Brussels, 7 November 2025 – The office of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation to the European Union hosted today the training session “European Funding for the Green Transition: The Role of the Innovation Fund,” an event dedicated to showcasing the opportunities offered by this key European instrument for innovative industrial projects in decarbonisation.
The session featured María Alfayate, Deputy Head of Unit of the Innovation Fund at the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), as the main speaker. She provided a detailed presentation on how the programme works and highlighted Spain’s prominent role in its implementation.
During her presentation, Alfayate explained that the Innovation Fund combines the flexibility needed to adapt to political priorities with a solid structure that drives private investment. Since its launch in 2020, the Fund has held 11 calls for proposals, with a total budget of over €15.8 billion and 276 projects across 28 countries.
Spain holds a leading position both in terms of number of projects and funding volume, ranking among the top three countries in returns alongside France and Germany. With €1.956 billion allocated to projects, Spain stands out particularly in hydrogen auctions and small-scale projects, reflecting the technological maturity and expertise of Spanish companies in the field of the green transition.
“The return Spain obtains is very high when compared to our GDP and allocated emission allowances,” Alfayate noted, also highlighting the role of Spanish consultancies and entities that support companies in the preparation and management of European projects.
Among the Fund’s main areas of investment, the speaker pointed to renewable hydrogen, industrial carbon management, and clean technologies applied to energy-intensive sectors. She also announced that new calls will be launched before the end of the year, including the Net Zero Technologies Call, the Hydrogen Auction, and the Clean Industrial Deal initiative, all aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of European industry.
Finally, she stressed the importance of promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange among the various projects and stakeholders involved, in order to generate synergies, share best practices, and strengthen the overall impact of the Fund’s supported initiatives across Europe.
To conclude the seminar, Pilar Ruiz Huélamo, Director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation to the EU, noted that the current climate financing landscape in Europe presents a decisive opportunity for Spanish companies, encouraging them to leverage the momentum of the Innovation Fund to drive transformative projects. She emphasized that preparation and ambition will be key factors for Spain to maintain its leadership in green innovation and concluded that the Fund represents “a strategic tool to position our companies at the heart of Europe’s climate transition.”
For more information, all details on the Innovation Fund, its calls, and ongoing projects can be found on CINEA’s official website.