Hydrogen's importance globally is evident across multiple sectors like industry, energy, and transport, with the EU prioritizing renewable hydrogen production. Strategies outlined in the EU Hydrogen Strategy and REPowerEU plan aim to decarbonize the EU and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. The shift towards hydrogen requires comprehensive strategies, encompassing investment support, market creation, and global cooperation. HySPARK in Poland accelerates this transition by overcoming technological and non-technological barriers. With a production hub in Włocławek, it aims to produce over 3,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually, serving various local applications. Six testbed applications will be tested for at least 2 years, gathering operational data to evaluate the techno-economic, societal, and environmental metrics. The testbeds will cover both the transport and the industry sectors and will consist of: (i) the upstream hydrogen production and (ii) the Hydrogen Refuelling stations infrastructure; (iii) 4 semi-trucks for freight road, (iv) 2 buses for the public road, (v) 8 tow tractors for the ground handling transport; (vi) Green Ammonia production. Each testbed application will be fully set up in terms of infrastructure, planning of the associated logistics and the synergetic management of all distributed assets, to demonstrate the practicality and efficiency of H2, also integrated within Warsaw Chopin Airport to contribute to EU's 2050 hydrogen-ready airports objective. Nevertheless, HySPARK will develop the user-friendly and intuitive Energy Planner utilized to refine and optimize the HySPARK supply chain, ensuring its seamless integration into the broader energy ecosystem. In connection with ongoing EU-funded projects (TH2ICINO and SH2AMROCK), HySPARK leverages established networks to improve project deliverables and fosters a community of practice that supports continuous improvement and innovation in hydrogen valley initiatives.

Recent studies from the IPCC indicate that Europe is particularly prone to increased risks of river and coastal floods, droughts resulting in water restrictions and damages from extreme weather such as heat events and wildfires. Evaluations also show a huge potential to reduce these risks with novel adaptation strategies. Researchers, innovators and incubators develop innovative products and services to reduce the increased climate change risks. Many of these innovations however hardly arrive at the markets. BRIGAID BRIdges the GAp for Innovations in Disaster resilience. BRIGAID's approach is supported by three pillars. (1) At first BRIGAID takes into account the geographical variability of climate-related hazards and their interaction with socio-economic changes, (2) BRIGAID establishes structural, on-going support for innovations that are ready for validation in field tests and real life demonstrations and (3) BRIGAID develops a framework that enables an independent, scientific judgement of the socio-technological effectiveness of an innovation. BRIGAID's objective is ambitious but achievable with strong consortium partners in EU, two Associated Countries and support from Overseas Territories. BRIGAID (a) brings actively together innovators and end-users in Communities of Innovation, resulting in increased opportunities for market-uptake; (b) contributes to the development of a technological and performance standards for adaptation options by providing a Test and Implementation Framework (TIF) and test facilities throughout Europe; (c) Improves innovation capacity and the integration of new knowledge by establishing an innovators network and (d) strengthens the competitiveness and growth of companies with the support of a dedicated business team. Finally BRIGAID develops a business models and market outreach to launch innovations to the market and secure investments in innovations beyond BRIGAID’s lifetime.