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Alumni

Teesside University hosts successful sandpit events for Research England Hydrogen Innovation Project

16 October 2023

 

Industry leaders and academics have come together at Teesside University to explore how hydrogen can be used to support the just transition to a net zero economy.

Industry leaders and academics at the REHIP sandpit events
Industry leaders and academics at the REHIP sandpit events

Teesside University, a key player in the Research England Hydrogen Innovation Project (REHIP), recently hosted two highly successful sandpit events at its Middlesbrough campus.

The two events brought together almost 70 attendees, including industry leaders, academics from Teesside and Durham universities, and facilitators, to engage in collaborative discussions on the hydrogen economy.

Diverse businesses and organisations took part in the unique networking opportunity helped identify key themes for the REHIP project to focus on hydrogen industrial research.

The sandpit events represent a critical key milestone for the REHIP project, which aimed to engage 40 to 60 participants across the two sandpit events and scope out 14 to 22 new projects, which are scheduled to commence by the second quarter of 2024.

REHIP is a joint venture between Teesside and Durham Universities which harnesses each institutions’ research strengths and unites a cadre of research fellows from industry and policy backgrounds.

The £11m project is led by Teesside University and funded with £4.8m from the Research England Development (RED) Fund, part of UK Research and Innovation, as well as funding from Teesside University, Durham University and industrial partners.

REHIP is playing a crucial role in forming a collaborative culture among industry leaders. One of the main outcomes of the sandpit events was the creation of a list of industrial projects and collaborative partners.

With each discussion, we move one step closer to creating a sustainable, hydrogen-powered future.

Professor Nashwan Dawood, Research Director of Teesside University’s Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC)

Looking to the future, academic leads from Teesside and Durham University are being identified, and project teams will develop their full proposals which will be presented to the Industrial Liaison and Commissioning Group (ILCG) for approval.

The teams will also reach out to the identified industrial partners for their active involvement in these project proposals.

Professor Nashwan Dawood, Research Director of Teesside University’s Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC), said: "Bringing together industry leaders, academics, and facilitators in these sandpit events has been a true testament to our centre’s spirit of collaboration.

“With each discussion, we move one step closer to creating a sustainable, hydrogen-powered future. The participation of diverse businesses and organisations underscores the region’s shared commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship. We invite all interested parties to join us in this exciting endeavour as we work together to shape a greener, cleaner future."

Teesside University, along with its collaborators, invites businesses and organisations to engage with the REHIP project. Opportunities still exist for participation in collaborative projects or for identifying additional areas where hydrogen research is required.

For more information about the Research England Hydrogen Innovation Project and how to get involved, please contact s.p.bradshaw@tees.ac.uk.


 
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