Technological Infrastructures

Sustainable innovation and the energy transition take centre stage in the Belgian capital. On the occasion of European Hydrogen Week 2026, the NASCHA project, together with its sister project NACHIP and HyMantoValley, will present activities supported by the EU’s Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument to an audience of businesses, researchers, public institutions and investors on 27 and 28 October, at the Hydrogen Pavilion, Stand B4, at Brussels Expo. The aim is to demonstrate how interregional cooperation plays a key role in accelerating the uptake of hydrogen technologies and creating new growth opportunities for local economies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Area Science Park will actively contribute to the event through the participation of Fabrizia Salvi, bringing the activities and future prospects of the European NASCHA project (North Adriatic Smart Communities Hydrogen Accelerator) to the forefront of international discussions. “Taking part in European Hydrogen Week alongside NACHIP and HyMantoValley,” explains Salvi, “provides an important opportunity for dialogue and collaboration between projects that, with the support of the European I3 programme, are contributing to the development of the hydrogen ecosystem. It will also be an opportunity to announce NASCHA’s first Open Call, which will open on 12 November, offering European SMEs the chance to contribute innovative solutions to the development and enhancement of the project’s pilots.” For the NASCHA consortium, the Brussels event represents an opportunity to highlight the role of local and smart communities of practice in the practical adoption of hydrogen-based solutions. By connecting diverse yet complementary regional ecosystems, the project aims to foster innovations that address specific local challenges while also being successfully replicated in other European contexts, across areas such as hydrogen production and storage, transport and distribution, and its various applications. Given the limited number of places available for the networking sessions and panel discussions included in the joint I3 for Hydrogen programme, the organisers recommend that interested businesses and stakeholders register early for the various sessions taking place over the two-day event. REGISTRATION AND PROGRAMME

From 15 to 19 June 2026, Area Science Park welcomed five representatives from universities and research centres across Latin America for a study visit to the ORFEO Data Center, one of five European research infrastructures selected as a “Reference Research Infrastructure” within the framework of the European EU-CELAC initiative. The study visit provided participants with an opportunity to explore the capabilities of a high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence infrastructure embedded within a research and innovation ecosystem serving both industry and research organisations, further strengthening Area Science Park’s role as a European hub for international cooperation in data-driven research and innovation. The visit took place within the framework of the scientific cooperation initiative between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), launched in 2016 with the aim of establishing research infrastructures as one of the pillars of the Common Research Area between the two regions. In particular, the EU-CELAC Working Group on Research Infrastructures (EU-CELAC WG RI) promotes the visibility and sharing of FAIR research infrastructures — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable — while fostering the exchange of best practices and networking activities between the two continents. The selection of ORFEO highlights the data centre’s international relevance and potential. The delegation — comprising professors, research group leaders and scientific coordinators from Argentina, Ecuador and Costa Rica — had the opportunity to learn about Area Science Park’s other major research infrastructures– PRP@CERIC and NFFA-DI, together with their associated services, while also gaining insight into European priorities for digital research infrastructures. Dedicated sessions focused on the digital tools developed within PRP@CERIC and NFFA-DI and their integration with experimental facilities, as well as on large-scale data management practices enabled by artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on interoperability and FAIR principles. On the final day of the visit, a session was held to discuss concrete opportunities for scientific cooperation. Representatives from other Trieste-based research institutions also took part, including : OGS – Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, ICTP – Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics e INAF – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica. The study visit provided a valuable opportunity for exchange and mutual learning between two research ecosystems located in different parts of the world, yet united by the common goal of making HPC research infrastructures more accessible and interoperable.