STEM PARTNERSHIP LAUNCH AT CLEAN ENERGY SKILLS SUMMIT

A trailblazing STEM partnership to develop the hydrogen energy future workforce that the North West economy needs will be unveiled at Manchester’s first ever Clean Energy Skills Summit.

The summit, taking place on Friday 6th Sep at the Business School at Manchester Metropolitan University will be attended by leaders of some of the biggest and most influential companies in the region. The event has been organised by the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (MFCIC).

In the first project of its kind, The Fuel Cell Innovation Centre has teamed up with The Blair Project to incorporate hydrogen fuel cell technologies onto our existing electric go karts, as part of their HySchools programme to educate more young people about hydrogen energy. Schools and colleges in Greater Manchester and Cheshire will be among the first beneficiaries.

Nile Henry CEO said “ Climate change is an emergency. Road transport accounts for 27% of greenhouse gases. Shifting to cleaner greener transport needs to happen sooner rather than later. Incorporating hydrogen fuels cells to power our electric go karts will give students essential hands on experience of working with clean energy technologies that they can’t get anywhere else.”

He added “ Shifting to hydrogen powered karting has given us a new capability and competitive edge which has helped us to secure new business and partnerships in China and the USA”.

Manchester has committed to decarbonisation by 2038, twelve years ahead of the rest of the UK. To meet this ambition, the city needs people with the right skills to change the way we live and work.

The Clean Energy Skills Summit provides the opportunity for delegates to explore the clean energy challenges in their organisations and to inform how Manchester Metropolitan University, as educators, can help them bridge the skills gap.

Amer Gaffar, Director of MFCIC said “Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are a global opportunity which will create 30 millions new jobs by 2050 in a market worth £2 trillion. The UK wants to be at the forefront of the hydrogen revolution. Partnering with a Motorsport STEM education provider like The Blair Project will help us educate the next generation of technology talent about clean energy, hydrogen and fuel cells and bring this learning to life.

A ProtoEV ekart built by a team of apprentices from Siemens UK will be on display at the summit.