The HYPER workshop, held on 23 April 2026 in Florence, brought together experts from research, industry, and regional institutions for a highly engaging exchange on the future of sustainable chemical production.
Hosted at Il Fuligno, the workshop explored the role of electrochemical technologies in advancing a cleaner and more competitive European chemical sector, with a strong focus on green hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production.
Advancing Sustainable Chemical Innovation
The event highlighted the latest developments from the HYPER Horizon Europe project, showcasing how electrochemical processes can support:
- Decarbonisation of industrial production
- Circular and resource-efficient systems
- Safer, scalable alternatives to conventional chemical processes
Participants actively contributed to discussions, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across sectors to accelerate industrial transition.
Agenda of Presentations
The workshop featured a comprehensive programme of presentations covering the full innovation chain, from research to industrial application:
Setting the Stage
🔹 Silvia Burzagli (Regione Toscana)
Hydrogen Valley – Towards a Model of Electrification and Competitiveness in Italy
🔹 Richard Heyn (SINTEF)
Introduction to the HYPER project
From Research to Pilot Scale
🔹 Gregor Dolanc (Jožef Stefan Institute)
Engineering and Deployment of the HYPER TRL 4–5 Pilot Plant
🔹 Andrej Podkoritnik (Belinka Perkemija)
TRL 6 and beyond: advancing the HYPER process and plant
Assessing Impact and Scalability
🔹 Hank Vleeming (Process Design Center)
Techno-economic assessment of electrochemical H₂O₂ production
🔹 Stavros Alexandros Theofanidis (AristEng Sarl)
Carbon footprint assessment of the HYPER H₂O₂ production process
Industrial Application
🔹 David Zorko (Helios Resins)
Implementation of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide into coatings production procedures
Interactive Exchange & Panel Discussion
The presentations were followed by an interactive Q&A session, encouraging direct dialogue between participants and speakers.
A key highlight of the workshop was the panel discussion:
“Bridging the Gap: from HYPER Innovation to Industrial Deployment”
Moderated as an interactive session, the panel brought together:
Richard Heyn, Gregor Dolanc, Andrej Podkoritnik, Hank Vleeming, and Martin Ocepek (Helios Resins)
The discussion explored critical questions such as:
- How to effectively move from pilot-scale (TRL 4–6) to industrial deployment
- Whether current technologies are ready to attract investment
- The balance between economic competitiveness and environmental performance
- Challenges in integrating electrochemical solutions into existing industrial processes
- The “missing link” for full market adoption—funding, regulation, or infrastructure
The session concluded with a forward-looking round, where each speaker identified key technical challenges to address in the next 2–3 years to ensure successful scale-up of the HYPER technology.
📺 Watch the Recording
Participants—and those who could not attend—can watch the full workshop recording here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-NLR2aZH3o&t=5417s