Understanding Asia’s Hydrogen Momentum – Strategic Insights for Europe’s Future Competitiveness

Hydrogen technologies are advancing rapidly across Asia, especially in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. These countries invest heavily in research, industrial scale-up, and international partnerships – setting high innovation speeds and shaping future global markets. For Germany and Europe, this development opens new opportunities but also brings competitive pressure. To secure technological leadership and economic resilience, it is crucial to understand how these countries drive hydrogen production, transport, storage, materials research, and hydrogen applications.

The AlKoWe project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of hydrogen technology developments in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. By assessing scientific progress, industrial strategies, and innovation ecosystems, the project identifies both opportunities – such as new market access and potential collaborations – and risks, including competitive disadvantages or emerging cost pressures. Based on these insights, AlKoWe develops concrete recommendations to safeguard competencies and strengthen Europe’s competitive position in the global hydrogen sector. The Fraunhofer IMWS contributes in-depth research for South Korea, together with the Innovation Platform FIPH2Energy@KENTECH, focusing on technological trends in hydrogen production, transport and storage, materials, and industrial use cases.

The project’s findings are relevant for companies and stakeholders regarding:

• hydrogen value chains
• development of international cooperation models
• risk assessments for supply chains
• the identification of emerging technology fields within the Asian hydrogen economy