Gastech 2025 Milan: Market Insights and Talent Implications

Over four days, Gastech reinforced its reputation as not only a forum for dialogue but also a platform for action, with more than 20 MoUs and deals worth over USD 60 billion announced. The central tension that ran through the sessions was clear: how to strike the balance between securing reliable, affordable energy today while accelerating toward a low-carbon future. 

Across ministerial roundtables, leadership panels and technical sessions, this balancing act shaped every discussion – from LNG supply resilience to the scaling of carbon capture, to early frameworks for hydrogen trade. What emerged was a sense that the energy industry is moving beyond ambition into execution. For businesses, this evolution has direct implications not just for strategy, but for the skills, capabilities and talent required to make it happen. 

The following insights from the conference highlight important trends and their impact on talent and hiring strategies.

Energy Security & Resilience 

Energy security dominated the agenda at Gastech, underscoring that resilience is no longer a side theme but the bedrock of energy strategy. Discussions highlighted diversification of LNG supply chains, expanding storage capacity, and rethinking contract structures to introduce more flexibility and optionality. A European minister even described secure energy supply as “a national defence imperative,” reflecting just how high the stakes have become. 

For hiring leaders, this translates into new types of roles. Firms are seeking:  

• Specialists who can model supply-chain risk 
• Engineers who can design resilient storage and buffering systems 
• Contract experts who understand the dynamics of flexible LNG agreements 

Increasingly, the most valuable talent will be those who can bridge both energy security and decarbonisation priorities – balancing the urgent with the transformative. 

Decarbonization Pathways 

If energy security was about the “here and now,” decarbonisation was about the “how soon.” Gastech 2025 signalled that carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), methane abatement and renewable integration are no longer pilot concepts; they are moving rapidly into commercial scale. Technical showcases featured modular capture units and CCUS clusters, while AI-driven methane detection technologies demonstrated how data and digital tools are becoming essential in emissions reduction. 

This shift brings with it a clear talent challenge. CCUS specialists, emissions analysts and regulatory professionals are in growing demand, as are engineers who can integrate hybrid systems combining natural gas, renewables and hydrogen. For organisations, the message is clear: decarbonisation expertise is not a niche add-on, it is fast becoming a core business capability. 

The Hydrogen Economy 

Few themes carried as much momentum as hydrogen. The debate has moved firmly beyond “if” to “how fast” and “at what scale.” A standout session explored how lessons from the LNG value chain – modularity, scalability, and trade frameworks – could be applied to hydrogen, while other panels focused on the early steps toward international certification and cross-border trade. 

Hydrogen’s rise is reshaping hiring priorities. Demand is building for engineers who can design and deploy electrolyzers and fuel cells, logistics professionals who understand hydrogen transport and storage, and market specialists who can structure offtake agreements and navigate emerging regulations. Firms that still treat hydrogen skills as “nice to have” risk being left behind as the sector moves from pilot to mainstream. 

Financing the Transition 

Capital flows were another recurring theme in Milan. Public–private partnerships, blended finance models and ESG-linked instruments are all gaining traction as ways to mobilize investment into transition projects. Investors are also becoming more demanding, requiring clear, transparent sustainability metrics before backing new ventures. 

This has profound implications for talent. The industry needs project finance specialists who can structure blended deals, sustainability analysts who can link climate strategies to financial performance, and legal professionals who can craft innovative offtake and risk-sharing agreements. Just as importantly, firms will need professionals who can engage with governments and multilateral institutions to secure the guarantees and frameworks that de-risk transition projects. 

Technology & Innovation 

Technology underpinned many of the discussions at Gastech 2025. Digital twins, AI-driven trading and modular LNG units all took centre stage. LNG-powered shipping and micro-LNG facilities were presented as efficiency drivers, helping to cut emissions and open access to new markets. 

This shift cements the need for digital talent. Data scientists, AI engineers, and software developers who can apply analytics to trading, emissions monitoring, and logistics optimisation are in particularly high demand.  

At the same time, the growth of modular solutions is driving demand for engineers with systems integration and prefabrication expertise. Innovation is a differentiator, and the right digital and engineering hires will be critical. 

Policy & Collaboration 

Perhaps more than any previous edition, Gastech 2025 made clear that collaboration is non-negotiable. Global regulatory alignment – particularly around hydrogen, CCUS and carbon markets – is essential if projects are to scale. Many of the agreements signed in Milan were not just commercial but publicly anchored, bringing governments and industry together to share risk and accelerate delivery. 

For talent strategies, this means an increasing need for government affairs specialists, regulatory strategists and professionals who can manage complex ecosystems of partners and stakeholders. As collaboration becomes a premium, firms will benefit from hiring individuals who can operate fluently at the intersection of policy, business and technology. 

Regional Dynamics 

Gastech also highlighted how the energy transition is unfolding differently across regions, with each geography shaping its own priorities and opportunities: 

• Europe: Accelerating investment in hydrogen and clean energy infrastructure to strengthen security and reduce external dependencies. Talent implications: Demand will rise for hydrogen project developers, regulatory specialists and infrastructure engineers who can deliver at speed within complex policy frameworks.

• Asia: LNG demand remains strong, expanding beyond power generation into industrial feedstock, transport and marine fuels. Talent implications: Firms will need LNG commercial experts, shipping and logistics professionals, and dealmakers with deep regional market knowledge.

• MENA: Increasing LNG exports while leveraging abundant resources to position as future leaders in hydrogen production. Talent implications: The region will seek both technical specialists in hydrogen production and export, and international partnership managers to build global offtake agreements.

• United States: Cementing its role as a cornerstone LNG supplier while also driving innovation in CCUS, methane mitigation and hydrogen technologies. Talent implications: US firms will compete heavily for CCUS engineers, AI and digital energy talent, and policy specialists able to navigate evolving federal incentives and approvals. 

Final Reflections on Gastech 2025 

The tone at Gastech 2025 was clear: execution matters. The industry has moved beyond “why” and is now focused on “when, where, and how.” This shift puts new pressure on organisations not just to deliver projects, but to have the right people in place to execute them.  

For hiring leaders, five imperatives stand out:  

1. Build resilience capabilities 
2. Treat decarbonisation expertise as core 
3. Accelerate hydrogen skill development 
4. Strengthen financial and regulatory capacity 
5. Invest in digital and modular innovation talent.  

Add to this the importance of regional depth, and it is clear that talent strategy has become as central to the energy transition as capital and technology. 

For a conversation about your firm’s talent strategy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

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Brad Knox

Global Head of Commodities and Managing Partner for North America

E: brad.knox@weareprocogroup.com T: +1 646 707 2488

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