In developing the programme aiming to foster the creation of a new hydrogen economy ion the Midlands, the HyDEX project brings together university partners in the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) with multinational partners to support hydrogen innovation.

Another key aspect is that it will help create a workforce with the necessary skillset required to sustain the hydrogen ecosystem with the infrastructure – a key aspect of the hydrogen economy.

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The £4.99m ($6.81m), three-year programme HyDEX aims to address the challenge of building a thriving new business, industrial and manufacturing sector in hydrogen, where very little currently exists.

The programme will allow businesses to accelerate the development and viability of new hydrogen products and associated intellectual property, while supporting the transition from declining industrial sectors and enabling the training and re-skilling required.

HyDEX will also aim to facilitate links with growing international markets in countries such as China, Australia and South Korea, in order to build commercial opportunities that reach beyond the Midlands and the UK.

Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of Keele University, and Institutional Lead for Sustainability, said, “We are very excited to be launching the HyDEX programme and leading it from Keele University.

“At Keele we have been leading the way in researching the use of hydrogen in the domestic gas heating system and in smart energy systems.

“This experience and expertise, when combined with the wealth of knowledge and expertise in the ERA partnership and our collaborators will enable HyDEX to have a really significant impact on the use of hydrogen in the future as part of our transition to a low carbon society.”