Italy (Veneto Region)
Coordinated Hydrogen Valley Implementation in Northern Italy

The Veneto–South Tyrol Hydrogen Valley cluster is one of the most advanced hydrogen initiatives in Northern Italy. It focuses on creating a regional hydrogen ecosystem that connects production, mobility, and industrial demand.

Skilled workforce: Universities (Bozen-Bolzano, Padua, Verona) and technical schools in Veneto have developed new training programmes on hydrogen technologies, covering hydrogen safety, electrolyser operations, logistics, and vehicle maintenance. These programmes are designed not only for engineering students but also for mid-career professionals in the transport and logistics sectors who are being reskilled. Several training sessions are co-financed through Erasmus+ and Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), ensuring sustainability and outreach.

Effective coordination: Implementation is coordinated by a stakeholder platform that includes Unioncamere Veneto, local chambers of commerce, municipalities, transport operators, and energy utilities. This platform meets quarterly to harmonise infrastructure rollouts with regional transport strategies. For instance, bus fleet procurement schedules are aligned with the completion of hydrogen refuelling stations to prevent infrastructure gaps. The coordination also extends to industrial users, such as logistics hubs in Verona, which benefit from shared infrastructure investments.

Monitoring and reporting: The cluster publishes annual Hydrogen Valley progress reports, which include data on refuelling infrastructure, number of hydrogen vehicles deployed, hydrogen consumption, and CO₂ savings achieved. These reports are benchmarked against the national hydrogen strategy, ensuring coherence with Italy’s climate targets. The monitoring framework is flexible, allowing mid-course corrections if indicators reveal underperformance. For example, if fleet adoption lags, incentives for fleet operators can be adjusted, or additional EU funding sought.