From our perspective at the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), three technology trends will be particularly decisive in accelerating deep decarbonisation in Europe.  
 
The first is the integration of hydrogen into real industrial ecosystems. The focus is no longer on hydrogen production alone, but on its effective coupling with demand in sectors such as steel, chemicals and heavy mobility, where it can enable structural emissions reduction. This will open a perspective of new green molecules that will cover plenty of demands in all the heavy duty sectors. 
 
The second trend is electrification, supported by advanced storage solutions. The combination of batteries - particularly long-duration technologies such as flow batteries - with renewable generation is becoming essential to ensure system stability and flexibility. This is coupled with a new wave of nuclear energy that is safer and more sustainable, as well as decentralized.  
 
Finally, digitalisation is playing an increasingly central role. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), predictive control, and integrated modelling allows for the optimisation of complex and hybrid energy systems.  
 
Overall, the real acceleration will not come from individual technological breakthroughs, but from the integration of these technologies into functioning, interconnected systems. 

Finding a route to scale-up  
As a multidisciplinary research institution, FBK today operates 12 specialist research centres, including sustainable energy. Here, we work with a wide range of technologies including hydrogen, advanced batteries (including flow batteries), advanced materials and tools for smart energy systems.  
 
Among our projects, several are approaching a level of maturity that makes them ready to scale. Hydrogen systems at mid-to-high technology readiness levels, battery integration solutions and system-level optimisation tools are increasingly deployable in real contexts. 
 
However, the main barriers are no longer technological. They are related to the lack of coordinated infrastructure, regulatory and permitting complexity, and high upfront investment costs combined with uncertainty and demand. In addition, there is still a need for industrial validation at scale. 
 
In this sense, the technologies are largely available, but the challenge lies in creating the right conditions for infrastructure development, for technology deployment, integration and market uptake.  

The potential of Hydrogen Valleys  
We have two initiatives in particular with strong potential to impact the energy transition in the short term.  
 
The first is the realization of the new facilities at the foundation’s Center for Sustainable Energy supported by, among others, two Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), EuBatIn and Hy2Tech. 
 
FBK will implement at full scale the “one-stop shop model”, supporting our partners from industry at their relevant scale through an integrated approach of services and support.  
 
This aims to create local interconnected ecosystems around technologies that could play a relevant role, as well as a positive impact on the economy, energy sovereignty, resilience, and the environment in the local Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy. 
 
The second, and one of the foundation’s most significant initiatives, is FBK’s involvement in the EU-supported Hydrogen Valleys, developing local industrial or transport clusters where renewable hydrogen supply feeds local demand, such as the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley. These initiatives are especially relevant because they bring together research, industry and infrastructure in real regional ecosystems. 
 
Hydrogen Valleys goes beyond pilot projects, demonstrating in this case how hydrogen can be deployed across multiple sectors simultaneously, from industry to mobility and energy systems. The value of the valleys lies in their ability to create replicable models that can be adopted in other regions, while also bridging the gap between research and industrial deployment. 

RINA collaboration  
Working towards real world solutions, RINA and FBK have just signed two letters of intent: one on energy transition and shared strategic areas, and another on AI and new projects linked to gigafactories.  
 
This is expected to lead to joint projects on energy system integration, and the development of AI-driven optimisation tools for industrial and energy processes. 
 
Additional areas of collaboration include support to gigafactory ecosystems, particularly in the battery and hydrogen sectors, and the development of testing, validation and certification services that will take place at the future FBK facilities in Rovereto, a unique hub to test MW-scale modules, today with a planned final investment of about € 40 million.  
 
The success of this collaboration over the next 12 to 24 months will be defined by tangible and measurable outcomes. This means the launch of joint pilot projects with industrial partners, the deployment of AI-based tools in real energy systems, and the development of new services for industry, such as validation, optimisation and sustainability assessments. 
 
In short, success will mean moving from collaboration agreements to real projects, real data and real impact.