Dear Friends,

We came back to activities after the Christmas break, and I send you all my best wishes for an energetic new year!!!

This year is promising new opportunities and initiatives within the hydrogen sector that is moving to more and more deployment, together with large projects, promises of large investments, market framework support, and related policies.

So, what was only a wish a few years ago, is becoming step by step reality.

Anyways, a lot of challenges are still open for the sector: what will happen with the PFAS ban? How can the European industrial sector grow and scale up in the global competition with a solid basis and strong future perspectives? Are we ready to scale up in Europe with the appropriate and skilled workforce? Do we have the right priorities supported? What will be, in the medium – long term, the role of research and innovation, and how to properly support this with the right instruments?

As Hydrogen Europe Research, we took a position to the open challenges of the sector, having a dual view on the role of research and innovation to support low TRL research, as well as new forms of collaboration with the industrial sector, not only with a push approach of new ideas but complementing it with problem-solving. This is a relevant part of our collaboration and interaction with Hydrogen Europe, for a continuation of support in Europe to R&D&I. We will streamline this along 2024 as a priority.

In the meanwhile, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, thanks to the support of a lot of our experts, opened the call 2024 on January 17. I’m thankful to our 250 researchers and innovators, who supported the process at the different stages. Good luck to all the members in the proposal preparation process.

Together with this, and the challenges on the future of hydrogen research in Europe, we are preparing the next appointments and events of relevance for Hydrogen Europe Research in 2024. The next relevant event will be the conference EPHyC which will take place at the end of March. We are expecting a high success from this! We will do our best to maximize the impact.

You will see in the newsletter this month a lot of further news, so I’m not going to take more of your time, inviting you to read all of them.

HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

"Hydrogen, the first element" - Episode 5: Industry & research - important cooperation for H2 sector

Hydrogen Europe Research President, Luigi Crema, participated in Hydrogen Europe’s podcast “Hydrogen, the First Element”. In this episode, Hydrogen Europe CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis and Luigi Crema explored the crucial partnership between industry and research within the hydrogen sector. The episode examined the symbiotic relationship between innovative research initiatives and practical industry applications, shedding light on how collaboration fosters advancements in hydrogen technology.

Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple & YouTube!

Share your training offers on the European Hydrogen Observatory website!

The European Hydrogen Observatory is the leading source of data on hydrogen and go-to platform for accurate, up-to-date information, including a list of training offers on hydrogen in Europe. Hydrogen Europe Research is responsible for the data streams on training offers and publicly available educational materials.

Have a look to find training or to share your training offers for students and/or professionals, such as Bachelor or Master programmes, Professional training, Summer/Winter School or VET programme!

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

A total of 20 topics have been developed by Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe members (over 250 researchers were involved in the drafting of these topics!), including 5 for renewable hydrogen production, 5 for hydrogen storage and distribution, 4 for transport and 2 for heat and power. In addition, 2 topics will support cross-cutting issues. This call also includes 2 Hydrogen Valley topics.

The deadline to apply to the Call is Wednesday, April 17. Full information can be found here.

As we turn the page of the 2024 Call for Proposals, activities surrounding the development of Annual Work Plan 2025 will soon start within Hydrogen Europe Research – members should stay tuned for the upcoming first milestones!

Should you be interested in participating in the elaboration of the next Annual Work Plan, do not hesitate to get in touch with our Innovation Manager – Louis Mazurkiewicz, l.mazurkiewicz@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu

International Brokerage Event on Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2024 Call

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye has the pleasure of inviting any interested participants to the "International Brokerage Event on Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2024 Call" organised in conjunction with Sabanci University.

This event will take place online on 30 January 2023. The event, which will be attended by high-level officials, offers a unique platform to connect with Turkish and European researchers for discussions and first-hand information about the Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2024 Call, as well as a good opportunity to expand networks and forge new partnerships.

Additionally, following the event, participants will be able to continue discussions on potential collaborations through one-on-one meetings facilitated by the B2Match Platform. This platform will remain open from the event date until the closing of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2024 Call and is accessible to organizations from all countries.

Click here to discover more and register via the B2Match Platform!

NEWS FROM EUROPE

A blueprint for a future joint European degree, accompanied by recommendations on quality assurance and on attractive academic careers in higher education – Call for Evidence

The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to collect stakeholders’ views on three topics:

• Joint European degrees
• European Quality Assurance and Recognition System
• Better valorisation and recognition in career of academic staff

The Commission invites stakeholders to provide their views on the upcoming Communication and recommendations via this call for evidence (open until 6 February 2024). The aim is to gather relevant evidence on the way forward towards a joint European degree, fit-for-purpose quality assurance and recognition systems and attractive and sustainable careers in higher education from all interested parties, from the higher education sector to their eco-system partners, trade unions and employers’ organisations, businesses, and SMEs, research and innovation organisations, civil society, citizens, and Member States (public authorities at local, regional and national level).

This is an interesting opportunity for researchers and higher education institutions to provide their insights on these topics!

MEMBERS’ NEWS

WELCOME TO HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEW MEMBERS!

We welcome new members interested in joining the European research and innovation ecosystem focused on hydrogen! If you are not part of the Hydrogen Europe Research membership, and you would like to have more information on how to join us, contact us at secretariat@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu!

Click here to discover more about our membership criteria.

Abo Akademy University

MEMBERS' INITIATIVES

Symposium On Electrochemical Energy Technology, 20 March 2024, Stuttgart, Germany

The Symposium on Electrochemical Energy Technology (SEET), organised by DLR Stuttgart, will focus on cutting-edge topics in the field of electrochemical energy technology - fuel cells - water electrolysis - rechargeable batteries. These technologies are considered key to the success of the energy transition based on renewable energy sources. The specific topics will be addressed from the perspective of industry and academia, thus providing a comprehensive view and strengthening their interaction. Three sessions on fuel cells, electrolyzers and batteries will be on the agenda.

