H2 Impactmakers: Roeland Hogt, practor at Noorderpoort
What inspired you to start this hydrogen project, and what motivates you to continue?
“At Noorderpoort I was given the opportunity to become a practor. While still reflecting on how to shape my practoraat, I was approached by the municipality of Groningen. They were frontrunners in having buses and other vehicles run on green hydrogen, with companies such as Holthausen, and they needed Noorderpoort’s expertise to train people for maintenance. That is how green hydrogen came my way, and from that ambition I started reaching out and connecting people. For GroenvermogenNL I have been involved in teacher professionalisation, because teachers play a crucial role in the energy transition. They share knowledge, jointly develop teaching materials, and help build a national training framework.”
What challenges have you encountered during the implementation of this project, and how did you overcome them?
“Developments around green hydrogen are moving fast. Teachers need to adapt to changing practices and to the evolving needs of companies in the region. The challenge is that teachers generally have little time to acquire knowledge and to keep up with changes. But collaborating knowledge institutions have supported them through a successive series of regional, national, and international subsidies and innovation projects, enabling closer cooperation between training programmes and with industry partners. What you then see is that they become enthusiastic about the subject, and from that enthusiasm combined with their professional growth they start creating their own networks and co-developing knowledge and education with partners.”
In your view, what is the greatest contribution this project makes to the transition towards a sustainable hydrogen economy?
“As I said earlier, more and more teachers are becoming enthusiastic and engaged in education on the hydrogen economy. The group of early explorers has been strengthened by a growing peloton led by teachers and their organisations, taking large groups of students and learners along with them. And it is not only about students in regular education. The biggest challenge is the retraining and upskilling of current professionals. Companies with ambitions in the hydrogen economy are eager for them.”
What support or collaboration has played a crucial role in the success of your project?
“The greatest success factor was the freedom I had to look beyond the borders of my own region for partners with the same mission. Philosophically speaking: when you move in the direction of your dream, you always meet people who want to help you. Speak out about what excites you or makes you uncertain. Don’t be afraid to take an uncertain step. If that step belongs to you, others will always come to your aid.”
How do you see the future of hydrogen, and what role do you hope your project can play in it?
“Hydrogen offers a wide range of solutions for the energy transition. You can use it to store and transport energy, for high-temperature processes, for heavy mobility, and in the built environment, to name just a few possibilities. Teachers are the key to successful applications. With teacher professionalisation, we have a wonderful task ahead of us: guiding the growing number of teachers in green hydrogen towards that new future.”