Dear Friends,

The summer break and long waited holidays are coming! I wish you all some time to recover your strengths and be ready for the new efforts planned for the autumn.

Summer is an apparently quiet period. However, several activities are moving forward. We are highly concentrated to review and update the roadmaps inside the different Technical Committees and prepare the SRIA update, which is planned for the end of 2023. We are including below some updates on the related plan and the ongoing activities.

At the level of the Secretariat, we are highly concentrated to prepare and promote the upcoming Hydrogen Week event, which is entering into a more operative mood. We look forward to seeing many of you attending the event in November. We have opened the opportunity to have some boots for our members in our Pavilion in favorable conditions, some of them are still available.

The call to apply for the Young Scientists Award is also open. You may find further info in the present newsletter. I would invite you to share this news with your colleagues and with those who can apply for the award. It’s an incredible occasion for visibility, an important result for young scientists, who will be invited to receive the prize in Brussels during the Hydrogen Week.

In the present newsletter, you will find additional info on the recent events of the Electrolyser Summit and the European Hydrogen Forum, organized by DG Growth with the support of Hydrogen Europe. The two days presented the status of the electrolyser sector and the overall hydrogen value chain in Europe. As Hydrogen Europe Research, we had the chance to highlight some important topics of relevance to the research sector. It has been a pleasure for me to have the chance to attend the two events.

Another important event we are supporting as co-organizers is the first European PhD Hydrogen Conference. You are invited to disseminate this event through your PhDs community, and possibly invite them to register and attend an extraordinary occasion to share experiences and opportunities.

Finally, in September, toward the end of the month, we will organize two webinars dedicated to the launch of our two new Working Groups: one, on Low TRL Research, with the aim to identify the specific scientific priorities, and one on Research and Technology Infrastructures, to map the existing ones and identify the main opportunities and gaps at the EU level. You are more than welcome to attend the webinars and participate in the two new WGs.

I wish you a pleasant and relaxing summer, and I look forward to seeing some of you in the coming months!

HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

Presenting: the first EU PhD Hydrogen Conference or EPHyC!

We have grand news: next year we will be organizing, together with the BE-HyFE team, the very first edition of the European PhD Hydrogen Conference, or short EPHyC2024!

Hydrogen, as a promising alternative to fossil fuels, is and remains a hot topic, also in the academic research world. Many researchers in European knowledge institutes are exploring hydrogen-related subjects, but there are not that many purely academic hydrogen conferences available, and especially not solely for PhDs! Since PhD research is at the forefront of new innovation, novel concepts and theories, their insights are worth showcasing!

That is why BE-HyFE and Hydrogen Europe Research decided to join forces and create the very first EPHyC conference: a 3-day event from 20-22 March 2024 in Ghent, Belgium.

The conference will serve as a platform for PhD researchers to present their groundbreaking work, share insights, and engage in stimulating discussions with fellow experts from across the continent.

From mid-august our submission platform will open for all interested European PhDs to submit a short abstract on their hydrogen-related research subject.

More information on the abstract requirements will follow soon, but we want to emphasize that ALL PhDs are welcome, even if you just started and don’t have any results to show yet.

Check out the EPHyC2024 website, and let us know if you are interested in participating!

But there’s more! Next to the many inspiring thematical PhD sessions, there will be plenty of opportunities during the three conference days to network with all the participants at lunch and coffee breaks. We also offer all participants a social program with an ice-breaker event, a conference dinner and final closing drinks. The conference is primarily academic based, but there will be one industry day where you will get to know many interesting hydrogen-related companies and share your thoughts with the people who work on real-life applications.

And the very best thing? The conference will be free of charge!*

Note: the conference will only be open for European-based PhD researchers who will present their topic during the event. There will be a maximum of 200 participants for this first edition.

So: mark your calendars, watch this space for updates, and in the meantime sit tight until mid-August and then submit your abstract! We hope to see many of you in Ghent (Belgium) next year!

More information soon on: www.ephyc2024.com

Or follow us on LinkedIn!

