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Canada-Germany collaboration supports ten R&D partnerships on hydrogen technologies
News release
June 25, 2021
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, or BMBF) are pleased to announce an investment of $1 million ($500,000 from NSERC and $500,000 from BMBF) for ten projects awarded through the joint Canada-Germany call for projects on hydrogen technologies.
According to Natural Resources Canada’s Hydrogen Strategy for Canada – Seizing the Opportunities for Hydrogen released is December 2020, “clean hydrogen can help us achieve our net-zero goal—all while creating jobs, growing our economy, and protecting our environment. This will involve switching from conventional gasoline, diesel, and natural gas to zero-emissions fuel sources, taking advantage of new regulatory environments, and embracing new technologies to give Canadians more choice of zero emission alternatives.”
The ten projects will support these goals through one-year collaborative research projects and will lay the groundwork for longer term collaborations to advance the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. While some of these technologies are at a level of commercial readiness, support for research and development is still needed to further reduce costs, develop solutions for less mature applications and discover new breakthrough technologies to benefit the sector.
The projects will also provide training opportunities for Canadian students and postdoctoral fellows, and offer networking and interchange opportunities between Canadian researchers and their counterparts in Germany. These projects will sow the seeds for longer term collaborations between researchers in Canada and Germany.
This is a timely opportunity to celebrate these recipients and 50 years of longstanding and successful cooperation in science and technology between Canada and Germany, dating back to April 16, 1971 when the German‑Canadian Intergovernmental Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation that was signed. Close to 50 events will take place over the next year to highlight the diversity of themes and special dynamic our two counties share.
Please visit the funding decisions webpage for more information about the recipients of the Canada-Germany call for projects on hydrogen technologies.
Quotes
“Congratulations to all Canadian recipients and their German counterparts who are working towards a cleaner future for all. NSERC values its international partnerships that connect Canadian researchers to the global science and technology network, and attract the world’s brightest minds to work together to increase the impact of research and innovation in Canada and all over the world.”
-Alejandro Adem, President, NSERC
“Canada and Germany want to jointly exploit the huge opportunities offered by an international hydrogen economy. To do so, we are pooling our efforts in science and research, thus creating a win-win situation by intensifying our cooperation on the future-facing research topic of green hydrogen. My congratulations to all the selected project partners. I wish you every success in undertaking your valuable work.”
-Stefan Kaufman, Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
