About the conference

Green hydrogen is the energy source of the future. It can be used in industry, transport and the heating sector and thus plays a vital role in climate action. Moreover, the transition to green hydrogen helps to reduce Europe’s dependency on fossil fuel imports.

In order to maintain its position in a competitive world that is moving to climate neutrality, Europe must act as a green hydrogen union. Effective long-term links between the European research community and potential partners outside Europe are key to achieving this goal.

This is why we launched the "agenda process on green hydrogen" – a joint research and innovation initiative with a number of European countries – during the EU Council Trio Presidency 2020/2021 of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. As a pilot measure, the process is exemplary for increased ownership and more committed cooperation between the member states within the new European Research Area (ERA).

Within the agenda process on green hydrogen, leading European and international experts from different fields have identified the most important and urgent research and innovation needs for the development of a European market for green hydrogen. These have been compiled in a “Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)” which was published on 18 March 2022 and is available as PDF download on the right.

The SRIA is not only an exemplary achievement of European research cooperation: It also provides guidance and increased certainty with regard to our funding of research and innovation, paving the way towards a competitive European hydrogen economy.

Join the conference “Green Hydrogen for a Sustainable European Future” for an interactive forum on 16 and 17 May where scientific experts, industry leaders and policymaking and civil society representatives from across Europe will converge to discuss the outcomes of the agenda process and the next collaborative steps to build strategic energy transformation partnerships.

Who should attend?

This conference is aimed at:

• Policymakers from Europe and around the world
• Universities and non-university research institutions involved in green hydrogen research
• Industry leaders as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the green hydrogen market
• Hydrogen offtakers
• Investors
• Civil society organisations (CSOs)/non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• Associations representing the green hydrogen and renewable energy sectors

Gallery

Impressions

Speakers

Meet high-profile speakers from science, industry, society and policymaking at the “Green Hydrogen for a Sustainable European Future” conference.

1^st Day (16 May 2022)

Panel 1

• Bettina Stark-Watzinger

Federal Minister of Education and Research, Germany

Bettina Stark-Watzinger has been Federal Minister of Education and Research since December 2021.

She has been member of the German Bundestag since 2017, representing constituency 181 - MainTaunus. She is Chair of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in Land Hesse and Member of the Federal Executive and Presidium of the FDP.

Bettina Stark-Watzinger was born on 12 May 1968 in Frankfurt am Main and lives in Bad Soden am Taunus.

• Prof Dr Mario Ragwitz

Professor Mario Ragwitz is Director of the German Fraunhofer Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems (IEG) since December 2019. Before that, he was Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI in Karlsruhe.

As scientific director of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence "Integrated Energy Systems" he coordinates the joint research of eight Fraunhofer Institutes in the field of energy system transformation, since 2019. He was also appointed as spokesman of the Fraunhofer Hydrogen Network in April 2020, which coordinates the work of 35 institutes in this field. He holds a chair in “Integrated Energy Infrastructures” at the Brandenburg University of Technology, a position as an honorary professor at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg and is part-time professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

• Rosalinde van der Vlies

Ms. Rosalinde van der Vlies is the Director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Deputy Mission Manager of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

Before her appointment as Director, Ms. van der Vlies was the Head of Coordination & Interinstitutional Relations Unit, and acting Head of the Communication & Citizens Unit.

Previously she held positions in Directorate-General Environment, Directorate-General Justice and Home Affairs, and in the private office of Janez Potočnik, the European Commissioner for the environment.

Before joining the European Commission, she worked as a competition lawyer in an international law firm in Brussels and was a part-time teacher at the Catholic University in Brussels.

• Dr Ulf Steffen Bäumer

Ulf Bäumer is responsible for Innovation, Service & Digitalization for the electrolysis technologies for the production of green hydrogen within the German entity of thyssenkrupp nucera.