*With many thanks to the Belgian FPS Economy, subsidizing the BE-HyFE project, and Hydrogen Europe Research for their kind contributions.

Young Scientist Award 2023 – competition launched!

Then participate in our Young Scientist Award competition!

The Young Scientist Award is an annual competition organised by Hydrogen Europe Research, aiming at rewarding young researchers (under 35 years old of age) belonging to our member organisations, who have personally contributed to one or more hydrogen-related projects. Same as last year, the 2023 competition will revolve around four pillars, reflecting the structure of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. One young scientist will be awarded in each pillar, and one will be elected “Best Researcher of the Year”, for a total of 5 awards.

The research undertaken may cover fundamentals, applications and analysis within these different categories:
➡️Hydrogen production;
➡️Hydrogen storage and distribution;
➡️Hydrogen usages;
➡️Cross-cutting activities (such as safety, regulations codes and standards or education).

The four winners will receive €1000 Eur each, a trophy and a recognition certificate. The Best Researcher of the Year will receive €1000 Eur, a trophy and a recognition certificate.

The Deadline to apply is 29 September 2023! Click here to discover how to apply.

Hydrogen Europe Research’s participation in the Hydrogen Week

The European Hydrogen Week will take place from 20 to 24 November 2023! The week is one of the biggest annual events dedicated to hydrogen, and Hydrogen Europe Research actively supported the drafting of the program. During the 5 days, thought-provoking discussions with some of the most prominent stakeholders in the hydrogen sector will take place, covering the most pressing topics facing this new industry: the need for both urgency and pragmatism in creating the regulatory framework, the unique challenges different sectors face to decarbonize and how hydrogen can help, and how to remain a leader in an industry that has caught the attention of the rest of the world.

Two main content streams are awaiting you: the High-Level Policy Conference centres around the global, European, and national hydrogen developments and will have high-level policymakers, C-level industry representatives, and experts across the entire hydrogen value chain on stage.

Set in the centre of the expo area, the B2B Forum will be open to all the visitors of the expo. By attending, participants will be able to find new source of inspiration, discover new knowledge and experience peer to peer exchanges.

Register for the event here!

Next to the different conference streams, an exhibition will also take place. Based on the success of the past editions, this year the expo floor is expanded into two halls for a total of over 8000 sqm, ready to welcome more than 6000 attendees. 

If you are a Hydrogen Europe Research member, and you are interested in having a stand in our Pavilion, do not hesitate to contact Simona at s.vitali@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu! There are still a few spots left

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

Results of the evaluations are expected to be shortly communicated by the Programme Office of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership to all consortia, during the Summer.

On 7 July, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership organised a webinar on the public awareness, acceptance and uptake of hydrogen technologies, with the participation of industry, policy and research representatives. The event discussed the results of an opinion survey on the public awareness of hydrogen technologies in Europe and presented the objectives of HyPop, a new project in this field, funded by the Clean Hydrogen JU under its 2022 call for proposals. Participants highlighted some practical implications for messaging and policy, including the role of different actors in promoting the uptake and adoption of hydrogen technologies. More information, as well as the recording and presentations, can be found here.

Following a joint workshop co-organised between the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the Clean Aviation Partnership, the Programme Office has published the workshop’s key messages and recommendations – they can be found here. The outcomes of this workshop will feed into the update of the aviation roadmap and the elaboration of research and innovation topics considered in future Annual Work Plans.

Should you wish to follow the events organised by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership or receive information on the different milestones achieved, check out the website!

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ROADMAPS

Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe members are currently in the process of updating our Research and Innovation Roadmaps. This process will last until the end of the year – if you are a Hydrogen Europe Research member and are interested in participating, you can reach out to our Innovation Manager, Louis Mazurkiewicz – l.mazurkiewicz@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu

These 22 Roadmaps, coordinated by Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe, cover the whole hydrogen value chain (from production to various industrial and mobility end-uses, passing by storage, transport and distribution of hydrogen). They provide a forum for members to discuss the research and innovation activities that should be covered annually and are constituted of experts in their respective fields.

