During the new phase, GreenE² supports regions in advancing the utilisation of clean electricity, low-carbon hydrogen and bio-based CO₂ into concrete, investment-ready and financeable projects, including the necessary piloting and demonstration activities. The objective is to bridge the gap between research, ecosystem development and commercial investments, and to strengthen Finland’s industrial competitiveness in a rapidly evolving energy system.
“Finland has clean electricity, a strong industrial base and deep expertise – now speed and collaboration are decisive. This is not about a single technology or one project, but about building resilient regional ecosystems that attract investments, create jobs and reinforce Finland’s competitiveness in the clean industrial transition,” says Risto Sormunen, Vice President, Ecosystem Operations, CLIC Innovation Oy.
The GreenE² ecosystem was launched already in 2020. During its first two phases, the ecosystem expanded significantly and laid a strong foundation for Finland’s energy transition — first by developing shared understanding and market conditions, and in the second phase by moving into practical implementation across hydrogen, Power-to-X technologies, carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), sector integration and energy efficiency.
Turku, Oulu and Lappeenranta–Imatra – one shared goal: investment-ready ecosystems
Between 2026 and 2028, GreenE² works closely with regional development organisations and cities to develop hydrogen- and CO₂-based value chains, strengthen market and permitting readiness, and build project pipelines for national and EU funding. Cooperation also supports the advancement of other sustainability-driven initiatives.
The Turku region is positioning itself as Finland’s frontrunner in green fuels and maritime solutions. “The Turku region has an exceptionally strong combination of assets: ports, maritime industry demand and industrial CO₂ streams already exist. The key now is to connect these elements in a controlled way into an investment-ready whole. GreenE² supports exactly this transition from potential to concrete decisions,” says Linda Fröberg-Niemi, Chief Business Officer, Services, Business Turku Oy Ab.
The Oulu region offers scale through renewable energy, industry and upcoming solar and wind power. “Oulu’s strength lies in scale: renewable energy is widely available, and the industrial base enables large-scale utilisation of hydrogen,” says Juha Ala-Mursula, Director, Business Oulu Liikelaitos. “GreenE² helps build bridges from regional strengths to national and international markets.”
The Lappeenranta–Imatra region combines strong research capabilities with bio-based CO₂ streams and industrial processes. “We have a solid R&D foundation and industrial actors actively seeking new, sustainable solutions. Through GreenE², we hope to introduce new elements that bring research, piloting and business scaling closer together, enabling solutions to be more tightly integrated,” says Johanna Väyrynen, Head of Economic Development, City of Lappeenranta.
GreenE² accelerates the transition towards investment-ready hydrogen and CO₂ ecosystems
The third phase of GreenE² focuses on:
- building regional hydrogen and CO₂ platforms
- preparing R&D, demonstration and investment projects
- identifying and addressing market and regulatory bottlenecks
- accelerating commercialisation through collaboration
According to estimates, activities catalysed by the GreenE² ecosystem could enable up to EUR 1 billion in annual business potential by 2040 across the Turku, Oulu and Lappeenranta–Imatra regions. Led by CLIC Innovation Oy, GreenE² supports consortium building, enabling companies, research organisations and public actors to jointly create new business opportunities, support Finland’s green transition, and advance hydrogen- and CO₂-based industrial value chains towards commercial deployment.
CLIC Innovation has updated the strategic direction of the Future Energy Systems theme
In addition, CLIC Innovation Oy has updated its Energy Strategy and Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) 2025 as part of the Future Energy Systems cluster work. The updated SRIA defines the key strategic priorities of CLIC’s energy theme and serves as a guiding framework for cluster activities as well as the preparation and impact of R&D&I projects. The agenda outlines key development pathways related to clean electricity, hydrogen, energy system integration and resilience, and is aligned with the objectives and implementation of the GreenE² project.
For more information:
Risto Sormunen
Vice President, Ecosystem operations
Tel. +358 50 453 4615
risto.sormunen(at)clicinnovation.fi