- UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure invites leading Italian organisations to collaborate in advancing the global hydrogen economy
- Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Reinforces Commitment to Green Hydrogen Investment
- In-depth discussions explore green hydrogen technologies, effective policies, and innovative strategies to navigate the climate crisis
- The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), in partnership with UNIDO ITPO Italy hosted its international roadshow, GMIS Connect – Trieste, on 14 November 2023 at the Palace of the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 17 November 2023: In preparation for COP28 UAE, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) convened leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Italy’s public and private sectors to discuss the role of green hydrogen in powering sustainable manufacturing at its international roadshow program, GMIS Connect. The prominent event was held on 14 November 2023 at the Palace of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in the city of Trieste.
Co-chaired by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), in partnership with UNIDO’s Investment and Promotion Office in Italy, hosted GMIS Connect – Trieste to explore innovative solutions, partnerships, and initiatives that will contribute to the reduction of the manufacturing sector’s carbon footprint. The roadshow reinforces the shared mission of the United Arab Emirates and Italy to enable a Hydrogen economy and combat climate change. The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) leads the local drive of scaling up green hydrogen production and deployment.
H.E. Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI delivered a virtual keynote highlighting the recent launch of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 and the key enablers to accelerate global hydrogen production. These include developing a robust regulatory framework and necessary infrastructure, allocating the necessary funds, attracting direct foreign investments, enabling research and development, fostering innovation, and global collaboration.
H.E. Al Olama, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to give the North Adriatic region an open invitation to the UAE, to come and see what we have established, to come and see what opportunity is out there, and to come and actually witness the investment environment, the ease of doing business, and the potential opportunities for having a future hydrogen economy. The challenges are big. The global demand is going to be big, and we are up for that challenge. We have a vision that is led by our leadership, and we have a proven track record of delivering. I want to send this open invitation to all potential investors – come to the UAE, explore the UAE, and invest in the UAE.”
Spotlighting the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region of Italy and the prospects of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley, the roadshow was hosted in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, UNIDO ITPO Italy, Confindustria, World Trade Center Trieste, University of Trieste, National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), the International Foundation of Trieste (FIT), and the Laboratory on Quantitative Sustainability (TLQS), to promote economy-wide use of green hydrogen.
H.E. Nasser Al Khaja, Chargé d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Italy, delivered a virtual keynote, underscoring the pivotal role of COP28 UAE in developing a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition. Emphasising inclusivity in climate action, H.E. Al Khaja, said: “With a shared vision for global action toward a sustainable future and a mutual belief in the value of collaboration, both the United Arab Emirates and Italy have set ambitious goals for carbon neutrality, invested in renewable energy sources, implemented policies to promote green technological solutions, and committed to developing a sustainable economy hinged on green hydrogen. Ahead of COP28, it is an honour to once again witness an initiative such as GMIS Connect – Trieste, co-chaired by the United Arab Emirates & UNIDO, to address ways of powering sustainable manufacturing and discuss how technologies, policies and standards can enable the hydrogen economy.”
Addressing an international audience attending from across Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, Slovenia and joining virtually from global markets, H.E. Fabio Scoccimarro, Regional Minister for Environmental Defense, Energy, and Sustainable Development said: “Today’s theme, powering sustainable manufacturing, is of critical importance, given that most of the region’s growth and wealth achieved in the last decades, was obtained thanks to the contribution of the industrial and manufacturing sector. It is therefore an honour for us to be chosen for the second time as the venue for a GMIS Connect roadshow.
“I would like to stress the conviction and commitment of the Friuli Venezia Giulia to invest in green hydrogen not as a utopian panacea, but as useful and essential component of such climate action portfolio that all together – European and non-Europeans countries, the public and private sector – we must implement to achieve what I believe to be our shared goal: to continue to have a high-performing industrial sector, while developing an eco-friendly manufacturing practise which we should morally pass down to future generations.”
Held under the theme ‘Powering Sustainable Manufacturing: The Rise of Green Hydrogen’, GMIS Connect – Trieste brought together leaders from government, the public and private sector, academia, and international organisations to explore green hydrogen technologies, effective policies, and strategies to navigate the climate crisis in the context of manufacturing and beyond. Prominent participants included leaders from the UNIDO Italian Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO Italy), DANIELI Group, Confindustria, the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, Emirates Steel Arkan, the World Trade Center Trieste, Trieste International Foundation for Progress and Freedom of Sciences, the University of Trieste, and Hydrogen Europe Research, amongst others.
Namir Hourani, Managing Director of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, said: “The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit embodies the UAE’s unwavering commitment to shaping a sustainable future for global industrialisation. From its inception in 2016, the Summit has been dedicated to fostering inclusive and sustainable industrial development. We are thrilled to bring our international roadshow programme, GMIS Connect, to the city of Trieste for the second time, where we explored the pivotal role of green hydrogen and its crucial contribution to decarbonising industries.
Hourani added: “The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, with its rich history in scientific research and innovation, stands as a testament to its commitment not only to European but also to global hydrogen efforts, as seen by the partnerships in the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley Project. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Trieste provided the ideal backdrop for unite global efforts to drive sustainable manufacturing practices as the world prepares for COP28 UAE.”
GMIS Connect – Trieste was held alongside the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region’s Hydrogen Week from 13 – 15 November 2023, featuring a workshop focused on hydrogen production and storage, a dedicated session focused on the role of research in the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley, and site visits organised on 13 and 15 November. The visits included Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, a multidisciplinary research center of excellence specialised in generating high-quality synchrotron and free-electron laser light, and Faber Industry, a global industry leader specialising in the design, manufacturing, and testing of high-pressure gas cylinders and systems.
GMIS Connect – Trieste marks another step in the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit’s global initiative to drive sustainable manufacturing and foster international collaboration. The event's success reaffirms the commitment of the UAE and Italy to a cleaner, more sustainable industrial future.
