Berlin Science Week
1—10 Nov 2024 Berlin Science Week

Unlocking Pathways to a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy | Falling Walls Foundation, HZB

Marius Brand, Bernd Rech, Philip Green, Philippe Tanguy, Juliana Chan

The Plenary Table “Unlocking Pathways to a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy” will explore the challenges and opportunities that may arise from the successful deployment of hydrogen technologies aimed at building more resilient economies and energy systems, while ensuring climate neutrality. We want to draw attention to upscaling energy production from renewable sources, with the involvement of the Global South and advancing a strategically integrated global energy system.

With following Speakers: Marius Brand, Bernd Rech, Philip Green, Philippe Tanguy, Juliana Chan

The Falling Walls Science Summit was part of Berlin Science Week 2021 and hosted by the Falling Walls Foundation & Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

To find out more about the Falling Walls Science Summit and Falling Walls Circle, go to https://www.falling-walls.com

Marius Brand

SASOL

Marius Brand is the Executive Vice President, Sasol 2.0 Transformation at the Chemicals and Energy company Sasol. Marius is responsible for the Sasol 2.0 programme – a group-wide transformation programme positioned to achieve the Future Sasol strategy. In addition, Marius is accountable for the new Sasol business unit, Sasol ecoFT, which will use Sasol’s proven Fischer-Tropsch technology to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals, from sustainable hydrogen and carbon sources. The initial primary focus of the new business venture will be to establish a global footprint in the power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuel market. During his career at Sasol, Marius has worked at most of Sasol’s South African operating facilities. He has been exposed to a broad range of business activities, including roles in plant operations, asset capital project management, establishing transactional and site shared services, managing profit and loss businesses, heading group strategy, and leading group-wide transformation, sustainability and digital programmes. He was appointed to the Sasol Group Executive Committee in April 2019.

Bernd Rech

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH

Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech studierte Physik an der Universität Heidelberg und der RWTH Aachen, wo er 1997 promovierte. Von 1999 bis 2006 leitete er die Arbeitsgruppe Solarzellentechnologie am Institut für Photovoltaik am Forschungszentrum Jülich. 2007 wurde er als Professor an die Fakultät Elektrotechnik und Informatik der Technischen Universität Berlin berufen. Seit 2008 war er für mehrere Jahre Sprecher für das Programm Erneuerbare Energien der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft. Von 2006-2017 leitete er das Institut für Silizium-Photovoltaik am Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB). Gemeinsam mit seinem Team arbeitete er an der Entwicklung hocheffizienter und kostengünstiger Dünnschichtsolarzellen sowie neuer Materialkombinationen für die Produktion von Tandem-Solarzellen.
Im Mai 2017 übernahm er kommissarisch die wissenschaftliche Geschäftsführung des HZB. Seit Juni 2019 ist er als wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer des HZB für die Forschungsbereiche Energie und Information verantwortlich. Bernd Rech ist Mitglied zahlreichen Gremien und Kuratorien, 2017 wurde er zum Mitglied der acatech gewählt.

© Phil Dera

Philip Green

AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY, GERMANY

Philip Green is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently First Assistant Secretary, United States and Indo-Pacific Strategy Division. He has previously served overseas as Head of Mission in Singapore, South Africa and Kenya.

Mr. Green holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.

Philippe Tanguy

POLYTECHNIQUE MONTREAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Philippe Tanguy is the President of Polytechnique Montreal technological university. As an expert in hydrogen and economy decarbonization, he has also been working with government shaping the energy transition and industry electrification strategy. Prior to joining Polytechnique, Philippe served as a top R&D executive for the broad energy company TotalEnergies in Paris and Berlin, focusing on international R&D corporate strategy, in relation with the energy transition, the hydrogen economy, and the energy-water-environment nexus. He previously pursued an academic career in several universities in Canada, including 15 years as an industrial research chairholder at Polytechnique Montreal. Philippe is presently the Chairman of the World Council of Chemical Engineering and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. His education includes a doctorate degree in physics (Paris), a Ph.D. in chemical engineering (Laval), and an executive management training (MIT Sloan).

Juliana Chan

ASIAN SCIENCIST MAGAZINE

Dr. Juliana Chan is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Scientist Magazine, published by Wildtype Media Group, Asia’s leading STEM-focused media company, spanning digital, print, custom publishing and events.

She received a BA degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD degree in Biology from MIT. Awards received include the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science National Fellowship, the Singapore Youth Award, MIT Technology Review’s 10 Innovators Under 35 (Asia), the ACS Nano Fellowship and Tatler Singapore’s Generation T list.

Juliana’s research into drug delivery and nanomedicine has been featured by The BBC, MIT Technology Review and South China Morning Post, and she is an inventor on four patents, one of which has been licensed for commercialization by Pfizer. Juliana is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and she serves on the WEF Technology Pioneers Selection Committee.