The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) has been establishing new links with businesses and research organisations in South Korea.

Professor Martin Freer, Director of ERA, led a group of academics from universities involved in the Energy Research Accelerator and its hydrogen development programme, HyDEX, to visit companies and research centres in the country.

The aim of the mission was to build links with businesses that have an interest in working with ERA’s partner universities to develop and implement new energy technologies.

The first companies that the ERA team visited in South Korea were involved in automotive technologies. They met with officials from Hyundai Motors, which designs, develops, manufactures and distributes cars, trucks, buses and electric and hydrogen vehicles. Much of the discussion was around progress with the introduction of hydrogen vehicles into the UK market and how ERA and HyDEX platform might be the catalyst for this process.

Along with the visit to Hyundai Motors, the ERA group met with KATECH, the Korean Automotive Technology Institute. KATECH works on behalf of companies that are seeking cooperation in international technologies and finds potential global partners in areas such as Electric Vehicles and autonomous technology.

The second day saw the group visiting SK E&S, an energy services company based in Seoul which engages in a range of businesses, including power generation, district energy and city gas distribution. The group were able to visit the company’s liquid hydrogen production facility, which is in the final stages of being commissioned, and to discuss the technology being deployed. These liquefied hydrogen plants and facilities will manufacture 30,000 tons per year.

The final part of the visit was to meet with partners at CTP (Chungnam Techno Park) which supports innovative businesses with advanced business incubation and technical support service facilities, and also the Korea Institute of Energy Research which specialises in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research as well as other energy technologies.

Speaking about the links that have been established with South Korea, Faye McAnulla, Programme Director of ERA and Director of HyDEX, said: “We are building strong relationships with companies, universities and research centres in South Korea that are focused on developing and implementing renewable technologies.

“Through our HyDEX, hydrogen development programme, we already have memoranda of understanding with several organisations in South Korea, including Chungnam Techno Park and KOREATECH university and will be working with them on exciting new energy and skills development initiatives.

“By working together with partners in South Korea we can exchange knowledge between our universities and businesses and open up new opportunities for companies in the Midlands to find suppliers and customers in the country.”

The Energy Research Accelerator’s HyDEX programme is supporting the creation of a new hydrogen industrial economy in the Midlands by working with SMEs, established Midlands-based and UK commercial partners, and multinationals, to accelerate innovation, build markets and support the required skills transition.

Visit www.hydex.ac.uk for more information.

ENDS

For more information about this press release, contact Nick King, ERA Marketing and Communications Manager, email: nick.king@era.ac.uk