Mr. Bäumer finished his PhD in organic electrochemistry at the university of Münster before he joined thyssenkrupp in 2004. He held various positions in the fields of Process, Innovation, Service and Sales within the electrolysis technology. Lately he was also active in the petrochemical sector in the fields of propane conversion and polyols before he was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s Indian branch between 2019 and 2021.

• Dr Rebecca Maserumule

Chief Director, Hydrogen and Energy at the National Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), South Africa

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Networking Session 1

Moderator:

• Dr Monika Hackel

Dr Monika Hackel is Head of Department “Structure and Regulation of Vocational Education and Training” at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany (BIBB). Her special focus lies on the analysis, conception and evaluation of qualification and certification concepts in VET. Another Research interest lies on technological innovation and education.

After finishing her doctoral research study at FernUniversität in Hagen, she worked as a self-employed consultant in the field of systemic and strategic consulting in the mechanical and plant industry.

Dr Hackel is a member of the German Society for Ergonomics and Work Science (GfA). She has also been appointed to the advisory boards of various institutions, such as the Institute of Technology and Education (ITB) at the University of Bremen, the board of the Youth Education and Development Foundation of Machine-building and the Institute for Professional Apprenticeship for the German Insurance Industry.

Impulse Speaker:

• Hélène Chraye

Head of Unit Clean Energy Transition, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission

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Networking Session 2

Moderator:

• Prof André Faaij

Director of Science TNO Energy Transition & Professor Energy System Analysis at Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Netherlands

Impulse Speaker:

• Wilfried Kraus

Former Deputy Director-General of Division 22, European Cooperation in Education and Research, 

of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany

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Networking Session 3

Moderator:

• Dr Peter Raimann

Senior Expert Mobility & Vehicle Technologies, Austrian Energy Agency, Operational and strategic support to Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK)

Senior Expert Vehicle Technologies, AustriaTech – Gesellschaft des Bundes für technologiepolitische Maßnahmen GmbH, Operational and strategic support to the Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK)

Managing Partner, Managing Director, Senior Expert Technologies and Due Diligence, EOS Invest GmbH and Steirischer Technologie- u. Wachstumsfonds Beteiligungen GmbH

Postdoc, project management, doctoral student and diploma student at Graz University of Technology, Institute for Chemical Technology of Inorganic Materials

Impulse Speaker:

• Bart Biebuyck

Bart Biebuyck is since 16th May 2016 the Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (Clean Hydrogen JU), a public-private partnership aiming at facilitating the deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe. Under his leadership, a strong emphasis on cooperation with cities and regions led to the creation of the European Hydrogen Valleys partnership with around 40 European regions. Dissemination of project results, building technology awareness and enhanced basic research became his key focusing points.

Before, Bart Biebuyck was at the Fuel Cell department of Toyota Motor Europe where he held the position of Technical Senior Manager. His expertise in the automotive industry includes extensive knowledge related to the deployment of new technologies in the European market. It is as part of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) program in Berlin that Bart worked at reinforcing European trials for the Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle. He also had the opportunity to develop and expand his expertise in Japan, where for two years he worked on the development of Toyota and PSA’s small vehicle.

In addition to his industrial experience, Bart has been politically active in his local town since 2006. In 2013 he became the vice president of the City Council, responsible, among others, for the local economy and education.
Bart’s term as the Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking was extended for four years until 15 May 2023.
Bart studied Automotive engineering at the HTS Autotechnieken in Arnhem (previously Appeldoorn)

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2nd Day (17 May 2022)

Welcome Statements

• Sandra Lehneke

Deputy Director General European Cooperation in Education and Research, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany

• Dr Fiona Simon

CEO, Australian Hydrogen Council

Panel 2

• Dr Stefan Kaufmann

Dr Stefan Kaufmann has served as Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since 19 June 2020. Dr Kaufmann, an experienced education and research policy maker, was appointed by the ministry in the context of implementing the Federal Government’s National Hydrogen Strategy. The Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen is a permanent guest on the State Secretaries’ Committee for Hydrogen of the participating ministries as well as the National Hydrogen Council. He is responsible for coordinating the focus of the BMBF’s research and development activities and the transfer of R&D results into practical application, cooperating with various stakeholders from politics, industry and research who are involved in this process. The Innovation Commissioner is also tasked with introducing promising, innovative approaches and ideas from BMBF-led research on the political stage and in public debate.

