The master’s degree is created with the aim of offering innovative and forward-thinking knowledge in the field of hydrogen economy, and is directed at professionals interested in the potential of these new technologies to contribute to the energy transition
The Repsol-Petronor Group promotes the Master’s degree of Hydrogen Technologues, designed and supported by Universidad de Mondragón, Universidad del País Vasco, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Universidad de Zaragoza, in addition to the Institut Comte de Rius de Tarragona and the Institut Escola del Treball de Barcelona, and with the participation of four other training and research centers, such as the Foundation of the Hydrogen of Aragon. The twelve entities have united their efforts to launch the Masters in Hydrogen Technologies, which will begin on 15 October 2021. This is a multi-localized master with four locations: Bilbao, Barcelona, Tarragona, and Zaragoza, and will be mostly in synchronous virtual mode.
Following european strategies around hydrogen technologies, this unprecedented collaboration between industrial, university and vocational training reference entities has been created with the aim of speeding up the development of hydrogen technologies in industry, and will require a balance between the engineering profiles formed at university and those from vocational training. The inter-university Master’s degree in Hydrogen Technologies is born to offer innovative and forward-looking knowledge in the field of hydrogen economy and its associated technologies.
Hydrogen is one of the most powerful energy vectors to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. The institutional gamble on these technologies in the so-called energy transition is clear. According to a report by Hydrogen Council, projects aimed at developing renewable hydrogen as a clean source of energy will add a worldwide investment of more than EUR 250 billion up to 2030. The European Next Generation recovery funds, which aim to work on the strategy of total decarbonisation of all economic sectors by 2050 in Europe, are also clearly committed to this energy vector.
The Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia has been identified by the Generalitat of Catalonia as one of the 27 economic recovery-retracting initiatives, and aims to deploy a hydrogen economy and society that achieves climate neutrality. More than 120 public and private organizations are part of the Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia, coordinated by the URV together with the companies Repsol and Enagás. For its part, the UPC has long researched the production of hydrogen and its use in different environments, including fuel cells. The master’s degree in Hydrogen Technologies represents a good opportunity to spread this accumulated knowledge both to the productive sector and to newly appointed students.
The Master will have the participation of recognised professionals in the industry, as well as university and technological and research experts from the 12 driving entities. The practical component is one of the central axes of this formative bet, as participants will perform regular practices with simulation packages, technical visits to companies, as well as laboratory practice to test the concepts and tools analyzed. Training will culminate in a fine Masters work applied to a real challenge, with a priority objective: to contribute to progress in the real challenges of companies in the field of hydrogen technologies.