Hydrogen has become part of the revised Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) in 2024 and is included in the Progress Report. The Temporary Working Group (TWG) on Hydrogen focuses on cooperation, support, and uptake of research and innovation in hydrogen technology across Europe. The aim is to implement the results from the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the European Research Area (ERA) pilot initiative Agenda Process on Green Hydrogen, published in 2022, using an integrated, systematic, and interdisciplinary approach to address research needs in the hydrogen sector and enhance cooperation among SET Plan countries.
Published on the occasion of the 2024 SET Plan conference in Budapest, Hungary, the SET Plan Progress Report highlights the SET Plan’s role in coordinating EU and national research and innovation (R&I) agendas for the development and deployment of efficient and cost-competitive clean energy technologies to drive Europe’s green and digital transition.
2024 has seen a revision of the SET Plan, aligning its strategic objectives with the evolving European energy policy landscape. The SET Plan’s role has been reinforced in the frame of the Net-Zero Industry Act, and its Steering Group elevated in legal status.
This new legal anchoring is expected to help the SET Plan to strengthen Europe’s industrial leadership in low-carbon technologies by increasing cooperation between policymakers, industry, academia, research institutes and public and private investors. The SET Plan’s stakeholders are at its heart. Drawing extensively on their input, this report offers an overview of their recent work, their challenges, and their opportunities for growth.