Cleantech Oulu participated for the second time in the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam on May 22–23, 2025. Business Finland had gathered 20 organizations for Finland’s joint stand: companies and regional development agencies. The world’s happiest country branded its stand as the State of Happiness.
Oulu was showcased under the theme “Most extensive hydrogen Hub in Europe.” We highlighted Oulu’s strengths and our six hydrogen projects. Our understanding of Oulu’s position at the forefront of hydrogen development was reinforced. Oulu worked closely at the fair with, among others, the West Coast hydrogen valley Both2nia and the southern “Oulu South” hydrogen valley.
The pavilion buzzed with interest in Finland, leading to meetings and concrete negotiations. Seppo Kaikkonen and Janne Hietaniemi from BusinessOulu had about 70 high-quality meetings over the two days. Janne’s highlights included meetings with two new investor candidates at the fair. Seppo, on the other hand, saw the greatest benefit of the fair as the opportunity to test Oulu’s hydrogen strategy with international actors. We also see cooperation within Finland’s innovation ecosystem as very important. Together, we sought new ways and opportunities to tackle the ever-changing market.
Connections were also built with hydrogen valleys in different countries at the fair. For example, visits to Oulu were agreed upon with hydrogen actors from Germany and the Netherlands during Nordic Hydrogen Week in February 2026.
Our team included several companies developing hydrogen projects in the Oulu region, such as Oulun Energia, P2X Solutions, Energiequelle, and ABO Energy. Together, we aimed to find missing pieces for Oulu’s hydrogen ecosystem at the fair, such as technologies and hydrogen users.
In the hydrogen economy, most of the planning reservations have been made, and now the focus is on ensuring that as many reservations as possible turn into concrete investments that create jobs and well-being in the north.
