Led by Trakia University (TrU), in partnership with the Polytechnic University of Turin (POLITO), the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), and the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Energy Storage Association (BGN2A), the Centre of Excellence (CoE) H2Start aims to establish the first integrated research infrastructure and innovation ecosystem in Bulgaria dedicated to hydrogen technologies. The CoE will support advanced research, career development, training, and technology transfer, serving as a driver for clean energy innovation. Inspired by leading international academic and industrial models, the initiative will promote institutional transformation in higher education and science through stronger alignment with industrial applications. It will foster opportunities for highly skilled employment and position Bulgaria as an attractive location for scientific and technological progress in Southeast Europe. H2Start will establish seven cutting-edge laboratories dedicated to research, innovation, and industrial services across the full hydrogen value chain. This is the largest and most ambitious research and technology initiative of its kind in Bulgaria in recent decades. The construction of the labs is part of this funding proposal and contributes to the broader H2Start project funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Located in Stara Zagora, a region with lower research intensity outside the capital, the CoE will serve as a model for territorial expansion of research and innovation in Bulgaria. It will create new opportunities for highly qualified professionals, foster regional innovation, and support the emergence of start-ups and new green jobs across the country.