New Research Training Group "Hydrogen": BAM and BTU make young scientists fit for the technology of the future

The graduate college, which is unique in its kind in Germany, is designed to enable doctoral students in a three-year program to actively shape the development and expansion of the hydrogen economy in Germany and Europe as future leaders in industry, research and the public sector.

Hydrogen is a key element in the transformation of the economy and society toward climate neutrality. The transformation of the energy system to a hydrogen economy will require a large number of highly qualified specialists in the coming years. Up to now, there has been a lack of suitable qualification programs.

This gap is closed by the graduate college "Trustworthy Hydrogen" of BAM and BTU. Both institutions, which cooperate in research and teaching, are leaders in Germany in research on modern hydrogen technologies. In 2020, BAM has bundled its long-standing activities in the field to form the competence center H2Safety@BAM. At the BTU, numerous disciplines conduct cross-disciplinary research on the production and use of green hydrogen.

The doctoral students of the new research training group not only have access to the outstanding hydrogen expertise of BAM and BTU as well as a unique research infrastructure. They also benefit from a large network of national and international partners in industry, science and politics.

For the first time, the research training group "Trustworthy Hydrogen" will train hydrogen experts with a comprehensive knowledge of the entire value chain and a deep understanding of the framework conditions and safety standards required for the market implementation of hydrogen. The program is rounded off by soft skills in fields such as science communication and political consulting. At the end of their training, the graduates will have all the prerequisites to position German and European companies or scientific institutions as central players in the global hydrogen economy.

"The Research Training Group "Trustworthy Hydrogen" will be groundbreaking for the development of hydrogen technologies in the Berlin-Brandenburg region and far beyond," says BTU President Prof. Dr. Gesine Grande. "For the BTU, I see this cooperation as an outstanding opportunity to further develop our scientific expertise together with BAM and to create excellent career conditions for our young scientists."

"Hydrogen technology is currently experiencing great momentum. As the market ramp-up approaches, there will be a growing need for flexible generalists*. With the establishment of our joint research training group, we are setting the course in good time for the training of these excellent young scientists and thus securing Germany's leading position in the field of hydrogen in the long term," explains BAM President Prof. Dr. Ulrich Panne.

The first PhD positions for "Trustworthy Hydrogen" have already been advertised (more here). The application deadline is June 3, 2022, and the Research Training Group will start on October 1, 2022.

Contact (BAM): Oliver Perzborn Head of Communications, Marketing Tel: 030-8104-1013 Email: oliver.perzborn(at)bam.de