To support Taiwan’s “2050 Net-Zero Emissions” policy and align with global sustainability trends, National Central University (NCU) held the grand opening of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center (HERC) on November 5, alongside the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Energy Technologies – Fundamental Electrochemistry (IET-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.
The establishment of HERC signifies NCU’s strategic commitment to advancing hydrogen energy innovation and deepening international collaboration, marking a major milestone for Taiwan’s global engagement in hydrogen research.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Faa-Jeng Lin, Deputy Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC); Mr. Julian Goldmann, Head of the Science and Technology Section at the German Institute Taipei; and Prof. Dr. Rüdiger-A. Eichel, Director of Forschungszentrum Jülich. Representatives from industry, government, academia, and research institutions also joined to celebrate this important occasion.
NCU President Shu-San Hsiau emphasized that hydrogen energy plays a pivotal role in achieving net-zero transformation. With NCU’s longstanding strengths in energy, materials science, and sustainability technologies, the establishment of HERC reflects the university’s comprehensive plan to enhance hydrogen technology R&D, policy development, and talent cultivation. President Hsiau expressed hopes that HERC will serve as a key hub linking Taiwan’s hydrogen innovation with global partners, accelerating the translation of scientific advances into industrial and societal applications.
NSTC Deputy Minister Faa-Jeng Lin highlighted that hydrogen is one of the critical technologies for realizing net-zero emissions and an important focus of the NSTC’s “Sustainable and Advanced Energy Technology Development” strategy. He praised NCU’s initiative, noting that HERC demonstrates the university’s strong research capacity in hydrogen-related fields and aligns closely with national energy priorities.
The MOU was signed by Prof. Chung-Jen Tseng, Director of HERC, and Prof. Dr. Rüdiger-A. Eichel, formalizing a new Taiwan–Germany research partnership. Both sides will collaborate long-term in areas including water electrolysis hydrogen production, fuel cell materials and system integration, decarbonization technologies, digital twins, and smart grid applications.
The ceremony also featured a series of keynote speeches that shed light on global and local developments in hydrogen energy:
- Dr. Hou-Peng Wan, Deputy General Director of the Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories (GEL) at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), delivered a talk titled “Hydrogen Energy Development: From Global Perspectives to Taiwan’s Technological Achievements,” offering insights into global innovation trends.
- Dr. Wen-Yin Tsai, General Manager of Delta Electronics’ Delta Hydrogen Energy Application Division, presented “Affordable Hydrogen Energy: From Vision to Implementation,” discussing strategies for advancing cost-effective hydrogen technologies.
- Dr. Meg Lin, Vice President of Winbro Group, BD (UK) and Deputy Director of HERC, examined global industrial trends in her presentation “Driving a Zero-Carbon Future: Global Hydrogen Trends and Advanced Manufacturing of the Supply Chain.”
HERC Director Prof. Chung-Jen Tseng emphasized the center’s vision: to build an innovation hub for hydrogen technologies and sustainable applications, driving the transition toward a carbon-neutral future. By leveraging NCU’s interdisciplinary research strengths and global network, HERC aims to promote integrated development from fundamental research to industrial deployment, while advancing demonstration projects, policy research, and public engagement. The center will continue to deepen collaborations with leading hydrogen research institutions across Europe, the U.S., and Japan, supporting Taiwan in playing a more influential role in global hydrogen development and contributing scientific and technological momentum toward net-zero goals.
(Source: NCU News, Original Article )
Prof. Chung-Jen Tseng, Director of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center, and Prof. Rüdiger-A. Eichel, Director IET-1 of Forschungszentrum Jülich, sign the MOU on behalf of both institutions.
Group photo at the venue. Photo by 游佳霖.
