Full of energy: HELHa on a mission to Finland and Denmark

From 29 September to 2 October 2025, HELHa represented its Research Centre, CeREF, took part in the “Smart & Green Solutions for Energy” economic and technological mission held in Finland and Denmark. Jean-Baptiste Coulaud, representing CeREF, travelled there to explore the creation of a joint European project with Scandinavian partners.  

Organized by AWEX in collaboration with WBI and the TWEED cluster, the mission aimed to connect Walloon and Scandinavian research and industry around today’s key energy challenges. 

Belgian partners included several compagnies such as MECATECH, Rolls Royce, Haulogy, CE+T power, Jema, John Cockerill, N-SIDE and various higher education institutions like HEH, HELMo, UMons and of course CeREF, HELHa’s Reserach and Continuing Training Centre 

All participants had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with their Finnish and Danish counterparts. 

>>>> Program 

Thematic seminars organized with local clusters 

• Tailored B2B meetings 

• Exchanges with major energy-sector players in both countries, recognized for their innovation 

• A Research & Innovation focus, including meetings with universities and research centers, showcasing ongoing projects and discussing future partnerships within European R&I programs 

Several key moments marked the mission: 

🔹 Teknologisk Institut – More than 1,100 experts work there to advance sustainable technologies from hybrid storage systems to ammonia decomposition. The European projects EFFORT and 2LIPP demonstrate the benefits of sector coupling. 

🔹 Aalborg University – Researcher Hessam Golmohamadi presented SUSTENANCE, a project aimed at creating zero-carbon energy communities by intelligently integrating electricity, heat, water, waste and mobility systems. 

🔹 CORC – Novo Nordisk Foundation – Cutting-edge research on CO₂ capture and conversion is opening promising avenues, including the production of carbon-based proteins and materials. 

🔹 DTU – Technical University of Denmark – The PowerLab showcased innovative tools for modelling and managing Power-to-X (PtX) systems, with strong potential for collaboration with Walloon research hubs. 

Why Finland and Denmark? 

These two countries rank among Europe’s leaders in the energy transition: 

• Renewable energy is deeply integrated into their electricity mix 

• There is a clear openness to digital solutions to modernize the sector 

• Ambitious projects in offshore wind, hydrogen and storage aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 

Promising Outlook for CeREF 

“These were very informative and promising meetings, whether through general presentations, B2B sessions or more informal exchanges, such as at the Belgian  

Embassy in Helsinki. Networking among Belgian participants was also highly productive, and we are already exploring ideas for a joint European project with Scandinavian partners,” explained Jean-Baptiste Coulaud from CeREF. 

These exchanges could lead to projects related to Smart Grids and intelligent energy communities. 

More information about CeREF: CeREF – Research and Continuing Training Centre of HELHa