CBC, ACWA & IRESEN Launch Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Global Clean Hydrogen Innovation by Connecting Industry, Research & Talent

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During ACWA Innovation Days 2026 in Riyadh, a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was announced between ACWA, IRESEN (Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies) and the CleanTech Business Club (CBC), marking a significant milestone in advancing structured global cooperation in clean hydrogen innovation.

The agreement establishes a collaborative framework designed to bridge industrial challenges, research excellence and emerging talent ecosystems in order to accelerate scalable, real-world hydrogen deployment.

Watch brief leadership insights from Thomas Altmann (ACWA) and Dr. Samir Rachidi (IRESEN) on this strategic collaboration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QWeVz0Q4Qc

From Strategic Dialogue to Structured Action

The partnership reflects a shared ambition to move beyond high-level strategy and translate clean hydrogen vision into intelligent delivery at scale.

By aligning industrial leadership, academic research, startup ecosystems and global networks, the collaboration aims to:

• Accelerate innovation in large-scale green hydrogen production

• Mobilise cross-border talent and startup communities

• Strengthen industrial–research integration

• Support practical deployment pathways in complex operating environments

This structured cooperation model positions hydrogen innovation not as an isolated technological challenge, but as a systems-level transformation requiring coordinated ecosystem action.

Official Launch Foreseen in May 2026 in Morocco

The first flagship initiative under this strategic collaboration will be the Global Clean Hydrogen Innovation Hackathon – Powered by ACWA, in partnership with CBC and IRESEN.

The official Launching Ceremony is foreseen in May 2026 during the:

8th CBC Annual Leadership Forum – “Beyond the Midpoint of the CleanTech Decade: From Vision to Intelligent Delivery at Scale.”

The Forum will also feature the Grand Opening of the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen at École Hassania des Travaux Publics (EHTP), Casablanca — reinforcing Morocco’s growing role as a strategic hydrogen convergence hub.

Further details regarding the Hackathon’s structure, thematic tracks and regional engagement framework will be formally unveiled during the Forum.

Aligned with QVCH – Hydrogen Tipping Points

The Global Clean Hydrogen Innovation Hackathon will be aligned with CBC’s Quo Vadis Clean Hydrogen (QVCH) – Hydrogen Tipping Points Leadership Initiative, which focuses on identifying and accelerating the structural tipping points required to unlock large-scale hydrogen deployment globally.

Through this alignment, the initiative will emphasise:

• Cost optimisation and system intelligence

• Modular and scalable hydrogen infrastructure design

• Ecosystem enablers including policy, permitting and financing

• Cross-sector collaboration between industry, academia and startups

Supported by a Global Innovation Ecosystem

The initiative is expected to benefit from the engagement of CBC’s long-standing global partners, including SNEC and Renewable Energy India Expo, reinforcing its multinational character and cross-continental reach.

Strengthening Morocco’s Global Clean Hydrogen Positioning

By anchoring the official launch in Morocco and linking it to the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen, the collaboration contributes to strengthening Morocco’s positioning within the global clean hydrogen landscape.

Through the combined leadership of ACWA, IRESEN and CBC, the initiative aims to connect vision with execution — transforming strategic partnerships into measurable impact.