A network for hydrogen-fuelled transportation (Network-H2)

Establishing a hydrogen fuelled transportation network is a research challenge that cuts across both the energy and transport sectors. It is a truly multi-disciplinary challenge which will require the advancement of many mutually dependent research disciplines. This Network will support the dissemination and impact of these activities between academia, industry, policymakers and the general public.

Under the hydrogen fuelled transportation theme, the Network aims to bring together the knowledge obtained through research projects funded by the RCUK Programme and other national and international cross-disciplinary research aimed at developing a "hydrogen" for transport economy.

It will have a strong multi-disciplinary focus and aim to ensure engagement and knowledge transfer takes place across all modes of transport and hydrogen energy including technology, socio-economics, behavioural science and policy.

The Network team will manage a £500k feasibility fund for cutting edge projects which also meet the wider objectives of facilitating collaboration and multi-disciplinary research.

With transport making the largest contribution to UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2016, decarbonising the UK transport network is critical if the nation is to achieve carbon emission reduction targets as national action on climate change, air quality protection and energy security improvement. An effective transition to a decarbonised transport sector will place the UK a world-leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission vehicles. The vision of Network-H2 is to support the dissemination and maximise the impact of the research projects funded by the RCUK Energy Programme under the hydrogen fuelled transportation theme and other national and international cross-disciplinary research aiming at developing a "hydrogen" economy. Cutting across technology, socio-economics, behavioural science and policy, it will have a strong multi-disciplinary focus and aim to ensure engagement and knowledge transfer across all modes of transport and hydrogen energy. It will, for the first time, bring academic, industrial and other organisations involved in numerous individual networks/projects together to form a geographic- and thematic-wide network for maximised impact.

The establishment of Network-H2 will therefore benefit a wide range of stakeholders. The identified beneficiaries include (but are not limited to) industrial stakeholders, Government and policy makers, academics and researchers (including Early Career Researchers), trade bodies and general public members. The benefits will be received through a range of pathways to be created by the Network. For instance, the findings of the-stake-of-art technology and research on hydrogen fuelled transport and energy will be made available openly on the Network's website. Academics, researchers and industrial stakeholders will be able to take advantage of the Network's Feasibility Fund, Travel Bursary and Secondments schemes, which will facilitate individual research dissemination and maximise the impact. The publication of 3 special issues in the identified high-impact journals will further enhance research dissemination and knowledge transfer.