Motivation

Hydrogen will be a key element in the global energy transition for the decarbonization of hard-to-electrify industries (e.g. steel or chemical industry). South Korea and Germany are both first-movers in the hydrogen economy and are expected to become net hydrogen importers facing similar technology challenges. Since both countries face similar challenges for their hydrogen economy development, joining forces of Fraunhofer and KENTECH is a promising support for industrial partners from both countries to facilitate the development of technologies for the entire hydrogen value chain.

Background: What is a FIP?

A FIP is a temporary Fraunhofer-like research unit hosted and operated by a university or a non-commercial research organization abroad, in close collaboration with one or more Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany. The FIP fosters a collaborative approach to valorize, transfer, and commercialize scientific research output. The partners provide a unique business proposition by synergistically combining their complementary competencies.

Overview of Activities / Research Focus Areas

FIP Management

Prof. Dr. Jihyun Hwang (Managing Director)

Prof. Dr. Jihyun Hwang holds a PhD in offshore cryogenic liquefaction process optimization from graduate school of Seoul National University, South Korea. He is an experienced Hydrogen, LNG, Oil & Gas process professional who brings 20 years of relevant experience to specific projects and technology development. He is Associate Professor and Head of Hydrogen Energy as well as Head of the HYLOT R&D lab, specialized in Hydrogen & LNG processes and project engineering. Before joining KENTECH, Prof. Dr. Jihyun Hwang worked as an expert in different international companies in South Korea, the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany. He is an esteemed technology development leader for (floating and onshore) hydrogen production & storage projects with in-depth knowledge and technical expertise in process engineering for cryogenic processes (LNG, hydrogen) and liquefaction engineering, blue hydrogen, green and blue ammonia, and methanol production.

Dr. Klemens Ilse (Deputy Director)

Dr. Klemens Ilse holds a PhD in physics from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in the topic of photovoltaics in desert environments. He has been working at the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics since 2010 and led a team on "Functional and Optical Surfaces", focusing on technologies to mitigate soiling of PV modules especially in the MENA region. In 2020, he joined the hydrogen department at Fraunhofer IMWS, being responsible for the international business development and standardization efforts for hydrogen technologies. Since 2022 Klemens Ilse is leading the group "Materials Diagnostics for H2 Technologies". His current research is dedicated to improving technologies for green hydrogen production especially in desert environments, green hydrogen certification and logistics.

Overview of Partners / Partner Structure

Who is KENTECH?

KENTECH is committed to becoming a hub and open platform by hosting global energy research centers and energy start-ups in our campus-based energy clusters, where participating stakeholders may share research resources and their achievements through the integrated efforts of future energy inventions and innovations. With 1,000 students and 100 faculty in 2025 at a full scale, our goal is to build ourselves as a small-sized but intellectually strong university, with an emphasis on performing energy development R&D and growing future entrepreneurs. At the initial stage, KENTECH plans to host large national energy research facilities to create industry-academic cooperation clusters on campus, so that this energy powerhouse may be able to help the energy industry utilize and capitalize on their R&D results, making significant contribution to create more jobs at the marketplace. KENTECH’s academic goal by 2050 is to join a group of the global top 10 engineering schools.
Involved KENTECH lab in FIP:

Who is KENTECH?

Link to Website: https://hylot.kentech.ac.kr
Point of contact:
Prof. Dr. Jihyun Hwang

Who is Fraunhofer?

The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is a leading organization for applied research in Europe, having about 76 research institutes and 30,000 employees, mainly scientists and engineers. Our goal is to partner with companies to transform original ideas from science into innovations. In our pre-competitive research, we at Fraunhofer work in 7 Strategic Research Fields, which aim to address needs and markets that will shape our future, having high commercial potential and social impact. Hydrogen technologies is one out of these seven strategic fields, with an equivalent of over 660 full time researchers working on it.
Involved Fraunhofer Institutes in FIP:

Fraunhofer IMWS

Link to Website: https://www.imws.fraunhofer.de/en/kompetenzfelder/hydrogen.html
Point of contact:
Dr. Klemens Ilse

Fraunhofer IWES

Link to Website: https://www.hydrogen-labs.fraunhofer.de/en.html
Link to Website: https://www.iwes.fraunhofer.de/en/test-centers-and-measurements/test-field-for-electrolyzers.html
Point of contact:
Dr. Simon Kühner

Fraunhofer IGB

Link to Website: https://www.igb.fraunhofer.de/en/research/catalysts.html
Point of contact: Dr. Arne Roth

Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Link to Website: https://www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/en/research-for-the-market/hydrogen.html
Point of contact: Dr. Andreas Menne

Fraunhofer ICT

Link to Website: https://www.ict.fraunhofer.de/en/comp/em.html
Point of contact: M. Sc. Annabelle Maletzko

Fraunhofer IFAM

Link to Website: https://www.ifam.fraunhofer.de/en/industries/Energy_Technologies/hydrogen-production-transport-storage-use.html
Point of contact: Dr.-Ing. Felix Heubner