The North Adriatic Smart Communities Hydrogen Accelerator (NASCHA) aims to accelerate transnational innovation in the North Adriatic Hydrogen Ecosystem by validating and demonstrating renewable hydrogen (H2) technologies in 3 territories: Croatia, Slovenia, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy).

NASCHA pilots solutions for H2 value chain, advancing bankability and investor readiness through:

• 3 Smart Communities of Practice, demonstrating hydrogen applications via local actor networks;
• 2 cross-cutting pilots on hydrogen storage and retail distribution, scalable across the communities;
• 1 feasibility study.

NASCHA builds on the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) and NACHIP initiatives, targeting 3 value chains:

• Transportation & mobility;
• Urban areas;
• Sustainable irrigation.

The project integrates regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) from Croatia, Slovenia, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, recognised as a Regional Innovation Valley by the EU and delivers a replicable acceleration framework, involving 20 SMEs (via FSTP) and leveraging quadruple-helix participation.

1. Implement 5 hydrogen pilots (TRL 6+) and feasibility investment and strengthen capacities in 3 value chains;
2. Develop 3 Smart Communities of Practice based on local hydrogen alliances around the quadruple helix actors;
3. Advance hydrogen storage and transmission technologies to boost availability and market competitiveness;
4. Create an investable portfolio of hydrogen solutions and prepare for market scaling through an acceleration program;
5. Promote H2 uptake across the EU via standardisation and transnational technology transfer.

The consortium includes 20 public-private partners from 3 countries, reinforcing the transnational hydrogen ecosystem initiated by NAHV.

The long-term implementation of NASCHA will be ensured through its integration into the dedicated North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley NAHV SPV and through a set of actions to be implemented in the NAHV target areas and in other regional innovation ecosystems across the EU.

NASCHA builds upon the groundwork laid by previous initiatives like the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) and NACHIP, pushing beyond the current state-of-the-art by:

• Accelerated TRL Advancement: Moving H2 technologies from TRL 6-7 to TRL 8-9 within the project duration through validated pilot projects, ensuring industrial-scale deployment readiness. This is a critical step towards commercialisation and widespread adoption.
• Integrated Value Chain Approach: Addressing critical bottlenecks across the entire H2 value chain—production, storage, and distribution—with a demonstration focus on real-world applications.
• Scalable and Replicable Solutions: Developing a comprehensive Replicability Package and integrating it into the NAHV AISBL governance, allowing for seamless transfer and adoption of NASCHA’s solutions across other EU regions and ecosystems.

NASCHA introduces significant innovations across its five pilot projects, supporting them to move from TRL 6-7 to TRL 8-9. The first three of them are built around the concept of the Smart Community of practices where public administration, citizens, research organisations, and industries work together to solve a concrete need of the territory and advancing beyond the current state-of-the-art in the hydrogen economy. The other two pilot projects foresee the technology development of two different innovative vertical solutions, which enrich their catalogue of products.