Prior to his appointment as Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen, the fully qualified lawyer served as chair of the Study Commission “Vocational Training in the Digital Work Environment” and CDU/CSU spokesperson on the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment of the German Bundestag. Dr Kaufmann served as directly elected Member of the Bundestag for his Stuttgart constituency from 2009 to 2021. He chairs the CDU Federal Committee on Education, Research and Innovation.

• Dr Andreas Dorda

Dr Andreas Dorda is the Vice-Director General Innovation and Technology at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (BMK), Austria. 

• PhD-Studies in chemistry at the University Vienna and Post Doc at the University of California in Berkeley in battery research.
• 1992-1994: Project leader of the National Environmental Plan at the Ministry for Environment.
• 1997-1999: Technology Foresight & Assessment Studies at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) of the European Commission in Seville.
• 2009 - 2014: Member of the Scientific Committee of the EU-Joint Undertaking „Fuel Cells & Hydrogen“.
• Since 2011: Vice-Chairman of the EU-Technology Platform ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council).
• 2006 - 2014: Managing Director of the A3PS (Austrian Agency for Alternative Propulsion Systems) as Public Private Partnership for strategic cooperation between industry, research and public authorities for the development of alternative fuels and propulsion systems.
• Since 1994: Deputy Head of Unit “Mobility and Transport Technologies“ at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. Responsible for various R&D-funding programs for vehicle technologies.

• Dr Alexandr N. Simonov

Dr Simonov is an Australian Future Fellow at the School of Chemistry, Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). His major research interests are in the development of new methods to generate and use renewable electricity for the sustainable chemistry technologies, in particular for water electrolysis and transformations of inorganic N-compounds, and in the understanding of fundamental mechanisms underpinning these technologies operate through the use of advanced techniques. Together with Prof Douglas R. MacFarlane, he has co-founded a spin-out company Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd. to commercialise patented Monash technology for the sustainable ammonia electrosynthesis from renewables.

• Prof Douglas MacFarlane

Doug MacFarlane is a Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor in the School of Chemistry, Monash University. One of his main focus areas is the generation of ‘Green Hydrogen and Ammonia’ from nothing more than air, water and sunlight. He has published more than 800 papers and 30 patents. His awards include the Australian Academy of Science Craig Medal, and the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation. He is also the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Jupiter Ionics P/L, a company spun out recently to scale up the green ammonia generation technology developed in his group. 

• Karina Angelieva

Karina Angelieva is the Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth, Bulgaria and is responsible for European R&I policies and programmes. Previously she had been counsellor, head of sector education and research at the Permanent representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU. She holds Master degrees in European integration and in contemporary history from Sofia University’s St. Kliment Ohridski. Her management positions include also Director-General of Structural funds and international educational programs at the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science and Director of the Joint innovation centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (JIC * BAS). She is a founder of the Club of Young Scientists.

In 2018 she coordinated the Bulgarian presidency of the EU in education and R&I.

In the first decade of 2000 Ms. Angelieva was involved in the coordination of the 6th, 7th EU Framework Program for research and technological development as well as Horizon 2020, overseeing the national participation and supporting the academic and business sector to boost their participation in the FP. She led several projects under PHARE on the topic of overall modernisation of the research system in Bulgaria and later she coordinated PSF peer review of the R&I in Bulgaria (2015). She has been always committed and devoted to work on complex analysis and to provide recommendations for the introduction of modern European and global practices in policy management and design, program financing and capacity building in R&I.

