KISTEP held the 153rd KISTEP Wednesday Forum under the theme of “A Strategy to Vitalize the Industrial Ecosystem to Lead the Hydrogen Economy “on December 14.

This forum was held to discuss what technologies should be prepared and what directions the industry should take in order for Korea to occupy the market ahead of others and vitalize the industrial ecosystem in the “hydrogen” sector, which is regarded as the primary means to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

△Dr. Seunghoon Lee, General Director of H2Korea

General director Seunghoon Lee of H2Korea highlighted the significant influence of government regulation on the hydrogen market, such as the ESG commitment of global investment companies, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by the EU, and the IRA bill in the US. He warned about the possibility of the demanding movement from the overseas market in Korea to other countries depending on international policy trends. Also, he mentioned, “It is urgent to establish subsidiary policies to induce corporate investment. In particular, there is a strong voice that the government should improve regulations on new industries so that companies can freely try new things in the new field.”

After the presentation, a panel discussion led by director general Seung-su Jun of the Office of National R&D Coordination of KISTEP as a moderator continued, and general manager Sungku Park of Doosan Enerbility, principal researcher Sang-Kyung Kim of Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) and assistant professor Dohyung Kang of Seoul National University of Science & Technology (SEOULTECH) joined the discussion.

△Dr. Sungku Park, General Manager of Doosan Enerbility

General manager Sungku Park said, “I hope consistent policies are implemented to ensure companies can focus on technology development and business investment. The market size and support system should be expanded and visualized aggressively,” emphasizing internalization and localization of technologies.

△Dr. Sang-Kyung Kim, Principal Researcher of KIER

Principal researcher Sang-Kyung Kim emphasized the importance of an environment where researchers can focus on mission-oriented research rather than diverse research. Moreover, she recommended that the government induce technology localization by providing incentives for R&D activities.

△Prof. Dohyung Kang, Assistant Professor of SEOULTECH

Assistant professor Dohyung Kang mentioned the importance of the role of SMEs in vitalizing the hydrogen economy. Moreover, he emphasized, “The most important thing is to provide the guideline” and “It would be easier for companies to establish concrete targets if technological standardization and the standard of incentives are set.”