Last month, researchers and industry representatives from HI-ACT and UK-HyRES visited Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany to explore new opportunities in hydrogen technologies, energy systems, and net zero research.

The visit showcased UK research capabilities, fostered academic-industry partnerships, and initiated discussions on joint projects, student exchanges, and future funding.

Highlights included welcome presentations, in-depth discussions on hydrogen innovation, a guided tour of Jülich’s facilities, and a networking dinner with senior researchers.



This milestone visit reinforces HI-ACT’s commitment to international collaboration and its role in shaping the global energy transition.

Last week, members of the HI-ACT Executive Board; Prof. Sara Walker, Prof. David Flynn, Prof. Jianzhong Wu, Prof. Adam Hawkes- along with professional services colleagues Dr Claire Brewis and Sian Allister, came together to reflect on over two years of progress and discuss priorities for the road ahead.

As the hydrogen sector continues to evolve, HI-ACT’s research plays a critical role in addressing uncertainty, evaluating integration scenarios, and supporting a just transition to net zero.

HI-ACT remains a trusted, independent voice in the energy landscape, co-developing research that is relevant, actionable, and aligned with real-world needs.

HI-ACT Wins Prestigious UK Universities’ Award at the 2025 Hydrogen Awards

We’re thrilled to share that HI-ACT has been named the WINNER of the UK Universities’ Award at the 2025 Hydrogen Awards last week.

This incredible recognition highlights the outstanding work of our team in driving hydrogen innovation and fostering collaboration across the UK. The award was announced last week at the Hydrogen Conference, held at Conference Aston in Birmingham, which we have shared some photographs of below. A fantastic event that brought together leaders and pioneers from across the hydrogen sector.

The award was proudly accepted by our director, Professor Sara Walker, on behalf of the HI-ACT team. We’re deeply grateful to the University of Birmingham for representing us on the day and helping showcase the impact of our work.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved in HI-ACT! This achievement is a testament to your dedication, expertise, and passion for shaping a sustainable hydrogen future.

Last week, HI-ACT was honoured to host a hybrid meeting of the International Advisory Board (IAB), chaired by Professor Lourdes Oliva Moya Vega, MBA, FCIM Chartered Marketer, from the University of Khalifa, UAE.

The meeting followed the APEN-disco Workshop, co-hosted by HI-ACT, and brought together leading international experts to explore and discuss hydrogen research priorities across continents.

Attendees Included:

HI-ACT Research Presentations:

These discussions are vital to shaping the future of hydrogen innovation and infrastructure globally. We extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their valuable insights and contributions to this impactful exchange.


HI-ACT was proud to co-host the inaugural APEN-DISCO Workshop in collaboration with the Applied Energy journal, and our sister hub UK-HyRES. Held over three days in Cardiff University, the event brought together leading voices from academia, industry, and policy to advance the global conversation on hydrogen energy system integration.

A Platform for Collaboration and Innovation

The workshop featured keynote presentations from distinguished experts including:

Sessions focused on knowledge exchange, collaborative research, and innovation in sustainable energy systems. The event was generously sponsored by Applied Energy and hosted at Cardiff University, with evening receptions held at Cardiff Castle and St David’s Hotel, offering memorable settings for networking and reflection.

Celebrating Excellence

HI-ACT is delighted to congratulate Dr Saeed Harati and Dr Hadi Heidary, who were both recognised with Best Abstract Awards at the workshop. Their achievements highlight the strength and impact of HI-ACT’s research community.

Looking Ahead

HI-ACT remains committed to fostering international collaboration and driving forward the mission of sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. Special thanks to Prof Jianzhong Wu, Wenlong Ming, Shuai Yao and Sian Allister for their leadership and dedication in making this event a success.

Last week the HI-ACT professional services team came together at Newcastle University for a fantastic away day focussing on one big question: “How can we make sure our stakeholders are getting exactly what they need from HI-ACT?”

From our researchers and hydrogen partners to industry collaborators, policymakers, and our funding body, we spent the day reflecting on how we can better understand and meet the needs of everyone we work with.

It was a valuable opportunity to step back, share ideas, and explore how we can communicate more effectively and deliver even greater impact across the hydrogen innovation landscape. Thank you to everyone involved!

Hydrogen is central to our energy future 

The HI-ACT team, one of the largest EPSRC-funded hydrogen research programmes, recently gathered in Glasgow for the HI-ACT consortium meeting. The discussions highlighted the rapidly accelerating hydrogen market in the UK, driven by net-zero ambitions and rising renewable energy demand. With a government target of 10 GW low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, current projections may even exceed this goal. Whilst the UK excels in research and development, particularly in electrolysis and carbon capture, challenges remain in scaling manufacturing and infrastructure. Addressing policy uncertainty and making strategic investments are crucial for transitioning from research to real-world deployment. The UK has the potential to lead globally in the hydrogen sector by leveraging industrial expertise and innovation, . But success will depend on resolving manufacturing gaps, reducing import dependencies, and providing clear policy support.

 

During the two-day event, HI-ACT research highlights were discussed, including hydrogen supply chain readiness; UK agent-based energy systems modelling; techno-economic analysis of wind-powered hydrogen;  place-based digital engagements with future energy systems, and  the connection queue.  The consortium reviewed  HI-ACT’s progress to date along with plans for the future, and the opportunities arising from EPSRC’s hydrogen investment portfolio. Round table discussions focused on key questions for optimising HI-ACT impact such as: engagement with the regional energy system planner (RESP) process, emerging policy issues, scenario modelling and the usefulness of use cases.

