LEONE is a go: five Veneto innovators unite for next-generation electrolysers

Pietro Fiorentini, Athena, 2RZ, the Department of Chemical Sciences of the University of Padua and UniSMART Foundation join forces for the project funded by Regione Veneto: LEan Optimisation of Novel Electrolysers.

With this goal in mind, the LEONE project has officially launched: LEan Optimisation of Novel Electrolysers. Co-funded by Regione Veneto through the PR FESR 2021–2027 “Action 1.1.1 sub B – Hydrogen” within the Smart Specialisation Strategy S3 2021–2027, LEONE brings together five established organisations from the Veneto region, ready to collaborate and share their expertise over a thirty-month programme of industrial research and innovation.

At the heart of the project is the electrolyser, the system that uses electrical energy to split water molecules and produce hydrogen. The project addresses both the stack, the core of the electrochemical process comprising cells, membranes, gaskets and electrodes, and the Balance of Plant (BoP), meaning all the auxiliary systems required for the electrolyser to operate, including cooling systems, control circuits and other service subsystems. These are the elements that LEONE aims to make simpler to manufacture, more reliable over time and less dependent on critical, costly or hard-to-source materials.

The partnership brings together industrial and academic excellence.

• Pietro Fiorentini Group, project leader, brings its deep expertise in the design and manufacture of technologies for gas and energy management, including electrolysers. For LEONE, it coordinates the technical activities and leads the development of components, sealing systems and water management within the electrolyser.

• Athena, with over fifty years of experience in the design and manufacture of gaskets and technical industrial components, develops new sealing solutions for electrolysers aimed at improving their efficiency, reliability and operational lifespan.

• 2RZ, specialised in machine and plant automation, electrical panel design and industrial control systems, contributes its expertise in designing and building equipment for testing and assembling new electrolysers.

• Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Padua (DiSC), a center of excellence at European level for its research into innovative materials and electrochemistry, leads the development of innovative and reliable electrocatalysts and high-performance electrodes to produce green hydrogen. The goal is to reduce or replace the use of critical raw materials, such as platinum and iridium, with more abundant, sustainable, and economically accessible materials.

• UniSMART – University of Padua Foundation, established to foster technology transfer between academia and industry. Its mission is to patent research, knowledge growth and transfer within the project. In addition, it will be responsible for ensuring the widest possible dissemination of the scientific results of LEONE, presenting and communicating them to the academic community, businesses, and civil society.

Five organisations, five workstreams, thirty months: each partner will share further details on their contribution as the project progresses.

1. Simpler and more reliable components
2. More efficient electrolyser assembly
3. Improved water and auxiliary system management
4. Alternative materials to precious metals
5. More efficient and industrialisable electrodes

Turning research into industry-ready solutions, LEONE represents a fundamental step towards a more competitive, integrated Veneto hydrogen supply chain, ready to drive the energy transition.

Project co-funded by Regione Veneto through the Regional Programme ERDF 2021–2027 “Action 1.1.1 sub B – Hydrogen” within the Smart Specialisation Strategy S3 2021–2027.

Focus on: Pietro Fiorentini

Founded in Bologna in 1940, Pietro Fiorentini is one of the major industrial companies in the North East of Italy, with headquarters in Arcugnano (Vicenza). The Group has around 40 locations amongst its production and commercial sites, both in Italy and abroad, and employs around 2,800 people worldwide, with a distribution network that reaches over 100 countries across the continents. In 2025 the Group reached consolidated revenues for over 500 million euros. The Group has a solid customer base including natural gas distribution and transmission companies, Oil & Gas companies, EPC, utilities and industrial end-users, which recognize its absolute standing in terms of product and process innovation. At the core of the company's production is a wide range of technologically advanced solutions all along the natural gas system: from components and services for transmission and distribution networks, to a series of engineered systems that include valves, multi-phase meters, process plants, reducing and metering systems. In the last ten years the company has made significant investments in R&D, M&A, plants and production means, which have led to a leadership position in the Smart Metering and Smart Grids projects. As part of the energy transition, Pietro Fiorentini has enhanced its efforts to seize the new opportunities related to green energy sources such as biomethane, hydrogen and power to gas, while also expanding its horizons to include water metering, the digitalization of the water cycle, and the environmental sector.
Website: fiorentini.com | News: fiorentini.com/news | Facebook: Pietro Fiorentini |
LinkedIn: Pietro Fiorentini | YouTube: @PietroFiorentiniGroup

