On the occasion of Europe Day on 9 May, DAAD Brussels, in cooperation with the German Embassy, was addressing one of the leading topics of the green transition: clean hydrogen. The event focused on the involvement of higher education institutions in the implementation, research and development of new technologies linked to sustainable hydrogen.

The aims of the seminar were to discuss the contributions of higher education and research to the green transition in Europe, and to assess how the Green Hydrogen Agenda can be brought forward through collaboration between higher education institutions, industry and other relevant stakeholders. Moreover, the seminar presented the DAAD ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen 2023 funding programme (Link).

In a high-level panel discussion, participants were able to discuss the operational contribution of universities to green hydrogen with the invited experts. The panellists included:

• Professor Mehtap ÖZASLAN, Head of Division, Technical Electrocatalysis Laboratory, TU Braunschweig, Germany
• Professor Michael STERNER, OTH Regensburg, Germany
• Alexander MEINCKE, Senior Policy Officer, Research and Innovation in the EU, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
• Dr Michael KREUZ, Strategic advisor, Hydrogen Europe Research, Belgium.

In addition, keynote speaker Tom Hautekiet, Chief Commercial Officer of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, provided insights into the role of the international port in consolidating Belgium’s position as a pioneering region for clean hydrogen. Particular attention was paid to the port’s function as a link to stakeholders, especially in the field of higher education and research.