HyTrust – Toward a hydrogen society
Project duration: 09/2009 - 08/2013
Funded by: BMVBS
Climate change and resource scarcity have made it clear: we must expand wind and solar energy significantly. As these energy sources provide highly varying amounts of energy, both over time and in space, we also need good ways to store energy. Hydrogen is one such way. Hydrogen will play a major role as a fuel, particularly for transportation, in the coming years.
HyTrust studies the societal effects of introducing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the mobility sector.
This shift from fossil fuels to renewables will be noticeable in everyday life, so it is all the more important to include the general public in discussions of the topic, not only experts. Even more importantly: the goal is to guarantee that the shift to hydrogen is accepted by everyone involved – manufacturers, suppliers, consumers – from the beginning. In this context, trust is decisive.
For this reason, HyTrust is seeking answers to the following questions:
- How is hydrogen technology accepted by the general public?
- How does the public develop trust in hydrogen technology as well as in the actors promoting the technology?
- What is hydrogen society like in everyday life, and how can we make it a reality?
Far more than 3,000 citizens are included in the project. The public mood concerning hydrogen technology is the subject of research in surveys, focus groups and interviews. Interested citizens have the opportunity to participate in citizens’ conferences and to form an opinion in joint discussions, supported by experts.
A consortium is working on the HyTrust project: UfU, the Innovation Centre for Mobility and Societal Change (InnoZ), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the European Climate Forum (ECF), the Institut für Transportation Design (ITD) as well as Spilett new technologies GmbH.
Contact: Dr. René Zimmer
Here you find the HyTrust homepage.
