzi, CEO, Serrichim

16:25

Coffee Break

16:40

Sharing the Vision: Towards a Systemic Shift

Converging the hydrogen agenda with the Circular Economy Action Plan by deepening business engagement and institutional support
Introduction

16:45

Tripple planetary crisis, turning points and the role of hydrogen

The importance of natural resource management perspective
Keynote lecture

Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the UN, former EC Commissioner for the Environment

17:35

Steering a systemic shift

Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the UN, former EC Commissioner for the Environment

17:35

Q&A

A conclusive debate with Janez Potočnik

17:45

Conclusions

Jurij Giacomelli
Stephen Taylor
Aleksander Gerbec

18:00

Aperitivo

19:00

End of programme

Photos: Mariia Bortiakova

To access the presentations, please enter the code HERE.

Alberto Soraci

AREA Science Park, Coordinator of NASCHA

Aleksander Gerbec

Founder and Managing Director, ECUBES, Initiator of the HE Conference

Janez Potočnik

Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the UN

Jerneja Sedlar

Head Development and Investment Dpt., HSE and Coordinator, NAHV

Ketty Segatti

Central Director of Specialist Operational Unit Research and Innovation

Luigi Amati

Business Angels Europe (BAE) and Italian Business Angels Networks (IBAN)

Maja Ferlinc

Project Advisor, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)

Marco Molica Colella

R&D Manager, Hydrogen Europe

Marc Rechter

Founder, CEO, Resilient Group

Margherita Matzer

Project Coordinator, HI2 Valley, Austria

Patricija Doplihar

Head of the Secretariat Office, Slovenian Institute for Standardisation (SIST)

Simon Savsek

Head of EIB Group Office, Ljubljana

Stephen Taylor

Strategic Coordinator, NAHV JWG

Tina Seršen

State Secretary, Ministry for Environment and Energy, Slovenia

Uroš Salobir

Director of the Strategic Innovation Department, ELES, d.o.o.

Valerie Bouillon-Delporte

Executive Director, Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Violeta Bulc

Founder and Curator, Ecocivilisation

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