Hydrogen Research Day 2027: Role of hydrogen in geopolitics

A warm welcome to the University of Oulu’s Hydrogen Research Day 2027 on Monday 15 February 2027 in Saalasti Hall (Saalastinsali) at the University of Oulu. Organised by the H2FUTURE research programme, the event will kick off Nordic Hydrogen Week, held in Oulu on 15–17 February.

Save the date, the registration will open on 6th of November.

This year’s theme explores the role of hydrogen in geopolitics. Hydrogen’s geopolitical importance will not be decided only in parliaments, boardrooms or future trade corridors. Laboratories, pilot facilities and research infrastructures are already shaping it today.

For a research programme such as H2FUTURE, the key questions are:
• How can renewable hydrogen be produced efficiently, reliably and at scale?
• Which materials, storage solutions and industrial processes will make hydrogen use safe, durable and economically viable?
• How can research help build value chains that strengthen resilience and cooperation, rather than simply shifting dependencies elsewhere?

The answers to these questions will influence which technologies regions can develop, the skills and infrastructure they need, and their role in a future hydrogen economy. Join us for our research day to hear from experts from around the world on these topics!

Programme

08:30- 09:00 Coffee and breakfast

09:00 - 09:05 Welcoming words by vice-rector Petteri Alahuhta

09:05 - 09:20 General introduction by Prof. Marko Huttula, Head of Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit and H2FUTURE research programme and Hydrogen Synergy Center, University of Oulu

Theme 1: Hydrogen Research Policies EU and Global

09:20-09:45 Hydrogen in European geopolitics: how EU R&D investments can contribute to strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness — Giuseppe G. Daquino, HaDEA, European Commission

09:45-10:10 Keynote: Hydrogen in a fractured world — Prof. David Hart, Principal of H-ETA and affiliated with Imperial College London, UK

10:10-10:35 Geopolitics of the Hydrogen Transition: Ambitions and Reality under New Constraints by Dr. Yana Zabanova, Research Associate at RIFS Research Institute for Sustainability at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Potsdam, Germany).

10:35-11:00 Amity Green Hydrogen Mission: recent accomplishments — Dr. William Selvamurthy, President, Amity Science Technology and Innovation Foundation

11:00-11:10 Short break

11:10-11:30 Panel discussion with Giuseppe G. Daquino, Prof. David Hart, Dr. Yana Zabanova and Dr William Selvamurthy

11.30-12:20 Lunch

Theme 2: Societal perspectives of Hydrogen Transition

12:20-12:45 Global and local hydrogen valley imaginaries: Dutch and Spanish cases — Associate Prof. Paul Upham, Integrated Research on Energy, Environment & Society (IREES), University of Groningen, the Netherlands

12:45-13:10 Presentation by Prof. Franziska Müller, International Development; Head of the Department of Development Studies, University of Vienna, Austria, H2POLITICS project

13:10-13:35 Hydrogen for Growth? Rethinking Economic Benefits from Nations to Communities — Prof. Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan, Cranfield University and the UK National of Director of the Global Hydrogen Production Technologies Center

13:35-14:00 Panel discussion with Associate Prof. Paul Upham, Prof. Franziska Müller and Prof. Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan

14:00-14:20 Coffee is served

Theme 3: Oulu University research collaboration

14:20-14:45 Presentation by Prof. Jukka Kömi, Head of Materials and Mechanical Engineering, University of Oulu, Finland, RIS4E project.

14:45-15:10 Si production using plasma (NTNU-OULU-MUL) and Cr ore reduction using H2 and bio-C volatiles (NTNU-OULU) — Prof. Maria Gabriella Tranell, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

15:10-15:35 Materials as enabler of hydrogen economy Research — Prof. Elina Huttunen-Saarivirta, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd

15:35-16:00 Panel discussion with Prof. Jukka Kömi, Prof. Maria Gabriella Tranell, Prof. Elina Huttunen-Saarivirta

Poster session

16:00–17:30 Posters session, snacks and discussion

The call for posters will open in mid-November.