Hydrogen Energy Research in Italy in the Bioeconomy Era

In 2026, the nearly concomitant launch of the world's first H 2 ‐powered ship in Ancona, the completion of the first green H 2 pipeline to refuel some 100 hydrogen electric buses in Venice, the start of large‐scale green ammonia production in Saudi Arabia using electrolyzers designed and manufactured in Italy, and the start of Italy's first electrolyzer “gigafactory” near Milan show evidence of the practical relevance of H 2 energy technology developed or uptaken in Italy. This study investigates hydrogen energy research in Italy in the bioeconomy era in which energy is sourced from renewable energy sources, and functional substances manufactured by the chemical industry are obtained from biological resources. The conclusions offer several policy lessons that may be of relevance both to policy makers and researchers based in other countries working toward development and commercialization of hydrogen energy technology.