I had the privilege of participating in the UK Research and Innovation Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme in Germany last week, alongside a cohort of twelve leading British hydrogen technology companies. Key highlights below:
⭐Meeting NRW.Global Business - North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is Germany's most densely populated and industrially robust region. The region boasts 10,000 industrial companies, generating €350 billion in sales and employing over 1 million people.
🔹The chemicals sector is highlighted as a major industry, with a significant demand for hydrogen due to the energy needs of industrial companies.
⭐NRW.Energy4Climate is the state-owned agency for international cooperation in energy, emphasizing the goal to transition the country to climate neutrality by 2045.
🔹Germany's energy consumption is divided among households, transport, and industry.
🔹The chemical industry is a front runner for hydrogen development, using hydrogen for ammonia production. The mobility sector has hydrogen buses and trucks, with projects for green hydrogen production.
🔹The mobility sector is willing to pay more for hydrogen, while industry companies are price-sensitive. The agency emphasizes the importance of keeping industrial industries in the region and developing green steel.
⭐ Visiting Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik (ZBT). ZBT is an applied research institute affiliated with the University of Duisburg-Essen. The institute's focus areas includes new materials and technology, and the balance between basic and applied research.
⭐The meeting at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft covered key metrics and collaborative opportunities. The institute focuses on circular economy, carbon management, green hydrogen, and local energy systems. Specific projects include chemical recycling of plastics, carbon capture from steel mills, and hydrogen production.
🔹The institute has around 32,000 employees, with 75 institutes, making it the seventh largest in the Fraunhofer Society.
🔹The institute's largest project is "Carbon to Methanol," which uses waste from flue gas to produce methanol and other useful products.
⭐ Visiting H2UB - Europe's leading open innovation platform for the whole hydrogen value chain facilitates the 10-week sprint program for start-ups with a fundraising range of 500k to 5 million euro.
⭐Attending Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe and engaging in in-depth conversations with key industry players and stakeholders for two days. It was a pleasure to demonstrate Actuation Lab’s novel Dragonfly Valve at the show.
We are deeply grateful to Innovate UK, Department for Business and Trade, and British Embassy in Germany for their exceptional support during our visit. Our heartfelt thanks also go to NRW.Global Business, Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik (ZBT), H2UB and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for their warm hospitality.
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