H2SHIFT – Services for Hydrogen Innovation Facilitation and Testing aims to create the first Open Innovation Test Bed for innovative hydrogen production technologies open to startups and SMEs from Europe and globally. H2SHIFT will be a Single Entry Point offering open access to unrivalled resources, innovative infrastructures, unique expertise and capabilities, arranged in a challenging Acceleration Programme. The proposed innovation model combines: • Hydrogen production testing services, including 7 test lines grouped in 4 clusters (Advanced water electrolysis, Bio-hydrogen, Direct-solar Hydrogen production, Hydrogen production in offshore environment); • Technology upscaling services, such as Prototyping for industrial scalability, and Computational modelling; • Non-technical services, among Techno-economic and environmental assessment, Legal and regulation compliance, and Business development. The initiative boosts the Clean H2 JU SRIA on the path towards the upscaling of unmatched and competitive hydrogen production technologies distinctively trailblazing innovation in high-temperature and AEM electrolysis, bio-hydrogen, direct-solar and offshore H2 production, to build a complete portfolio with existing OITB projects dedicated to AEL and PEM technologies. H2SHIFT kickstarts a collaborative ecosystem throughout Europe that links research, academia, and industry, along with final investors, working closely with startups and SMEs to advance groundbreaking solutions that will be demonstrated in industrial environment to advance their technology readiness and market uptake. Remarkably, H2SHIIFT scales up an open pay-per-use hub intended to circumvent expensive costs for early-stage innovators, lowering investment risks for potential investors and contributing to attract private capital for innovation. It contributes to make hydrogen a key part of a cleaner and more secure energy future, and a catalyst for EU leadership in innovative hydrogen technologies.

Renewable power is one of the main drives to achieve carbon reduction and net-zero, and to meet the ambitious climate goals. In particular, offshore wind power in Europe has been developing at a rapid pace in recent years. Multi-Giga watts offshore wind farms with larger wind turbine power ratings, floating wind turbines installed in deeper water areas, and higher ratio of renewables integrated to existing power grids, are fundamentally changing power system operations and bringing new challenges and technical demands. This industry-doctorate consortium, ADOreD, will recruit and train 15 Researchers by collaborating with 19 academic and industrial organisations. It aims to tackle the academic and technical challenges in the areas of transmission of offshore wind power to the AC grid by using power electronics-based AC/DC technologies. In doing so, it will equip the Researchers, through their PhD studies, with essential knowledge and skills to face fast energy transition in their future careers. The project covers 3 key research aspects: offshore wind (including wind turbines, wind power collection, and wind farm design and control); DC technologies (including AC/DC converters, HVDC control and DC network operation and protection); and AC grid (including stability and control of AC grids dominated with converters under various control modes. The ADOreD consortium has excellent coverage of academic universities and industry organisations including manufacturers, energy utilities, system operators, consultancy and technology innovation centres. All the research questions in the project reflect industry needs; academic novelty and innovation will be reflected in the methodologies and solutions; and the research results will be disseminated directly to the industry partners’ products, grid operation and services. The outcomes of the project are both technologies and a talent pool to accelerate the deployment and grid integration of large-scale offshore wind power.