Focus on: Athena

Founded in 1973 in Alonte, near Vicenza in north-eastern Italy, Athena began as a specialist manufacturer of engine gaskets. Over more than five decades, it has evolved into an international group with ten locations worldwide, providing direct market coverage, close customer support and specialist technical expertise. Through its Industries division, the Group develops custom-engineered solutions for OEM customers, bringing together long-established expertise in sealing systems, metal stamping, rubber moulding, insulation materials and the manufacture of caps and safety valves. For more than fifteen years, Athena has also been active in the hydrogen sector, developing and industrialising components for electrolysers and fuel cells in collaboration with industrial partners and research institutions. Alongside Athena Industries, the Group operates through its Parts division, which supplies technical replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle aftermarket, and GET, which specialises in the development of electronic and mechanical solutions for engine applications.
Website: Athena.Industries | LinkedIn: Athena Group | YouTube: Athena Group

Focus on: Fondazione UniSMART

UniSMART - University of Padua Foundation is the foundation of the University of Padua dedicated to enhancing research, fostering technology transfer, and promoting innovation. The Foundation serves as a bridge between academia and industry, providing companies, public administrations, and organizations with access to the University's multidisciplinary expertise, scientific knowledge, and research infrastructure to support the development of partnerships, collaborative projects, and high-value innovative solutions. Through an integrated approach, UniSMART supports innovation by offering specialized consultancy, applied research, technology and knowledge transfer, intellectual property enhancement, and the design and management of projects funded at regional, national, and European levels. The Foundation also promotes networking and open innovation initiatives, while delivering lifelong learning and executive education programmes tailored to professionals, businesses, and public sector organizations. These activities aim to strengthen human capital and facilitate the adoption of innovative organizational and technological models.
Working in close collaboration with the University's Departments, Research Centres, and academic staff, UniSMART helps transform research outcomes into tangible opportunities for economic, social, and cultural development. By connecting knowledge with real-world needs, the Foundation contributes to enhancing organizational competitiveness, supporting sustainable development, and fostering innovation at regional, national, and international levels.
Website: UniSMART.it | News: UniSMART.it/news | Facebook: Fondazione UniSMART |  LinkedIn: Fondazione UniSMART | YouTube: @unismart_padova

Focus on: 2RZ

Founded in 1995 in Schio, in the province of Vicenza, 2RZ was first founded as a company specializing in the manufacture and assembly of electrical panels for the industrial sector, soon combining both electrical design (electrical CAD) and automation software (PLC). In over thirty years of activity in various industrial manufacturing sectors, its evolution and expertise have led it not only to be a supplier of electrical panels and engineering based on specific third-party accounts, but to often be a direct consultant to the manufacturer to improve the construction and construction of the machinery or system. The guarantee of technical support and the skills acquired in the construction of on-board wiring for machines or systems has brought it closer to the sector “oil & gas” for the completion and electro-instrumental assembly of gas treatment systems; finally, it has also developed the know-out necessary for the construction of specific test and control laboratories, with continuous acquisition of process data for a constant search for better and efficient solutions through data analysis.
Sito internet:  2rz.it/ Linkedin: 2RZ 

Focus on: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche dell’Università degli studi di Padova

Established in 2004 through the merger of three departments, the DiSC is now one of the most recognized centers for chemical research in Europe. It is home to 101 tenured researchers distributed across 26 research groups, 47 postdoctoral fellows, and approximately 1,100 students. According to the Nature Index, it is the top Italian chemistry department in terms of the quality of its scientific output. It plays a leading role in molecular sciences applied to health, energy, catalysis, sustainable chemistry, and nanomaterials.
Website: chimica.unipd.en | Facebook: Department of Chemical Sciences - University of Padua