On 30 September, Saarland’s hydrogen agency H2Saar launched their ‘Hy.MAT’ event series and invited representatives of politics, business, research and NGOs to engage in dialogue and networking.
Yesterday saw the ‘Hy.MAT’ (‘Hydrogen Mit Allen Teilen’, or ‘Sharing hydrogen with everyone’) event, bringing representatives of politics, business, research and NGOs together to discuss hydrogen transformation in Saarland. The aim of the event was to shed light on the current status of Saarland’s hydrogen projects and updates to Saarland’s hydrogen strategy, as well as to promote dialogue between the various stakeholders involved.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke: ‘Saarland’s hydrogen economy is developing at full speed. Early on, we recognised hydrogen’s importance as a technological bridge towards an economically successful and sustainable future for Saarland. We have therefore already reached some vital milestones, ranging from production to transport to the usage of this energy source. This gives us an opportunity to boost our competitiveness and innovative capacity for the long-term, and ensure that we keep creating added industrial value within the state.’
Dr. Bettina Hübschen, CEO of H2Saar: ‘Saarland’s hydrogen agency considers it vital that we understand the views on hydrogen held by the various stakeholders involved and dismantle any reservations. If hydrogen transformation is to succeed, it is vital that we incorporate stakeholders from representative groups that have not yet been included in the process. This should help us build a network and promote discussion between the major players.’
As well as expert presentations by Minister Jürgen Barke and CEO Bettina Hübschen, there was also a speech by Jan Hildebrand, head of the environmental psychology department at the Institute for Future Energy Systems (IZES), on the topic of ‘Shaping the hydrogen economy together’ that touched on relevant factors behind acceptance of a new technology. After the presentations, a workshop in ‘world café’ format gave participants an opportunity to exchange ideas. In small groups, they compared notes on their current level of knowledge about hydrogen, discussed its opportunities and risks, and talked about the future of and with this energy source.
The ‘Hy.MAT’ event kicked off a series of participatory format events and marks a further step forward in Saarland’s hydrogen transformation. The results and ideas generated will feed into Saarland’s hydrogen strategy. This event format will be repeated every six months, with a new focal point each time.
