On ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐, Itecam – Centro Tecnolรณgico Industrial de Castilla La Mancha hosted the ๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ, bringing together 14 participants from public authorities, academia, industry, and SMEs to explore the hydrogen mobility ecosystem in Castilla-La Mancha.
The session combined a structured presentation of the regional SWOT analysis with discussions on cascade funding and ITECAMโs technological capabilities, creating a focused platform to assess ecosystem maturity and identify key development barriers.
During the workshop, participants highlighted several structural challenges shaping hydrogen development in the region:
โข Limited infrastructure across the value chain (production, storage, distribution, HRS), constraining deployment
โข Difficulty scaling technologies beyond pilot phase due to low maturity, performance limitations, and lack of system integration
โข Regulatory complexity and administrative burden, including fragmented permitting processes and uncertainty
โข Limited SME participation, driven by access barriers to infrastructure, funding, and complex procedures
โข Low market readiness and demand, reinforcing dependence on public funding and slowing commercialization
A key conclusion emerged: the main bottleneck lies in the transition from pilot to large-scale deployment, where technological, regulatory, and infrastructure challenges are strongly interconnected.
Despite these barriers, the region demonstrates strong research and demonstration capacity, active stakeholder engagement, and clear opportunities in infrastructure expansion, green hydrogen commercialization, and talent development.
Overall, the findings highlight the need for a coordinated approachโcombining technological scaling, regulatory simplification, and market supportโto unlock the full potential of the hydrogen ecosystem.
The insights from Castilla-La Mancha will contribute to the upcoming ๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ on ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐, supporting cross-regional cooperation and alignment ahead of the demonstration phase.
Cofunded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Implemented within the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument project โIH-MIE โ Interregional Hydrogen Mobility Initiative for Europeโ (Grant Agreement No. 101228317).
