“This trip is part of a strong ambition: to position the Grand Est as a leading player on the international scene, to strengthen our economic collaborations and to promote innovative initiatives in strategic sectors such as hydrogen and the bioeconomy, illustrating our commitment to innovation and ecological transition,” wrote Franck Leroy, president of the Grand Est Region, last December, about his presence at the French-Japanese Business Summit in Tokyo.
During his speech given on the occasion of the wishes ceremony of the University of Lorraine, at the IUT Thionville-Yutz, on January 23, the boss of the Grand Est confirmed all the interest of Japanese industrialists for the white hydrogen and the deposit contained in the regional subsoil. And Franck Leroy mentions, without further details for the moment, possible “investments in our region, in the months to come”. And this knowing that Japan is investing massively in hydrogen on its territory but also abroad.
As a reminder, research carried out by the University of Lorraine has highlighted that the Moselle could host one of the largest natural hydrogen deposits in the world in its subsoil. In an interview with CCI France Japon, the president of the Grand Est mentioned a deposit equivalent to “90% of the current reserves of white hydrogen in the world”.
Another clarification, Japan and the Great East have long-standing relations. Many Japanese companies have been established in Alsace for decades and the Japanese appreciate champagne and other Alsatian wines.
The Region has already confirmed its presence at the Osaka 2025 Universal Exhibition scheduled from April 13 to October 13, 2025, on the theme “Designing the society of the future, imagining our lives of tomorrow”. “More than 160 countries will be represented and 28 million visitors are expected at the event,” specifies the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
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