Plug and Play kicks off startup accelerators for hydrogen
The H2 Startup Accelerator program can be a vehicle to foster the necessary dialogue and cooperation to accelerate the development of a hydrogen ecosystem in Europe and beyond.
Plug and Play Tech Center announced a new initiative focused on hydrogen by launching the H2 Startup Accelerator program. It’s one of the world’s first hydrogen-centric startup accelerator programs that will initially be operated out of Hamburg.
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform that aims to build an ecosystem where game-changing startups meet the world’s leading corporations to develop the advancements and technologies of tomorrow.
In the new hydrogen economy, there’s momentum being made worldwide, with more and more countries developing national hydrogen strategies and establishing partnerships to collaborate on hydrogen-related projects. It’s clear that collaboration is key for realizing the potential of the hydrogen transition, as building up and scaling its value chain requires coordination amongst policymakers, entrepreneurs, corporations and investors.
The platform will be supported by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Open Communication Systems FOKUS in hydrogen technologies and energy transition, digital transformation, and innovation management. The main task of the science partners is to conduct an in-depth assessment of submitted business ideas, including identifying and closing technology gaps within the pilot projects with partners.
The program’s purpose is to connect hydrogen startups worldwide with corporate partners and other stakeholders to pilot and roll out their technologies. The goal is to create an open innovation and startup ecosystem connecting the northern German and European regions to the global hydrogen economy. The platform will serve as the interface between research, industry, and other institutions and represent a homeport for the inception and development of startups and their technologies.
Experienced industry players will be an instrumental pillar of the platform, who, according to their respective hydrogen strategies, will collaborate with these startups across many areas. In addition to their industrial know-how, corporations will provide access to the necessary infrastructure to test, pilot, and scale new technologies in the following areas:
- Transportation
- H2 Fueled Combustion
- Fuel Cell Applications
- Storage
- Carbon Capture
- Compression
- Production
- Solid Oxide Electrolysis
- Alkaline Electrolysers
