The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Park Sang-jin), under the Ministry of Science and ICT, is providing a forum to examine hydrogen machine technology, a key technology for advancing a carbon-neutral society.


The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) will host the '2021 Global Forum on Mechanical Engineering' online on September 8th with the theme of 'Hydrogen Machinery Technology: The Foundation of Carbon Neutrality.'

This forum is co-hosted by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Lee Sang-min and Cho Seung-rae, and People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sik. Representatives Cho Seung-rae and Kim Young-sik serve as co-chairs of the National Assembly's Science and Technology Powerhouse Forum.

This year's forum, held under the theme of "Hydrogen Machine Technology, the Foundation of Carbon Neutrality," is attracting even more attention amidst growing awareness of the crisis surrounding climate change, including abnormally high temperatures, cold waves, and the threat of infectious diseases that have been raging for over a year.

The keynote speaker will be Detlef Stolton, director of the Institute for Energy and Climate Research at the Jülich Institute in Germany and professor at Aachen University. Professor Stolton, a world-renowned expert in the hydrogen economy who served as the Chairman of the Fuel Cell Subcommittee of the International Energy Agency (IEA), will speak in this keynote address on the topic of promoting the spread of hydrogen technology to achieve carbon neutrality.

Session 1 will focus on hydrogen utilization technology, with Hyundai Motor Company Vice President Kim Se-hoon presenting on “The Advent of the Hydrogen Society and Future Vision 2030,” followed by Steiner Madsen, CEO of Topica Limited, a Norwegian company specializing in Wilhelmsen Shipping Group, presenting on “Development of a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion Ship Utilizing Liquefied Hydrogen.”

Session 2 will focus on large-scale hydrogen liquefaction, storage, and transportation. Werner Ponigba, CEO of Linde, a leading global liquid hydrogen company in Germany, will present on “The World of Hydrogen Built by Linde,” and Choi Byeong-il, head of the Plant Convergence Research Lab at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and head of the Korea Commercial-Grade Liquid Hydrogen Plant Research Group, will present on “Building a Liquid Hydrogen Infrastructure in Korea.”

Anyone wishing to attend the 2021 Global Machinery Technology Forum can pre-register on the forum website (http://forum.kimm.re.kr). The forum will be held online, and upon completing pre-registration, you will receive online access to related materials, including the forum abstract booklet.

You can also ask the speaker any questions you have in advance. On the day of the forum, it will be broadcast live on the website and YouTube channel.

President Park Sang-jin said, “Carbon neutrality is an unavoidable task of our times, and today’s forum will be a meaningful opportunity to explore our path forward in the face of the major trends of the times, carbon neutrality and the hydrogen economy.” He added, “We will take the lead in establishing hydrogen machinery technology infrastructure and find ways for the public and industry to participate in achieving carbon neutrality more easily and effectively.”

Meanwhile, since 2014, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials has been hosting an international academic forum every year, inviting experts from global industry, research, and academia to discuss future issues and current affairs in the field of mechanical technology.