ENERGY 

How to produce and distribute hydrogen and provide grid balancing. 

Electricity: TSO, DSOs, Renewable power plant operators.  

Heat: Stationary fuel cells, heat distributors.

Storage and distribution: Natural gas distributors and gas grid operators, depleted gas fields operators.

Cross-border cooperation: Czech Republic, Austria Hungary

TRANSPORT 

Building the necessary FCEV fleets for the primary HRS grid.

Heavy-duty road transport: trucks, coaches.

Light-duty transport:  vans – couriers, medical distributors.

Municipal fleets: city buses, municipal vehicles.

Car sharing: inter-city car sharing.

Trains: multiple units, shunters, regional or mainline locomotives. 

Rastislav Trnka has been active in municipal politics since his graduation. He was a member of Košice Old town Council, two and half years he worked as a deputy mayor. In the years 2013-2017 he was a member of Košice Self-governing region Council. In 2017 he was elected president of Košice Self-governing region. In the pursuit of  „moving region“ he seeks to bring proposals for improvement  and innovative solutions beneficial for all inhabitants of the region.

Bart Biebuyck is the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a public-private partnership aiming at facilitating the deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe. Before the FCH JU, Bart Biebuyck was at the Fuel Cell department of Toyota Motor Europe where he held the position of Technical Senior Manager. His expertise in the automotive industry includes extensive knowledge related to the deployment of new technologies in the European market. 

Carlos Navas joined the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) in March 2010 and was working on Transport on Refuelling Infrastructure until July 2016, when he became Strategy and Market Development Manager, also at the FCH JU. He works with leaders from industrial companies and public officials to advance the EU multi-year research and development programme on hydrogen and fuel cells. Before joining the FCH JU, he worked primarily in start-up companies involved in the development of hydrogen and fuel cells. Carlos holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both Chemistry and Mathematics from Clark University, and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alexandru Floristean is a Legal and Project Manager at Hydrogen Europe, the European Association, the European industry association working to make hydrogen energy an everyday reality as a clean technology in the energy and transport sectors. Having experience of working in and for the European Commission, Alexandru has worked to develop EU Policy, improve processes and design legislation. Alexandru is currently the Project Manager of HyLaw, an EU wide effort to analyse the regulatory barriers standing in the way of the wide scale deployment of Hydrogen Technologies. Alexandru holds an MSc in EU Business and Law, a BSc in Business Administration, and a BA in Law.

Robert Steinberger-Wilckens is Professor for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen research in Chemical Engineering. He is director of the research Fuel Cell and Hydrogen group and the Centre for Doctoral Training Fuel Cells and their Fuels, which is run by the universities of Birmingham, Nottingham, and Loughborough, Imperial College, and University College of London. He works and has worked in many areas across the fields of renewable energies, energy efficiency, fuel cells, hydrogen production and distribution, as well as electric vehicles. Currently, his main areas of interest include Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, high temperature electrolysis (SOE) and reversible fuel cells (SOC) with methane synthesis, intermediate temperature polymer fuel cells, and market introduction of fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles. He is member of the strategic advisory bodies for EPSRC, the EU Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and the European Fuel Cell Forum.

Robert is project coordinator and innovation technologist at Verbund. He has more than 22 years’ experience in leading positions in various fields of the energy industry. Robert holds an MSc in process engineering from Vienna University of Technology, as well as an MSc and an MBA in management from Johannes Kepler University Business School in Linz, Austria.

Thomas Buergler is Head of Research and Development Ironmaking of voestalpine, a globally leading technology group with a unique combination of material and processing expertise based on steel, in Linz (Austria) and CEO of the Competence Center for Metallurgical and Environmental Process Development K1-MET in Linz and Leoben.He graduated in mechanical engineering at the Secondary Technical College in Linz and studied metallurgy at the University for Mining, Metallurgy and Materials in Leoben. Since 1992, his applied oriented research and development work focus on the process development of ironmaking with the classical blast furnace process and alternative process routes via smelting and direct reduction. Beside this main task, he has expertise in the preparation of primary and secondary raw materials for iron and steelmaking, recycling of by-products and transformation of resource intensive processes to enable reduction in CO2 emissions. Imparting of knowledge is an important task. Therefore he is also lector for process technology at the University of Leoben and materials science at the Secondary Technical College in Linz.

After his studies at the Faculty of Economics, TU Košice he worked at KPMG Slovensko as senior auditor. In 2009 he moved to the asset management section of the major gas distribution network operator - SPP - distribúcia, a.s. With his team, currently as Head of Strategy and Asset Development, he is gradually improving the individual elements of management of physical assets and monitoring the development and best practice with the integration of renewable energies into the gas infrastructure. 