Ms. Angelieva has extensive expertise and practical experience in the field of research and innovation, including the coordination, preparation and management of projects related to the development and deployment of new applications and services in the field of technology transfer, inter sectoral partnership ‘industry-academy’ and others.  In her current role, she is responsible for the implementation of innovation policies and funding, including research infrastructure, open science, etc. She is a member of the Commission Board of the Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (Bulgarian Fulbright Commission). In 2022 she joined the executive board of the European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures.

• Bah F. M. Saho

Bah F. M. Saho is the Acting Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), Cape Verde. Mr. Saho served previously as the Principal Program Officer for Renewable Energy. Prior to joining ECREEE in 2010, Mr. Saho served as the Director of Energy in the Gambia from December 2000. Mr. Saho holds a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Renewable Energy and the Environment.

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Networking session 1

Moderator:

• Daria Vladikova

Daria Vladikova is a professor in Electrochemistry at the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems towards the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Head of Department of Hydrogen Technologies at the Institute of Sustainable Transition and Development – Stara Zagora. She is working in the field of fuel cells/electrolyzers testing and diagnostics. She is the author of more than 150 scientific publications with 1000 citations. Prof. Vladikova is President of the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Association and Member of the Clean Hydrogen Alliance Round Table for Green Hydrogen Production.

Co-Moderator:

• Assoc Prof Francesco Luca Basile

University of Bologna, Italy

Impulse Speakers:

• Dr Antonios Gypakis

Dr Antonios Gypakis (PhD. MSc, MBA) is the Head of the Policy Planning Department of the Policy Planning for Research and Innovation Directorate of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) of the Hellenic Ministry of Development and Investments.

He has worked as a researcher in both Germany and Greece with numerous publications in International Conferences and Scientific Journals. He was a visiting professor at the Technical University of Crete, Department of Environmental Engineering. From 2000 - 2007 he worked as a Scientific Associate of the National Documentation Center of the National Hellenic Research Foundation as a Technology Transfer expert in the fields of Environment and Renewable Energy Sources in the Department of the Hellenic Innovation Relay Centre.

He acts as a member of the Sectoral Scientific Council of Environmental Sciences, Energy and Sustainable Mobility. In the framework of his duties, he coordinates the GSRI’s Innovation platforms a) "Smart Transport and Supply Chain" and b) "Environment and Circular Economy". He is representative of GSRI in the Monitoring Committees of the Regional Operational Programmes of the Regions of a) Western Macedonia and b) Crete. He is national delegate to the EU FP “Horizon Europe” Cluster 6 (Nutrition, Bioeconomics, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) Programme Committee, as well as National Representative of the EU “Coal and Steel Programme Committee” and Deputy National Representative of the MS Group of Representatives for the Joint Technological Initiative "Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2".

He participates as a member in a number of Inter-Ministerial Committees as well as EU Committees on Environment, Bioeconomics, Logistics, Energy, Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Implementing the European Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-region (EUSAIR) etc.

Impulse Speaker:

• Dr Rainer Quitzow

IASS Institute For Advanced Sustainability Studies e. V.

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Networking session 2

Moderators:

• Sandra Lehneke

Deputy Director General European Cooperation in Education and Research, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany

• Prof. Dr Mario Ragwitz

Director of the Fraunhofer Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems (IEG), Germany

Impulse Speakers:

• Andreas Mummert

Stiftung Offshore-Windenergie, Germany (tbc)

• Luis Ignacio Parada Diego

Enagás SA, Spain

Networking session 3

Moderator:

• Alexander Trattner

Alexander Trattner is the CEO and scientific director of HyCentA Research GmbH at Graz University of Technology, Austria's only research centre for hydrogen technologies since 2005. He leads the team of around 50 researchers and is involved in the production, distribution, storage and application of hydrogen. He is also a lecturer at Graz University of Technology in the field of higher thermodynamics and hydrogen for energy and vehicle technology, as well as the author of numerous scientific publications.

Impulse Speakers:

• Paulo Partidario

Senior Researcher, DGEG – Directorate General of Energy and Geology, Portugal

• Dr Martin Theuringer

German Steel Federation

Conference videos

Videos of the conference will be available here after the live webcast.