Catalonia and Jeju Deepen Cooperation on Green Hydrogen and Clean Energy Innovation

Catalonia and Jeju strengthened their cooperation on green hydrogen, clean mobility and industrial decarbonisation during a special session at the Green Hydrogen Global Forum, building on international collaboration supported through the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme.

The discussions highlighted the strong alignment between Catalonia and Jeju as both regions pursue ambitious climate and clean-energy goals. Jeju is targeting 100% electric vehicle adoption by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2035, while positioning itself as a “Climate Economy Capital.” Catalonia, meanwhile, is expanding a broad hydrogen ecosystem spanning industrial production, mobility, aviation, ports, research and innovation.

The IURC programme was highlighted during the session as an important platform for strengthening international collaboration in hydrogen research. A presentation on cooperation with Jeju referenced an IURC joint hydrogen research workshop connecting researchers and regions from Europe, Asia and Australasia, demonstrating how regional partnerships can help link research expertise, practical applications and future projects.

This cooperation builds on links between Jeju National University and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). Jeju National University’s Green Hydrogen Global Leading Research Center and UPC’s hydrogen research capabilities are working to strengthen collaboration, with the goal of identifying concrete joint research topics, developing new technologies and supporting the next generation of researchers.

Green hydrogen emerged as a particularly promising area for deeper cooperation. Catalonia presented its growing hydrogen ecosystem, including Tarragona’s development as a major hydrogen valley, Barcelona’s focus on port logistics and mobility applications, and Lleida’s role as a testing ground for hydrogen-powered aviation.

At Lleida-Alguaire Airport, projects are addressing the full green hydrogen cycle, liquid hydrogen storage for aviation and zero-emission flight. The airport is also being positioned as an innovation platform for green energy, new aviation technologies, space and dual-use applications.

Research and technology organisations presented additional work spanning hydrogen production, carbon capture, synthetic fuels, e-methanol and industrial decarbonisation. A recurring theme was the importance of moving technologies from research into practical deployment, supported by testing facilities, infrastructure and appropriate regulatory frameworks.

Participants also discussed the economic challenges facing hydrogen development. Reducing production costs, improving electrolyser efficiency and finding productive uses for hydrogen byproducts were identified as important priorities, alongside the potential to combine hydrogen production with carbon capture and other circular approaches.

The discussions also revealed complementary strengths between Korea and Catalonia. Catalonia is placing significant emphasis on large-scale industrial demand, while Korea has developed substantial hydrogen mobility infrastructure, including approximately 250 hydrogen refuelling stations and around 7,500 hydrogen vehicles.

Several avenues for future cooperation were identified, including bilateral Korea-Spain programmes and European instruments such as Horizon Europe, Eureka/Eurostars and M-ERA.NET. The Korea-Spain Strategic Program was highlighted as a particularly promising channel for developing future joint projects.

The session reinforced the value of international regional cooperation in accelerating the green hydrogen transition. Through the IURC programme and related research partnerships, Catalonia and Jeju are building connections that can help transform shared climate ambitions into concrete research, demonstration and innovation activities.