On March 26, 2026, the Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency hosted the CONNECTING HYDROGEN conference – the closing event of the RenewStart project and a flagship platform for building strategic global partnerships in the hydrogen sector. Dr Krystian Machaj from Instytut Energetyki – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy also participated in the event and took part in the panel discussion moderated by Dr Rumyana Grozeva.
The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and innovators to explore one central question: how do we turn hydrogen ambition into real deployment?
From high-level policy discussions and regional strategies to concrete projects transforming Stara Zagora into a hydrogen frontrunner, the conference highlighted the importance of collaboration across all levels – European, national, and local. A strong focus was placed on skills development, workforce transition, and creating ecosystems that can support the hydrogen economy.
International perspectives from emerging hydrogen hubs added valuable context, while innovation, investment, and security sessions shifted the conversation toward implementation and scalability.
What stood out most was the effort to make hydrogen understandable and relevant beyond the expert community – bridging the gap between complex technologies and real societal impact.
