How can Scottish wind energy be stored as hydrogen?

The memorandum establishes the framework for long-term academic cooperation. Plans include joint research and development projects, student and researcher exchanges, the organization of joint academic events and individual courses, as well as knowledge transfer in technology fields relevant to the future. The focus is on renewable energies, hydrogen technologies, sustainable material systems, and life cycle analyses.

The collaboration with Inverness further strategically expands research and networking on hydrogen in Augsburg. Years ago, the H2.UniA research group was founded at the University’s Institute for Materials Resource Management (MRM) by Prof. Dr. Richard Weihrich, spokesperson for the Hydrogen Working Group and professor of Materials and Resource Chemistry, and Dr. Timo Körner of the User Center for Materials and Environmental Research. It brings together research on materials for hydrogen technologies, electrocatalysis, resource efficiency, and the circular economy.

Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg will conduct on-site work in Inverness through the Gersthofen Technology Transfer Center on topics such as hydrogen tanks, LH2 sloshing, and system simulations covering the entire hydrogen production chain. Joint educational programs are being considered, such as an international research master’s degree.

Both universities are active on the Hydrogen Advisory Board for the Augsburg economic region. This close regional network is now ideally complemented on an international level through the collaboration with the University of the Highlands and Islands.

“Inverness and Augsburg are an excellent match when it comes to this topic,” Weihrich said at the signing ceremony. “Scotland has a surplus of green energy, and as a result, wind and tidal energy are being expanded significantly there. We, in turn, have the technology and expertise for the production, storage, utilization, and system integration of hydrogen, and together we can work to build resilient European energy systems from surplus energy and hydrogen—systems that are sustainable, modeled after nature, and that secure resources for the next generation as well.”

Prof. Christopher O’Neil, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI Inverness College, said that the foundation for success lies in high standards of quality in scientific work and a commitment to the cause. “But what’s also needed is curiosity and a certain playfulness to realize our visions. I’m very glad that we’ve found partners in Augsburg who share this mindset with us.”

University President Prof. Dr. Sabine Doering-Manteuffel emphasizes the significance of the agreement for the strategic direction of research in Augsburg: “Current global challenges highlight the importance of stable international collaborations and the joint development of climate-neutral, resilient energy systems. Hydrogen is a key component of a sustainable energy supply—and this is precisely where our collaboration with the University of the Highlands and Islands comes in.”

Prof. Dr. Frank Danzinger, Vice President for Technology and Research at Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg, added: “I am extremely pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the international level today. With this, our universities are laying the foundation for collaboration. Augsburg is a leading technology region when it comes to hydrogen. This is the right place for them. Here, the transfer of research into industrial practice is a success. With this Memorandum of Understanding, we are now laying the formal foundation for a valuable exchange in which we can learn a great deal from one another—scientifically, technologically, and culturally.”

With this Memorandum, Augsburg’s universities reaffirm their commitment to further advancing interdisciplinary and internationally networked research in the field of hydrogen and energy technologies and to developing innovative solutions for a sustainable future together with strong partners.