Germany sets aside EUR 154 million to help the development of hydrogen technologies at strategic hubs.
EUR 154 million is being invested by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport to support the expansion of distributed hydrogen technology hubs, hence increasing innovation in sustainable energy.
Germany is greatly strengthening its dedication to hydrogen technology by means of a large EUR 154 million investment meant to establish distributed innovation and technology centres (ITZ-H2). Under the NextGenerationEU program, the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) is leading this financial project within the larger German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP), funded via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
Two main clusters will gain most from the investment: a northern German cluster including Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, and Stade and the city of Chemnitz. Chemnitz alone will get almost EUR 84 million; the state of Saxony will co-finish another EUR 14 million. This financial support emphasises the strategic relevance of Chemnitz and the neighbouring areas in the national endeavour towards creative energy solutions.
The northern German cluster receives the remaining money, underscoring the region’s critical contribution in developing hydrogen technologies. By improving their capacity in creating hydrogen technologies and attaining market readiness, these centres are meant to benefit startups, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), and the supply industry.
Emphasising the crucial part hydrogen plays in reaching sustainable mobility and a climate-neutral economy, Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing He pointed out, “hydrogen offers a fantastic chance to make the economy and mobility more sustainable and climate-neutral. We have to grab this possibility. Only by doing this will we be able to match industrial policy aims with those of climate policy and simultaneously advance technology.”
The Chemnitz facility receives funding of about 84 million euros, of which Saxony is co-financing roughly 14 million euros. Under the context of NextGenerationEU, the funds for the federal funding of the ITZ-H originate from the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) and are supplied via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF).
Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport Volker Wissing:
“Hydrogen offers a great opportunity to make mobility and the economy more sustainable and climate-neutral. We must use this potential. This is the only way to combine climate policy goals with industrial policy goals and at the same time advance the technology. The hydrogen innovation and technology centers supported today are making a decisive contribution to this. The mission is clear: the hydrogen centers are intended to support small and medium-sized companies and the supplier industry in particular in the transformation to climate-friendly technologies. As incubators, they create the conditions for bringing new applications to market maturity – with the latest development, inspection and test infrastructure.”
Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter , who was represented in Berlin by State Secretary for Economic Affairs Thomas Kralinski:
“I am extremely happy for the city of Chemnitz, whose rich industrial heritage has also helped it to win the title of European Capital of Culture 2025. Chemnitz is now once again actively shaping the future of the economy and is further expanding its position as an important international hydrogen technology location. As part of the ITZ network, the Hydrogen Innovation Center will operate a state-of-the-art test environment and world-class research and development for hydrogen technologies of the future. HZwo eV, as the sponsor, will ensure that the technology and knowledge transfer offers actively shape the transformation of the supplier industry and help meet the increasing demand for well-trained specialists in the hydrogen economy. As the Free State of Saxony, we are sticking to our financial commitment even in these economically challenging times and are co-financing the strategically important project with around 14 million euros.”
Hans-Georg Tschupke, Chairman of the Forum of the Hanseatic Hydrogen Center for Aviation and Maritime in Northern Germany:
“The use of hydrogen and its derivatives is an important prerequisite for a climate-neutral basic materials industry as well as in the shipping and aviation sectors. With the North German Hydrogen Strategy, we recognized this importance early on. We benefit from more than a hundred years of aviation and shipping experience that are available for the development of alternatively powered aircraft and ships at the site. With our location advantages and our expertise in these areas, we are jointly assuming responsibility for decarbonization and the reduction of CO2 emissions. SMEs and startups should benefit from the results and thus become innovators and experts in decarbonization.”
Centres of Hydrogen Innovation and Technology: Chemnitz and Northern Germany
The BMDV is applying a central measure of the Federal Government’s National Hydrogen Strategy using the Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centres (ITZ-H2). Particularly supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), start-ups and the supplier industry in further developing hydrogen technologies and bringing them to market maturity, are the two sites in Chemnitz and the northern German cluster of Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Stade.
In Chemnitz, the so-called Hydrogen Innovation Centre (HIC) concentrates on helping mechanical engineering and the supplier sector undergo change. Particularly in the realm of fuel cells and hydrogen applications, the emphasis here is on components, assemblies and systems as well as innovative test processes and digital twins.
Shipping and aviation take the stage at the Hanseatic Hydrogen Centre for Aviation and Maritime (H2AM), northern Germany. The work mostly addresses the evolution and integration of hybrid drives, fuel cell systems, refuelling ideas, storage and logistics of hydrogen and its derivatives.
Modern development and test settings with specialised hydrogen laboratories and workshops of the highest worldwide level abound both centres. They also pool knowledge in industrial research and development, certification, norming and standardising for German enterprises’ technological progress.