OPPORTUNITIES FROM EUROPE

DAAD Research Tour "Green Hydrogen Research and Technologies in Germany"

The German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD, has started the ERA Fellowship - Green Hydrogen programme to support the mobility of Master's students, PhD candidates and postdocs studying and researching in the different areas of green hydrogen within the European Research Area and other eligible countries.

They are now promoting a research tour, which is intended to encourage contact between young scientists and to introduce them to a variety of research projects and applied technologies currently underway in Germany, both in research and higher education institutions.

A call for applications to participate in the research tour is currently open: DAAD - Research Tour - Green Hydrogen. Applicants are required to complete the survey through the following link: Application Form - Research Tour - GH2, and to submit the requested PDF files by Sunday, 6 August at 12.00.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

WELCOME TO HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEW MEMBERS!

Technical University of Berlin

The broad range of subjects offered by TU Berlin provides students a transdisciplinary scientific education, which in turn is an expression of the universityʼs societal and global responsibilities.

Continuing education in science is an integrative component of university training and enables lifelong learning

Turku University of Applied Sciences

They create solutions for a better tomorrow – both regionally and globally. Their graduates are practice-oriented professionals with top competencies. As a significant regional actor, they harbour close ties to businesses and municipalities in Southwest Finland. Turku UAS is the fourth largest technical university in Finland. Students are sought after experts, with 99 % employment within five years of graduating.

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spanish National Research Council State Agency)

CSIC plays a key role in scientific and technological policy in Spain and around the world. CSIC carries out research, innovation, and training in all fields of knowledge – from the most basic or fundamental aspects of science to the most complex technological developments. For this purpose, it has more than 11,000 employees, of which almost 4,000 are research staff, distributed in its 121 research institutes throughout the Spanish territory.

Leitat

It delivers technological innovations through applied research and development activities in areas including advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, renewable energies, CCU, storage systems, circular economy, sustainability and biotechnology. LEITAT has a strong presence and valuable experiences in carrying out research under different international and national funding schemes including Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 

MEMBERS' VACANCIES

The University of Souther Denmark is still hiring a Post Doc. within sustainable PEM-based energy conversion system component development!

The position is scheduled for two years with the possibility of extension of another year. The activity is supported by a large national project granted by Innovation Fund Denmark.

The targeted starting date for the position is the 1st of October 2023 or sooner. Application deadline is 15 August 2023. Discover how to apply here!

EVENTS ATTENDEND BY HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH

Electrolyser Summit – 26 June 2023, Brussels, Belgium

The event, organized by DG Growth and Hydrogen Europe, presented the state of play in the electrolyser sector in Europe through four sessions. All the participants in the sections were around a table. Each session was introduced by a coordinator of the table and participated by four CEOs or high-level representatives of enterprises. The table was participated by EC representatives, Hydrogen Europe and moderated between the several presentations and the Q/A sessions. The four sessions were focused on Ramping up ELY manufacturing capacities and ambitions, on funding and financing, looking for the opportunities and challenges for electrolyser manufacturing and its innovation, the internal competition, bringing together lessons learnt from partners and competitors, and collecting the EU response on CRMs and advanced materials for a coherent EU’s ELY expansion.

Luigi Crema, HER President, coordinated the last session on CRMs bringing the view on the priorities supported by both strategic actions to secure the CRMs supply to the EU and the need for further research for reducing, substituting, or recycling the CRMs in the ELY sector. The table was supported by Damien LENOBLE, from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.

At the end of the sessions, Commissioner Thierry Breton had a short speech highlighting the importance of keeping on track with the scaling up of the sector and confirming the relevant objectives included in the declaration signed on May 2022.

European Hydrogen Forum – 27 June 2023, Brussels, Belgium

The EU Hydrogen Forum was organized by DG Growth. It brought together several stakeholders representing the different sectors of the hydrogen chain to share the status of the sector, identify the gaps for its expansion, and discuss the main priority actions. The event was opened by Commissioner Thierry Breton with a speech on “Why the hydrogen economy in the EU will secure Europe’s industrial competitiveness”.

