On November 6, 2025, this year’s trinational hydrogen forum took place at the Alte Kraftwerk Basel. Under the motto “Hydrogen – still a vision or already becoming reality?”, around 300 participants from Germany, France and Switzerland came together. The forum was organized by the Chamber of Commerce of both Basels, the H2-Hub Switzerland, Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB), and the Climate Platform of the Economy in the Basel region.
The aim of the event was to highlight the current state of hydrogen development in the tri-border region and to strengthen cross-border cooperation. In several panel discussions and expert presentations, political strategies, technological developments and concrete application examples were presented.
Political strategies and regional projects
A central topic was the trinational hydrogen strategy. Representatives from Switzerland, Germany and France discussed shared challenges and opportunities for cooperation. Panelists included Markus Bareit from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Dominik Bernauer from the Ministry of the Environment of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, and Christelle Lehry from the Grand Est region.
Jürg Grossen, Member of the Swiss National Council and President of the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, emphasized in his presentation the importance of green hydrogen for decarbonization. Dieter Sommerhalter from the innovation and technology company itg presented the “Hydrogen Valley Südbaden” project, which aims to connect regional hydrogen production and use.
Applications in aviation and industry
Another focus was on investments in hydrogen technologies, particularly in aviation. Representatives from Pilatus Aircraft, SPIN and Globalance Bank discussed financing options and technological requirements for the use of hydrogen in the aviation sector.
In another panel discussion on the H2 ecosystem in the Basel region, representatives from IWB, Delica, GETEC Switzerland, Linde Gas Switzerland and the Swiss Rhine Ports spoke. They examined the conditions under which hydrogen can be used economically in industry and logistics.
Utilities emphasize infrastructure needs
A utility talk featuring badenova, NaTran, RWE and Gasverbund Mittelland AG made it clear that building a cross-border infrastructure is crucial for market ramp-up. The need for coordinated planning and regulatory frameworks was particularly emphasized.
Outlook: Forum 2026 in Konstanz
At the end of the event, the baton was symbolically passed to Germany. The next trinational hydrogen forum is scheduled to take place on October 14, 2026, in Konstanz. Next year’s focus will be on education and training in the hydrogen sector, as well as the presentation of regional and international projects. All information about the next forum is available here: https://h2forum-2026.converve.io/index.php
