Academic Hydrogen Research Forum Finland established
Finland’s central universities and research institutions have agreed on a new partnership by establishing Hydrogen Research Forum Finland. The forum promotes Finnish hydrogen competence through action plans, visions of the future and communication, representing academic operators alongside other hydrogen operators.
The key missions of Hydrogen Research Forum Finland are:
- Promoting a national hydrogen action plan and visions of the future for research and education
- Providing a communication forum for research actions
- Strengthening education of the hydrogen economy through communication, joint planning and events
- Providing a channel for independent and research-based information to support decision-making
- Increasing the academic visibility of Finnish research on hydrogen and the hydrogen transition, both nationally and internationally
Hydrogen Research Forum Finland’s partnership includes Aalto University, LUT University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Åbo Akademi University, the universities of Jyväskylä, Turku, Tampere, and Vaasa as well as the University of Oulu, which will initially coordinate the forum’s operations.
The hydrogen transition has given rise to a vast number of alliances operating from different perspectives. The need for research-based open and independent discussion has been recognised in the hydrogen transition and related research, which the academic operators are addressing through Hydrogen Research Forum Finland.
Where necessary, Hydrogen Research Forum Finland also serves as an operator representing academic research alongside the national private or public sector hydrogen alliances.
“Hydrogen Research Forum Finland is a forum for those in hydrogen research and for those interested in hydrogen research, enabling more holistic views to be formed. This is also important for the establishment of a comprehensive national hydrogen action plan that would make Finland an internationally competitive operator in the hydrogen transition. The forum also brings academic operators together as partners in discussion to support national decision-making,” explains Timo Fabritius, Professor at the University of Oulu and Coordinator at Hydrogen Research Forum Finland.
In the hydrogen economy, it is to be expected that there will be fierce international competition between different technologies, and there are thousands of hydrogen projects in the pipeline both in Europe and globally. Finland has all the tools to succeed in the international hydrogen market.
Focal points for the entire hydrogen value chain in hydrogen production, logistics and utilisation
“The partners of Hydrogen Research Forum Finland cover the entire hydrogen value chain, providing a strong and easily accessible knowledge base promoting Finland’s position in the international hydrogen collaboration,” says Antti Arasto, VTT's Vice President for Industrial energy and hydrogen.
The first step in the forum’s work is to devise a proposal on a national hydrogen action plan. The action plan will account for the development of the required research infrastructure, national and international cooperation as well as the impact of the hydrogen transition on society as a whole. An international conference around the theme of hydrogen is being planned for 2023 to summarise the intensifying national dialogue.
On the basis of their ongoing research, the partners of Hydrogen Research Forum Finland are enhancing their activities in hydrogen production, transmission and utilisation.
The University of Oulu is focusing on the development of emission-free methods of hydrogen production, such as photocatalysis (solar hydrogen) and methane pyrolysis, and on hydrogen transmission infrastructure and material solutions (steels). Further investments are being made in research on the utilisation of hydrogen and its refined products in traffic and in the development of manufacturing processes of high-strength steels, where the research conducted by the University of Oulu is world-class.