The main objective of the project, integrated into the 3rd Call for Proposals of the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027, is to promote and disseminate, in collaboration with five other partners, the virtues and capabilities of green hydrogen as an industry of the future and to empower its supply chain to boost the development and expansion of this energy vector.
Évora, November 22, 2023.
The Renewable Energy Chair of the University of Évora participates as a partner in the project "FUTURETECH-H2: Promotion and Technological Development of the Green Hydrogen Industry," belonging to the 3rd Call for Proposals of the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027.
Through this project, which will be executed by a consortium consisting of a total of six partners from the Alentejo-Portugal and Andalucíaa regions (Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies-CATEC, Adral, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, University of Évora, Nao Victoria Foundation, and FEDEME as the leading entity), the aim is to develop the value chain of green hydrogen in this cross-border region, promoting and disseminating, through various planned actions, the virtues and capabilities of this energy vector as an industry of the future.
The future inevitably involves the diversity and coexistence of different technologies and the combination of different energy sources. In this energy mix, green hydrogen stands out for its great versatility and application in sectors such as mobility. Moreover, decarbonization is one of the goals set for 2050 by many countries, including Spain as a member of the EU, and in this path, hydrogen plays a key role.
To contribute to all of this, the FUTURETECH-H2 project includes a schedule of actions to be carried out in different phases from 2023 to 2025.
In the first diagnostic phase, the current situation and future trends will be analyzed, both from a technological perspective and regarding new business opportunities and the needs of companies connected to the sector. The precise definition of the value chain of the green hydrogen sector in its different uses will follow. This action aims to understand in detail the different activities that make up and will make up the green hydrogen sector from an industrial perspective.
Furthermore in this first phase, there is an intention to strategically implement new business models related to green hydrogen in 10 real companies with transformation possibilities (five per region). In the second phase, specific needs will be defined, and two pilot projects will be developed: on one hand, a fixed dispenser for green hydrogen for boats at the Port of Seville, and on the other hand, a production and storage unit through the virtual simulation of a digital twin.
The third phase of the project involves the deployment and execution of training and capacity-building programs for professionals, both at the operational and strategic-executive levels.
Finally, the fourth and last phase will focus on dissemination through the organization of professional events and webinars for the exchange of experiences of companies in the process of transitioning to green hydrogen and the development of awareness-raising activities for the population.
Among these events, the organization of a Hispanic-Portuguese H2 Forum is planned, a major international event for Spain and Portugal that, with a vocation for continuity beyond the project itself, will be a public-private reference meeting point involving companies, entities, and professionals related to the sector.
The Project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) under the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027 and will cover activities until December 31, 2025.
FUTURETECH-H2 has a total budget of 1,366,564.9 euros.
FEDEME already has experience in implementing plans with similar funds, as evidenced by the success of the INDUPYMES 4.0 project, led by CATEC and belonging to the 2nd Call for Proposals of the INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP), developed in collaboration with 10 other partners to help SMEs in the automotive, naval, and aerospace sectors, as well as their supply chain, integrate into the new concept of the digital factory, benefiting around twenty companies to date.
Interreg Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027
Approved by the European Commission on August 22, 2022, the Interreg Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027 is the largest cross-border cooperation program in the European Union (EU), receiving an FEDER contribution of over 320 million euros.
Among other aspects, the program supports cross-border cooperation through networks between small and medium-sized enterprises to improve research and knowledge transfer. It also funds projects to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings and supports sustainable tourism, the preservation of cultural heritage, cooperation in the health sector, and empowerment for people living in the cross-border region.
European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), better known as Interreg, is one of the two objectives of the EU cohesion policy and provides a framework for the implementation of joint actions and policy exchange between national, regional, and local actors from different EU member states.
For more information:
Departamento de Comunicación
Federación de Empresarios del Metal. FEDEME
Fone.: (+34) 954 526 988 - 625 503 996