Thomas Vanhauwaert joined COGEN Europe in 2017 as a communication officer. At COGEN Europe, he also manages external communication for the EU-funded PACE project to promote the Fuel Cell micro-Cogeneration technology. Previously, he worked for the Polish Embassy in Brussels. He graduated in Eastern European languages and European Studies, and speaks Dutch, English, French, Polish and Russian. 

Lisa works currently as a principal consultant at Element Energy, based in France. Element Energy is a dynamic and growing strategic energy consultancy. Specialising in the intelligent analysis of low-carbon energy, and helping clients (in the sectors of transport, power generation and buildings) to understand low-carbon energy. Since joining Element Energy, she has been working on projects across different sectors including electric and hydrogen vehicles, micro-generation, and consumers’ attitudes. 

Drs. Ing. Patrick Cnubben has been active in the field of energy for over 17 years now and is focussed on the development of projects in the field of (biogenic) energy carriers such as Green Gas, (Bio)LNG and Hydrogen. The facilitation of business development - from idea generation through the realisation phase towards the operational phase -  with and within industrial clusters in the Northern-Netherlands is key Expertises: collaboration development with other regions around the North Sea and there beyond Acquisition of innovation and investment projects on topics of Hydrogen, (Bio)LNG and sustainable gases.

Dávid is the Lead Project Manager for alternative fuels at Bioway s.r.o.. He studied law at UPJS Kosice. He has 7 years of experience with LNG in heavy duty transport. Currently working on bioLNG infrastructure project (LBG: Fuelling Renewable Transport in the Visegrad countries) in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Besides bioLNG Dávid developing the Black Horse IPCEI project, that will shift heavy duty transport from diesel to Hydrogen.

prof. RNDr. Vladimír Zeleňák, DrSc. is a professor at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Science in Košice. Coming from inorganic chemistry education his interest focuses on development new progressive materials for adsorption, separation and storage of technology important gases. Initially his research interest was focussed on the development of materials for carbon dioxide separation, however, these research interests naturally include hydrogen storage. For several years he is propagator of an importance of hydrogen technologies for the future economy. He was the leader of several international and domestic projects. He has broad international cooperation and experience. He was awarded several prizes, including the prize Scientist of the year 2018 in Slovakia and Prize of President of the Košice Self-governing Region.

Dr. Maroš Halama studied Physical Chemistry at UPJS Kosice and Aristotle Uni. Thessaloniki (MSc.) and Physical Metallurgy at Technical University of Kosice (PhD.,). Nowadays he is Vice-dean for Research, Innovations and International Relations at Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling at Technical University of Kosice, Vice-president of Slovak Association for Surface Treatment, a member of Steel Advisory Group, RFCS, DG R&I, Unit D.3 at European Commission, a member of Captech group at European Defence Agency, Alternate member of SRG at FCH JU, a member of presidency at Slovak Battery Alliance SBaA and at Slovak National Hydrogen Association. His research interest deals with development of non-destructive corrosion monitoring techniques, failure analysis, corrosion of advanced materials, corrosion at nanoscale and nanosafety. Maros is currently the head of Corrosion Testing Laboratory at Research Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies “Promatech” at Slovak Academy of Science. Along with Slovak top scientists and Kosice Self-governing Region he is leading Smart Specialisation Strategy for determining the potential of hydrogen technologies across industrial sectors and education.

Vladimír Maryška works as a specialist in new technologies in the development department of the smart region under Regional council offices of Moravian-Silesian region, whose responsibility of the development of hydrogen technologies in the region. He graduated the Heyrovsky High school of chemistry, specializing in organic chemistry. In professional practise he focused on strategic planning of projects in the field of chemical engineering nad enviromental operations. Sice 2017 he has been an employee of the Moravian-Silesian Region, where he is developing the project „Hydrogen Valley of the Moravian-Silesian Region“ and coordinates all activities related to the evelopment of hydrogen technologies in the region, including development of infrastructure, research and scientific activies, industrial applications and energy.

Chairman of the Slovak National Hydrogen Association. He actively promotes the use of hydrogen and hydrogen technologies in Slovakia. He has extensive experience in the management, preparation, implementation and operation of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy storage projects. He is a co-founder and executive member of several associations in selected types of renewable energy sources. In his practice, he has experience in creating, commenting and developing legislative standards and strategies in Slovakia.

Jan has experiences in managing, developing, implementing and operating renewable energy projects. He has the ambition to establish the RES sector for green hydrogen production. On behalf of NVAS, he is in charge of communication with the European Institutions, foreign partners and national institutions to create suitable conditions for the implementation of hydrogen applications in Slovakia.