Researchers from Avans’ Centres of Expertise (CoE) MNEXT and BWNO are participating in a major research initiative aimed at addressing the social, legal and economic adjustments needed to support the transition to a hydrogen economy.

Research group
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Research team

Hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role as an energy source in a future sustainable economy, with potential applications ranging from energy storage to transportation and chemical production. When hydrogen is produced from renewable sources such as wind or solar energy, it is called “green hydrogen,” a clean alternative that produces no carbon emissions.

Key Challenges

In addition to technical advances, there are significant social and legal obstacles that must be addressed. Key questions arise, such as how prepared society is to embrace green hydrogen and whether current legal frameworks are appropriate to support the rapid expansion of the hydrogen economy. The construction of the necessary infrastructure-such as pipelines, storage facilities and renewable energy sources-can lead to spatial challenges and potentially generate resistance from local communities.

The “New Entrepreneurship” research group at BWNO will explore how leadership and strategic decision-making can facilitate the introduction of hydrogen technologies. This research focuses on how leaders can foster collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure that the hydrogen transition is economically feasible and socially acceptable.

Project focus

The research focuses on three main areas: local hydrogen production and distribution, the operational and maintenance challenges of large-scale hydrogen infrastructure, and the role of hydrogen as a clean energy source in heavy industries.

Interviews with organizations and new stakeholders will contribute to the development of business models to ensure the project meets the needs of the evolving hydrogen sector.

– For more information about the consortium see NWO