Whilst, with a view to continuing to produce quality research, there were interactive discussions on researcher visibility and  building Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) into research. We’d like to thank the entire HI-ACT team for an inspiring and insightful couple of days. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey towards a sustainable hydrogen future. 

HI-ACT proudly co-hosted the Global Hydrogen Futures 2025 conference, alongside UK-HyRES and HyPT at Cranfield University. This exceptional event brought together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers from around the world to discuss advancements in hydrogen energy system integration.

Over three days, more than 45 pieces of research were presented, focusing on ‘Materials advancement for hydrogen production and use’ and ‘Hydrogen in the energy system’. Highlights included keynote speeches from Colleen Bowman of Navajo Technical University and Stephanie Hussels of Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship.

The conference provided a fantastic platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking.

Notable sessions included updates from UK-HyRES by Professor Rachael Rothman and Professor Tim Mays, and presentations from HI-ACT researchers such as Sara Walker, Alok Choudhary, and Zoya Pourmirza.

Our researchers showcased their work through poster presentations, including contributions from Dr George Neville, Chaewon Kim, and William Forshaw. The event also featured a keynote from Dr Colleen W. Bowman, discussing “Hydrogen transitions and Navajo tribe: an indigenous community perspective”.

We extend our gratitude to Nazmiye Ozkan for bringing us together and to EPSRC for their support of HI-ACT, HyRES, and HyPT. The collaboration between these hubs resulted in fascinating talks and valuable insights.

Thank you to all attendees and organizers for making this event a success. We look forward to continuing our journey towards a sustainable hydrogen future!

HI-ACT is looking forward to co-hosting the first APEN-DISCO workshop, along with the Applied Energy Journal, Cardiff University and in collaboration with our sister hub UK-HyRES.  This three-day workshop will bring together researchers, industry and policy communities and aims to serve as a globally leading forum to advance the field of hydrogen energy system integration.   Keynote speakers include:

As the world strives to meet the shared Net Zero targets, while providing sustainable, reliable and affordable energy access for all, there is a critical need for timely and collaborative research and publication of new energy solutions. APEN-Disco is a new platform to serve the APEN research community, leading the research advancement in applied energy, and facilitating high-impact publications on Applied Energy

Registration for this event is now open.  Please check the website APEN-Disco – Applied Energy Discovery Workshops  for more information.

On the 25th March 2025, HI-ACT hosted its first of a new webinar series on hydrogen- related topics delivered by world-class academics and industry practitioners. 

The webinar was delivered by Alok Choudhary and Hamed Kalantari from the University of Warwick, titled ‘Hydrogen Supply Chain: The UK’s Capabilities, Readiness, and Strategic Challenges,‘ inspired by their research on hydrogen supply chain availability analysis. This session explored how the UK strives toward Net-Zero targets through hydrogen initiatives by assessing its position in the hydrogen economy and supply chain availability throughout the country. Through their research, which merges thorough analysis with industry insights, they capture the full scope of UK supply chain capabilities and barriers while preparing for discussions about advancing this essential energy transition.  

In this webinar, they explore the capabilities of the UK hydrogen supply chain from hydrogen production, storage & distribution, and end-use applications and assess the availability of the hydrogen supply chain. Finally, they will examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the UK hydrogen supply chain.

Speaker Bio: Prof Alok Choudhary, 

Dr. Alok Choudhary is a Professor of Supply Chain Management and Head of the Supply Chain Research Group at WMG, University of Warwick. He is also the co-founder and lead of the JLR-WMG Supply Chain Innovation Hub, a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover.  

Alok’s research focuses on advancing responsible, secure, and resilient supply chains to address sustainability challenges and safeguard critical industries. His work integrates industry-driven, interdisciplinary approaches to promote responsible supply chains through Net Zero, circular economy, and ESG compliance frameworks; enhance security and resilience via supply chain mapping, risk mitigation, and UK-centric supply strategies; leverage AI/ML and operational research for sustainability and transparency.

A globally recognized thought leader in supply chain management, he drives transformative change across industries and policy landscapes through cutting-edge research and high-impact industry collaborations focused on supply chain resilience, digital transformation, and sustainability. With an interdisciplinary research portfolio exceeding £30 million in funded projects, Dr. Choudhary has built strategic partnerships with leading UK universities, policymakers, and industry leaders.

A trusted advisor to businesses and policymakers, Dr. Choudhary’s research has driven measurable improvements across global manufacturing organizations, while his executive education programs have helped SMEs enhance sustainability, productivity, and risk management.

A sought-after keynote speaker and panel chair at world-leading forums, he continues to shape industry best practices and global policy frameworks, future proofing the supply chain and making it more resilient, intelligent, and sustainable for the future.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Hamed Kalantari, expertise include; supply chain network design, digital logistics, and freight transport. Recent research; Intelligent last-mile delivery systems, Predicting the drivers’ behaviour in freight road transport, and A FinTech-Logistic system in freight road transports.

To view the webinar please follow this link- HI ACT Webinar: Hydrogen Supply Chain – The UK’s Capabilities, Readiness, and Strategic Challenges – YouTube