2026 Conference

Day 1 - 11th November 2026

EU Sovereignty & Industrial competitiveness
Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic at the intersection of EU sovereignty, industrial competitiveness and climate crisis: European challenges enabling international cooperation

Location: Gorizia, University of Trieste University Center of Gorizia

8:30

Registration and welcome coffee

Opening of the first day of the 6th HE Conference

Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic at the intersection of EU sovereignty, industrial competitiveness and climate crisis

Rodolfo Ziberna, Mayor of Gorizia

9:30

Welcome and introduction to the programme

Juri Giacomelli, Founder, Managing Director, Gm Circularity
and
Aleksander Gerbec, Founder and Managing Director, ECUBES
Organisers of the HE Conference

Institutional address

Fostering Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through shared green hydrogen infrastructure

Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for Mediterranean and ME (video speech)

EU Sovereignty, international cooperation and global competitiveness

10:10

Built for Efficiency, Broken by Disruption – The resilience of the European energy grid

Keynote speech

Tom Middendorp, Chairman of the International Military Council on Climate and Security, Author of “The Climate General”

Challenges of the Hydrogen Economy

10:45

European innovations for clean hydrogen future

Juergen Rechberger, Global Vice President, B.U. FC, Hydrogen & Energy & Hydrogen Mobility, AVL

10:55

Enabling strategic partnerships and financing European energy resilience

Roland H. W. Schulze, Managerial Adviser – Low Carbon Energy Technologies, European Investment Bank

11:05

Hydrogen economy: A planetary challenge

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

11:25

Coffee break

Innovation excellence in hydrogen economy

11:45

Introduction

Moderator: Rodolfo Taccani, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste

11:50

Technological choices for the future of the hydrogen economy and lessons from the North Adriatic and other EU hydrogen ecosystems

Matteo Testi, Head of Hydrogen Technologies and Resilient Energy System, Fondazione Bruno Kessler

12:00

Hydrogen Hub Trieste

Carlo Andriolo, CEO, AcegasApsAmga


Massimo Giacomini, Development of New Carrier Systems, AcegasApsAmga

12:10

Affordable seasonal energy storage solutions unlocking raw material criticalities

Richard Van As-Jacobsson, Chief Project Officer, ECUBES

12:20

Biohydrogen: the case of circularity and renewables in FVG

Maurizio Bombara, Healthy Business Advisory

12:45

Buffet lunch

Framing conditions for green hydrogen offtake

13:55

Hydrogen mobility as an essential complement to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs)

Juergen Guldner, General Program Manager for Hydrogen, BMW

14:10

Clean aviation and hydrogen

Luc Korzilius, Pipistrel

14:25

Liquid hydrogen application for the decarbonisation of maritime transportation

Rodolfo Taccani, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste

14:45

Coffee break

Intergenerational dialogue

Our futures, the foresight

Intergenerational dialogue under EU Mediterranean and MENA partnership with H2STUDENT Global Gateway for the green future

15:05

Intergenerational dialogue

Developing foresight knowledge on hydrogen

Developing leaders for their futures
Dima Gurtcheva, professor, United World College Adriatic, Duino
Steven Libbrecht, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer, ECUBES

15:30

Our futures on hydrogen

A foresight experience
Students at the United World College Adriatic, Duino
H2STUDENT endorsed by IRENA

16:00

Moderated roundtable

16:30

Conclusions

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

Hydrogen Innovation Finals

16:40

Pitching Session

Introduction of the pitching finalists
Final pitches

HE North Adriatic Best Business Proposition Award Ceremony

17:35

Evaluations the pitching sessions

17:55

Conclusions and wrap up

Aperitivo

Day 2 - 12th November 2026

North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem, EU Competitiveness and the Resource Crisis
Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic at the intersection of EU sovereignty, industrial competitiveness and climate crisis: European competitiveness and financing transition to renewables

Location: Nova Gorica, Hotel Perla

9:00

Registration and morning coffee

Opening of the second day of the 6th HE Conference

9:30

Welcome adress

Samo Turel, Mayor, City of Nova Gorica

Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic Report

9:50

North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem: From Vision to Deployment

Based on the results of the HE Survey

Stephen Taylor, Strategic Coordinator, NAHV JWG

The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley: Three years on

Andreja Kumer, HSE, Project Coordinator, NAHV

The role of H2READY in supporting municipalities in the transition to renewables

Suzana Vidmar Kovšča, GOLEA, Project Coordinator, H2Ready

NACHIP: Accelerating hydrogen value chains in the North Adriatic

Matija Pavlovčič, IJS, Project Coordinator, NACHIP

NASCHA: Smart communities of practice in the North Adriatic

Alberto Soraci, AREA Science Park, Project Coordinator, NASCHA

10:55

Becoming a sustainable port

Roberta Manzi, Director, Strategic, Development and Innovation Department, Port Network Authority of the Eastern Adriatic – Ports of Trieste and Monfalcone