Click here to learn more! The deadline to register is 10 March 2024.

International Webinar “Living on Hydrogen” - 2024 - Microbial Influence on Hydrogen Underground Storage, 7 May 2024

With great success and attendance of many from academia, industry and governmental institutes, the “Living on Hydrogen” webinar will continue in 2024. More and more data and knowledge are now obtained by researchers around the world on the topic of hydrogen underground storage in general, and specifically the role of microbes. This free online seminar is aimed towards cross-disciplinary scientists, operators and industry members, interested in understanding microbial risks and working on this fascinating topic.

If you want to hear and discuss the latest results please register here! You will receive the Zoom link one week before the event.

There is a chance, for you, to present your projects and work related to hydrogen underground storage during the webinar! If you want to present your recent findings on the topic, send a short abstract (max. 200 words) before 1 March 2024 to: livingonh2webinar@gmail.com

All scientific fields will be considered, but your work should have implications for microbiology.

EVENTS ATTENDEND BY HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH

European Hydrogen Academy launched on January 17

On January 17, the European Hydrogen Academy was officially launched in Brussels.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are expected to play an essential role in the future global energy system, but vocational, college and university educational institutions are still working separately with no coordination and they won’t be able to provide the workforce of 180,000 trained workers, technicians and engineers needed by 2030; the European Hydrogen Academy will involve 100 universities and 500 schools, to share expertise and support the hydrogen workforce.

The project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• Providing continued (digital) access to high-quality educational material, educational and training programmes, and high-level skills forming in the area of FCH technologies;
• Supporting the build of an adequate and capable highly skilled workforce as a key element of a competitive clean hydrogen value chain and scaling up the emerging European FCH industry;
• Creating more and better jobs, strengthening the FCH industry, research and innovation across all fields of FCH technologies, different energy carriers, and whole system integration;
• Increasing general acceptance of hydrogen technologies as this comes together with the diffusion of general knowledge and with the extensive qualification of hydrogen experts.

Hydrogen Europe Research fully supports the European Hydrogen Academy and its objectives. Julia Cora, HER Project & Policy Manager, was present at the event.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT EVENTS!

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.

Follow the event on Linkedin!

CEA LITEN DAYS March 13-14, 2024, Grenoble, France

Liten Days is the must-attend event for decision-makers and experts to discuss new energies (hydrogen, batteries, solar), materials, network systems, decarbonized circular economy and recycling. It is a place where scientists, business leaders, and policymakers can come together not only to share ideas, but to transform them into concrete steps toward our net zero future.

This special format offers attendees a unique combination :

• visit of CEA-Liten technological platforms;
• one-on-one meetings with the CEA-Liten business development managers to discuss your innovative project;
• in-depth technical discussions;
• inspiring plenary session;
• and evening networking reception.

Register here to participate! As a partner of the event, Hydrogen Europe Research can offer to HER members a 20% discount code. If you are interested in participating in the Liten-Days and you are a Hydrogen Europe Research member, please contact Simona at s.vitali@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu!

Hydrogen Days 2024: "Hydrogen – Implementation Lost in Regulation?", 20-22 March 2024, Prague, Czech Republic

Hydrogen Days 2024, now in its 14th edition, continues to be a leading event within the hydrogen community. This conference serves as a significant platform for the exchange of information and experiences across European regions at various stages of implementing hydrogen technologies into everyday life.

The primary focus this year will be the progress of hydrogen implementation, a key aspect in advancing technology maturity and broad public adoption while addressing unforeseen challenges.

The conference will take place on March 20-22 as a physical event. Click here to discover more about the conference!

European PhD Hydrogen Conference, March 20-23, 2024, Ghent, Belgium

The European PHD Hydrogen Conference (EPHyC) is a conference aimed solely at EU-based PhD researchers working on a hydrogen-related research topic. The conference is organized by BE-HyFE (Belgium) and Hydrogen Europe Research, and will have its first edition from 20 till 22 March 2024 in Ghent, Belgium.

EPHyC will be a 3-day conference with as focus PhDs presenting their hydrogen related research to each other. Next to the PhD presentations, which will form the bulk of the conference, there will be social events, keynote speeches and an industry day.

Spring Summer School JESS 2024: Pre-Announcement 2024

In 2023, the Joint European Summer School JESS 2023 was held near the beautiful city of Athens on the coast of the Aegean Sea. Once again, the summer school provided 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.

As the Low-Temperature Fuel Cell and Electrolyser module has attracted incredible interest (as last year), and they had to reject a large number of registrations, they have decided to re-run this module in May 2024. The Spring Summer School JESS 2024 will take place from 5 to 11 May 2024 somewhere in Greece.

More details will follow via the website as it becomes available.

8^th International Hydrogen Technologies Congress (IHTEC-2024), May 12-15, 2024 in Diyarbakir, Turkiye

The 8^th International Hydrogen Technologies Congress (IHTEC-2024) will be held between May 12-15, 2024 in Diyarbakir, Turkiye, an ancient cultural metropolis that connects the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea to Mesopotamia. IHTEC-2024 is a multi-disciplinary international conference hosted by Dicle University and coordinated by National Hydrogen Association, Türkiye.

The congress will cover a broad range of topics related to hydrogen technologies, including, among others, hydrogen economy, hydrogen infrastructure, hydrogen management, safety, production, and transformation. The conference will concentrate on a variety of hydrogen-related technologies and will include both inspiring technical programs as well as enjoyable social events. The technical part of the IHTEC-2024 will include sessions where keynote and general speakers will deliver talks on their work and research in hydrogen energy. The social events will include a welcome reception, a gala dinner, and an organized tour of historical places.

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