The partners recently started the second phase of the Inn2POWER Project with a kick-off meeting in Copenhagen. Until mid-2023, the consortium will support the development of transnational business cases of SMEs in the wind energy and green hydrogen sectors. The project partners will identify collaboration opportunities and improve access to test and demo facilities - including innovation and transnational business support services.
The second phase of the project builds on the consortium's work of the first phase since 2016, in which the team successfully supported companies in the offshore wind sector to collaborate and enter new markets. The project was awarded "Interreg Project of the Month" by the German Interreg Advisory Network in mid-2021.
The Inn2POWER consortium will now support the identification of gaps and cooperation opportunities of SMEs and will demonstrate how co-developed plans for shared and innovative SME testing and logistic facilities can lead to innovation across the value chain. "It is important to ensure that SMEs, which are very important for the employment and value creation potential across Europe, are considered in a future strategy for the European wind industry and the emerging hydrogen economy", the project partners said.
SMEs from the wind industry see own business opportunities in the green hydrogen supply chain and will be supported to identify attractive relationships and to exploit and improve their collaboration structure. The insight into knowledge and skills that are available within the clusters will be facilitated by including SME competences in the field of green hydrogen into the web-based match-making tool. In addition, several transnational B2B events will be facilitated for SMEs to identify collaboration opportunities. Inn2POWER partners will support the development of transnational business cases and pilot innovation collaborations of SMEs.
The partners aim at expanding the existing mapping tool, the "address book to the European Offshore Wind Supply Chain", and at developing one integrated platform including data related to the green hydrogen economy. The final database will include information on the green hydrogen supply chain, test facilities as well as innovation, research, and business support organisations.
"As green hydrogen will play a key role in the transition to net zero across European societies, the development of a market for green hydrogen and the commercialisation of the respective technology will create qualified jobs across the continent", the partners believe. "The combination of the wind industry, the maritime industry, and the emerging hydrogen economy creates an important employment and export potential for SMEs in Europe, especially in coastal regions", they added.
While green hydrogen has a huge economic potential, its development and its role in the future energy system strongly rely on political and thus public support. The Inn2POWER project partners will therefore help promote the acceptance of "green" hydrogen with a podcast and other publications on the achievements and the potential of the green hydrogen sector.
Link to the Interreg Europe mapping system: https://inn2power.eu/
The Inn2POWER project is supported by the European Union's European Regional Development Fund, Interreg North Sea Region Programme.
Media contacts:
Hans Sohn, Senior Communication & Marketing Manager, WAB e.V., hans.sohn @ wab.net, M +49 173 238 2802
About WAB
Bremerhaven-based WAB is the nationwide contact partner for the offshore wind industry in Germany and the leading business network for onshore wind energy in Germany's north-west region. The association fosters the production of "green" hydrogen from wind energy. It comprises some 250 smaller and larger businesses as well as institutes from all sectors of the wind industry, the maritime industry as well as research. www.wab.net
Celien Tanghe, POM West Flanders, celien.tanghe @ pomwvl.be, M +32 479 06 51 53
About POM West Flanders
Provincial Development Agency West Flanders (POM West Flanders) wants to strengthen a sustainable economy in West Flanders with a specific focus on innovative businesses. POM West Flanders stimulates collaboration between businesses, higher education institutions, knowledge centers, regional policy-making bodies and social partners to reinforce the position of West Flanders as an internationally oriented, dynamic, competitive and sustainable region. pomwvl.be
Complete List of Inn2POWER partners:
From Belgium:
POM West Flanders, Inn2POWER coordinator (pomwvl.be)
Autonomous Municipal Enterprise Port of Oostende, Belgium (www.portofoostende.be)
Blue Cluster (www.blauwecluster.be)
WaterstofNet (www.waterstofnet.eu)
From Germany:
WAB e.V. (www.wab.net)
From the Netherlands:
NOM (www.nom.nl)
NNOW (www.nnow.nl)
From the UK:
Hydrogen East (hydrogeneast.uk)
Kent County Council (www.kent.gov.uk)
Opergy (opergy.co.uk)
