Hydrogen is presented as a commitment to decarbonisation at the Inspiring Business Forum

More than 100 participants, entrepreneurs and corporations from innovation, corporate venturing and investment units of companies linked to the hydrogen value chain will come together at the Inspiring Business Forum.

The IBF, which is organised by TECNALIA andTECNALIA Ventures, has positioned itself as the forum for corporate investment and open innovation in deep-tech with more than 25 editions of the event, and more than 125 business opportunities presented since 2012.

The latest edition was supported by Bizkaia Provincial Council and focused on the opportunities generated by market disruption, which the energy transition entails and, in particular, on projects linked to high-value hydrogen.

Alex Beláustegui, chairman of TECNALIA and Corporate Director of Ingeteam presided over the first session on collaborative innovation projects.

Elías Unzueta, general manager of Petronor Innovación, presented the Basque Hydrogen Corridor as a driving force for the entire value chain. Samuel Pérez, head of technology foresight at Iberdrola defended the commitment to green hydrogen and detailed projects driven by the market, such as the production of green ammonia for Fertiberia, and the cross-cutting Basque “YH2” project for an industrial model based on green hydrogen.

To conclude, Carina Krastel commercial director of the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center (EGHAC) outlined initiatives in line with the value chain, such as the Swedish project “H2 Green Steel”, which is the backbone of a partnership to build a CO2-free steel production plant.

Asier Rufino, CEO of TECNALIA Ventures opened the central part of the event with the presentation of four business opportunities. “IBF's focus is on developing deep-tech opportunities that involve a double risk: technology and market. In return, they offer the potential to create tractor companies that create new industrial value chains.”

• H2SITE: in-situ production of high purity hydrogen, introduced by Andrés Galnares, CEO of H2SITE.
• Millichannels: obtaining energy vectors from hydrogen by means of millistructured reactors, courtesy of Susana Pérez Gil, Head of Development of Millistructured Reactors at TECNALIA.
• H2Greem: manufacture of PEM electrolysers, explained by Mario Carrero, CEO of H2Greem.
• HYSILABS: innovative solution to facilitate the distribution and storage of hydrogen, in the hands of Belén Moreno, Sales and Marketing Director of HYSILABS.

Each of these opportunities addressed issues linked to hydrogen production, storage and transportation, outlining their roadmaps and the need for collaboration with corporations and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Andrés Galnares, CEO of H2SITE explained that “H2SITE is the result of 12 years of research that brings together two elements: a membrane, provided by TECNALIA, and a reactor developed at the University of Eindhoven and incorporated by a multinational company, ENGIE, to achieve a marketable product.”

During the closing event, the collaboration between entrepreneurship and business was discussed by a number of panellists:

• Luis Emilio Martinez Gavira, Open Innovation and Corporate Venturing Manager at Enagás
• Leyre Madariaga, Director of Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship of the Basque Government
• Joseba Mariezkurrena, Director General for Entrepreneurship and Business Competitiveness of the Department of Economic Promotion of Bizkaia Provincial Council
• Mikel Lasa, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy Iberia
• Andrés Galnares, CEO of H2SITE

Sergio Bandinelli, Business Development Director of TECNALIA Ventures, was in charge of moderating the debate. He conveyed the need to strengthen connecting entities such as TECNALIA Ventures in order to build high-potential projects that solve market problems, with entrepreneurial talent and companies that provide intelligent capital and industrial capabilities.

Key quotes

The function of corporate venturing is here to stay in companies. It is growing and maturing. Luis Emilio Martinez Gavira, ENAGAS.

The current situation is nothing like it was 10 years ago when open innovation was an academic concept, although there is still a long way to go. There is a lack of company innovation units that permeate business units. Mikel Lasa, EIT InnoEnergy.

When you talk to SMEs about all these dynamics, there is a lack of knowledge and a certain amount of fear. The next edition of BIND 4.0 will engage SMEs to create a cultural change and evolve. Leyre Madariaga, Basque Government.

We have identified a barrier in companies due to the lack of an open innovation strategy and, for this reason, Bizkaia Provincial Council has launched a specific grant to tackle collaborative innovation plans. Joseba Mariezkurrena, Bizkaia Provincial Council

There are two barriers we need to address: appetite for risk is a barrier that needs to be changed from a cultural point of view, and deep-tech start-ups have a potential impact nationally and require very significant levels of investment. Andrés Galnares, H2SITE.

Further information

Information on the business opportunities presented at the Inspiring Business Forum can be found at the following link:

• Inspiring Business Forum - High Value Hydrogen