This week, from 4 to 5 September, Riga hosts the European Hydrogen Valleys Investment Forum 2025, bringing together more than 600 participants from across Europe and the world – investors, researchers, businesses, innovators, and policymakers.
The Forum aims to show how hydrogen technologies can become a practical solution for energy and also for transport, industry and the urban environment, highlighting the synergies between green energy and digitalisation – areas in which Riga is positioning itself as a leader.
Introducing hydrogen solutions, Viesturs Kleinbergs, Chairperson of the Riga City Council, says, “Riga needs to combine green energy with digital transformation competencies in its development. We are building a city where real-time data and digital twins help manage traffic, strengthen security and critical infrastructure, and hydrogen provides sustainable energy. Hydrogen technology is not just a vision for the future, it is Riga’s path to the future, building a clean, smart and resilient city for its citizens.”
Hydrogen is being looked at in Riga with a broad perspective: in the future, it could be used in critical infrastructures such as hospitals, data centres and traffic control hubs as a reliable backup energy source. It can also be used in public buildings such as schools, municipal buildings and offices, where hydrogen can be used with solar energy for a sustainable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Riga as a test city for Europe
Riga is one of the 100 European Union cities that form part of the “100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities” mission to become climate neutral by 2030. And the city operates as an innovation territory where solutions are tested and can be replicated by other European cities.
The Riga Digital Agency plays an important role in this journey, developing and implementing solutions such as the digital twin of mobility, IoT systems, artificial intelligence tools for data analysis and critical infrastructure monitoring. These technologies allow cities to manage traffic, energy flows and security systems in real time, strengthening resilience to external shocks ranging from natural disasters to energy price fluctuations.
Arnis Gulbis, Director of the Riga Digital Agency, explains, “Riga proves that digitalisation and green energy are not a dream of the future, but a reality of today. With digital twins, IoT solutions and innovation from local businesses, we are creating systems that are safe, smart and resilient. Hydrogen, together with our digital expertise, will help strengthen critical infrastructure, ensure cleaner mobility and prepare the city for any challenge. Riga is ready to be a pilot area for Europe – a place where ideas become practical solutions.”
This year’s Forum likewise focuses on Latvian innovation companies that are developing components for hydrogen production and storage and are able to compete internationally with their products and contribute to Europe’s clean energy transition. The choice of Riga as the venue for the Forum confirms the city’s ambition to become a major innovation hub in Europe.
Organised by Tech Tour in collaboration with local and international partners, the Forum has become one of the most important events in Europe for shaping the future of green energy.
Photos by: Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Further information: Tatjana Smirnova, Project Coordinator of the External Communication Division of the Communication Department of the Riga City Council, e-mail: tsmirnova11@riga.lv
