The European Commission has greenlit a 1.4-billion-euro hydrogen scheme funded by seven EU countries – Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Spain – which aims to leverage an additional 3.3 billion euros in private investments. This marks the fourth joint hydrogen scheme approved by the Commission, emphasizing the EU's dedication to advancing the hydrogen industry in Europe. Notable companies like Airbus, BMW, and Michelin are set to partake in 13 projects under this initiative. In parallel, the EU regulators also sanctioned a 1-billion-euro healthcare scheme sponsored by six other EU countries to bolster research, innovation, and sustainable production technologies in the healthcare sector. This scheme, expected to attract 5.9 billion euros in private investments, will involve companies like Sanofi and Euroapi engaging in 14 healthcare projects, focusing on areas such as cell and tissue studies, breakthrough therapy production, and advanced digital technologies application. Both the hydrogen and healthcare initiatives fall under the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), enabling EU governments to finance these projects while complying with more flexible EU state aid regulations. To ensure accountability, participating companies benefiting from these projects financially will be required to reimburse part of the state aid they received through a claw-back mechanism. Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager highlighted the significance of IPCEI projects in enhancing European competitiveness, noting that the EU's investments exceeding 37 billion euros have attracted a total of 66 billion euros in additional private investments. This substantial influx of funding, surpassing 100 billion euros in total, is poised to strengthen the competitiveness of European industries and drive innovation forward.