Alongside the forum, 5 panels move forward the discussion, touching the different topics of relevance for its scaling up in the next future. The discussion was around the Regulatory Framework, the Skills for the European Hydrogen Economy, the investments in the clean hydrogen, the Hydrogen Bank, and the Hydrogen infrastructure.

A final speech from the Director General of DG Ener, Ditte Juul Jørgensen, closed the Forum

Finally, this was attended by more than 500 people between in place and online.

Luigi Crema, HER President, participated in panel two on Skills, together with Ami Adams from Cummins, presenting the needs of Education and Training, supporting the skilling of the workforce through different priority actions.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT EVENTS!

European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Piero Lunghi Conference 2023 (EFC), 13-15 September 2023

EFC23, arriving at its 10^th edition, aims to bring together academia, research world, industry, public sector to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells technologies and clean energy. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell technologies and clean energy.

EFC23 will continue the strong tradition as one of the leading international conferences in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, providing an excellent opportunity to present recent technical progress, establish new contacts, and to exchange technical, industrial and business information.

Luigi Crema, HER President, will be a speaker at the event. Read more here.

European Hydrogen Energy Conference (EHEC) 2024, 6-8 March 2024, Bilbao, Spain

As part of the relationship of collaboration and cooperation with the Spanish Hydrogen Association, we are pleased to inform you that the new edition of the European Hydrogen Energy Conference (EHEC 2024), organized by the AeH2, will be held in Bilbao on March 6,7 & 8 2024.

EHEC has established itself as a leading conference in the hydrogen sector, taking place every two years for almost two decades. The previous edition, held in Madrid in 2022, attracted over 1100 attendees from 40 countries. With more than 200 speakers, 36 parallel sessions, and over 50 exhibitors throughout three days, it provided a comprehensive platform for knowledge and business exchange.

We believe that EHEC 2024 will offer a unique opportunity to stay up-to-date on the rapid changes within the sector, both in terms of R&D and industrial and regulatory advances.

Please note that the call for abstracts is currently open, if you wish to participate as a speaker. Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the EHEC's registration system here. The deadline to register is July 31.

Follow the event on Linkedin!

Joint European Summer School on Fuel Cell, Electrolyser, and Battery Technologies

The Joint European Summer School JESS 2023 will be held near the beautiful city of Athens on the coast of the Aegean Sea. Once again, the summer school will provide condensed high-level courses on selected topics. The topical content is tailored to the needs of a diverse audience: newcomers to the field of hydrogen, experienced students, and young professionals working at the forefront of fuel cell, electrolyser, and battery applications.

Pass on this information to PhD students and colleagues who might want to participate in this training!

Registrations and more information can be found here.

16th International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors (ICCMR16)

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the International Organizing Committee (IOC) have the pleasure to invite you to participate in the 16th International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors (ICCMR16) which will be held from October 16 – 18, 2023 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.

The ICCMR16 will be organized by the TECNALIA, member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (Spain).

The conference series started in 1994, in Villeurbanne-Lyon (France) with the 1st International Workshop on Catalytic Membranes. Click here to learn more about the programme and to register!

7th International Conference on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells & Electrolysis. Materials, Systems & Applications (CARISMA2023)

The 7th International Conference on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells & Electrolysis. Materials, Systems & Applications (CARISMA2023) will be held on October 1-5, 2023 in Lefkada, Greece.

This series of conferences was initiated in 2008 and is dedicated to all aspects related to Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Hydrogen Technologies. The CARISMA conference series is dedicated to the challenges in the development of materials, membrane-electrode-assemblies, components and systems for low and high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolysis.

The purpose of the conference is to present important issues and recent results, but also to discuss the solutions sought internationally regarding materials development, operation and process optimization, material and device degradation, review of important issues and market perspectives of technologies.

More information about the event and registrations are available here.

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