Hydrogen Research Center in Wels Secures Funding and Welcomes High-Level EU Delegation

Hydrogen is a game changer for both industry and climate protection. The establishment of the Hydrogen Research Center at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Wels, which officially opened in autumn 2025, was supported through EU funding from the Just Transition Fund (JTF). During a recent visit, Dr. Nicolas Gibert-Morin, Head of Unit REGIO.F.2 at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, toured the facility and learned more about its infrastructure and initial research projects. Gibert-Morin is responsible for EU regional funding programs in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the first phase, a total of €11.6 million was invested in the Wels research center by the Province of Upper Austria and the European Union.

The HyBRID project, for which €9.8 million of the €11.6 million investment is being provided directly through the EU's Just Transition Fund (JTF), aims to advance hydrogen applications and support small and medium-sized enterprises operating in greenhouse gas-intensive industries in developing sustainable and competitive production processes.

Wels Research Driving Economic Growth and Green Jobs
"The work of the research center not only accelerates the adoption of hydrogen as a clean energy source but also creates green jobs and promotes economic growth," emphasizes FH-Prof. PD Dr. Johann Kastner, Vice President for Research and Development at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and the driving force behind the H₂ Center.

In line with the objectives of the EU's Just Transition Fund, the project will help Upper Austria address the socioeconomic impacts associated with the transition to climate neutrality.

Addressing Socioeconomic Impacts on the Path to a Climate-Neutral Economy
"The EU-funded research center in Wels opens up new opportunities for industry to develop sustainable and competitive production processes," said Nicolas Gibert-Morin, representative of the European Commission, during his visit to Wels last week.

In his view, the HyBRID project and its successor project HySOLVE are helping to establish a comprehensive research infrastructure in Upper Austria that serves as a foundation for both fundamental hydrogen research and application-oriented development.

Gibert-Morin summarized its significance as follows: "Beyond its contribution to economic growth and green jobs, the H₂ Center here in Upper Austria supports the objective of the EU's Just Transition Fund by empowering regions and communities to manage the socioeconomic impacts of the transition to climate neutrality."