Developing an Interregional Hydrogen Mobility Initiative for Europe

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H-MIE (Interregional Hydrogen Mobility Initiative for Europe) addresses critical challenges in advancing hydrogen mobility, reducing regional disparities, and empowering SMEs to drive the green transition. With transport responsible for nearly 25% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen offers a transformative, zero-emission solution for decarbonizing sectors like heavy-duty transport and public transit, where battery-electric alternatives face limitations. IH-MIE establishes a Hydrogen Mobility Interregional Hub to foster innovation, coordinate investments, and build capacity across Europe. By advancing technologies from TRL 6 to TRL 9 and supporting 30 SMEs with cascade funding, mentoring, and training, the project accelerates the development and market adoption of hydrogen mobility solutions. 7 SMEs lead innovative demonstration projects, creating scalable, real-world use cases that validate hydrogen technologies and strengthen value chains. The initiative brings together regions with diverse innovation capacities: advanced hubs like Aragón, Ill de France, Noord-Brabant drive technological leadership; less-developed regions such as Podkarpackie, Moravian-Silesian, Norte, Kurzeme, and Castilla-La Mancha receive targeted capacity-building support; and transition regions like Galicia and Normandy pilot collaborative, scalable solutions. This balanced approach addresses key challenges, including limited hydrogen infrastructure, high costs, fragmented ecosystems, and low public awareness, while fostering cross-regional cohesion. Aligned with the EU’s Green Deal, Hydrogen Strategy, and Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3), IH-MIE contributes to Europe’s climate neutrality goals by promoting sustainable transport, green growth, and SME-led innovation. By bridging advanced and less-developed regions, IH-MIE enhances competitiveness, resilience, and cohesion in the hydrogen mobility sector, positioning Europe as a global leader in sustainable transport solutions.