11:15

Coffee break

Panel

Policy Dialogue: Aligning Smart Specialisation Strategies with Hydrogen Deployment Priorities

11:30

Accelerating hydrogen technologies uptake across the EU

Lessons Learned from the I3 Programme

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

11:40

Moderated debate

Representatives of competent authorities from the NA for the Smart Specialisation Strategies from Croatia, FVG, and Slovenia

Tomislav Pinter, DG Regio
Marko Hren, Ministry for Cohesion and Regional Development of Slovenia
Maja Ferlinc, Project Advisor, EISMEA

12:35

Framing the hydrogen economy: regulation and incentives

NAHV Regulatory Sandbox

12:55

Lunch

Lessons and case studies

Maximising impact through cross-fertilisation across the EU and access to finance

13:45

Hydrogen strategy and implementation in Carinthia, Austria

Gerald Miklin, Carinthian Provincial Government Office, Austria

Hydrogen strategy of Vienna in the centre of the HyHope initiative

Magdalena Lindl, Wien Energie GmbH

EastGate Hydrogen Valley, Kosice

Katarina Sasarakova, Coordinator of EastGateH2V, Department of regional development, Košice Self-governing region

Technology platforms as a foundation for demonstration projects

Frederik Wewetzer, Head of HIC Research and Transfer Center, HZwo e. V., Chemnitz

Sharing the experience of HyMantoValley

Massimiliano Musci, Nicola Galli, A.G.I.R.E.

Panel

HE access to finance

14:45

How can we finance innovations and related infrastructure deriving from EU hydrogen valleys?

Policy-level debate
Polona Domadenik Muren, Vice-Dean, University of Ljubljana School of Economics and Business
Margherita Matzer, WIVA P&G, Coordinator of HI2 Valley
Aivars Starikovs, Latvian Hydrogen Association

Investors table
Jozsef Szuper, Hydroeconomy Technology Cluster Kft
Frane Šesnić, CEO, ZICER
Paolo Anselmo, President, IBAN

15:45

Creating cross-fertilisation nexus for a strategic foresight for green hydrogen in the EU

Debate among participants based on the results of the HE Survey, with the on-site and online participation of EU hydrogen valleys and hubs

16:15

Conclusions of the conference

Farewell aperitivo

17:30

End of programme

Day 1

University of Trieste University Center of Gorizia
Via Alviano 18
34170 Gorizia GO
Italy

Day 2

Hotel Perla
Kidričeva ulica 7
5000 Nova Gorica
Slovenia

Tom Middendorp

Chairman of the International Military Council on Climate and Security, author of “The Climate General”

Roland H. W. Schulze

Managerial Adviser – Low Carbon Energy Technologies, European Investment Bank

Juergen Rechberger

Global Vice President, B.U. FC, Hydrogen & Energy & Hydrogen Mobility, AVL

Maurizio Bombara

Healthy Business Advisory

Juergen Guldner

General Program Manager for Hydrogen, BMW

Carlo Andriolo

CEO, AcegasApsAmga

Rodolfo Taccani

Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste

Violeta Bulc

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

Matteo Testi

Head of Hydrogen Technologies and Resilient Energy System, Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Steven Libbrech

Chief Ecosystem Development Officer, ECUBES

Stephen Taylor

Strategic Coordinator, NAHV JWG

Andreja Kumer

HSE, Project Coordinator, NAHV

Suzana Vidmar Kovšča

GOLEA, Project Coordinator, H2Ready

Matija Pavlovčič

IJS, Project Coordinator, NACHIP

Alberto Soraci

AREA Science Park, Project Coordinator, NASCHA

Maja Ferlinc

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

Tomislav Pinter

DG Regio

Marko Hren

Ministry for Cohesion and Regional Development of Slovenia

Gerald Miklin

Carinthian Provincial Government Office, Austria

Magdalena Lindl

Wien Energie GmbH

Katarina Sasarakova

Coordinator of EastGateH2V, Department of Regional Development, Košice Self-governing region

Frederik Wewetzer

Head of HIC Research and Transfer Center, HZwo e. V., Chemnitz

Polona Domadenik Muren

Vice-Dean, University of Ljubljana School of Economics and Business

Margherita Matzer

WIVA P&G, Coordinator of HI2 Valley

Aivars Starikovs

Latvian Hydrogen Association

Jozsef Szuper

Hydroeconomy Technology Cluster Kft

Frane Šesnić

CEO, ZICER

Paolo Anselmo

President, IBAN

Luc Korzilius

Pipistrel

HE Partners

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