This involves the use of hydrogen technologies in production processes, the development of steel tanks for the transportation and storage of the energy source and an innovation network to establish a hydrogen cluster for Salzgitter. Lower Saxony is supporting the projects with a total of 4.7 million euros from the state's structural aid program for Salzgitter.

Representatives from politics, science and industry presented the new projects in a video conference on Tuesday: Lower Saxony's Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Birgit Honé, spoke of a "real milestone" for Salzgitter. "After a year of comprehensive conceptual and strategic planning, this is now the start of operational work," said the Minister. But this is just the beginning: "The next projects are already being prepared," announced Honé. These will focus on sector coupling, mobility and supplying the region with green hydrogen. Honé: "We want to make Lower Saxony fit for the future. That is why we are interested in holistic projects with the longest possible local value chain. Salzgitter shows how this can be achieved."

The Mayor of Salzgitter, Frank Klingebiel, described the campus as a "beacon project for the industrial transition to a climate-friendly age", in which business, science, politics and administration work hand in hand on the topic of hydrogen. "Our common goal is to create new jobs and to secure and strengthen Salzgitter as a business location in the long term," said Klingebiel.

The Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, Prof. Dr. Christoph Herrmann, sees great strength in the exchange: "At the Wasserstoffcampus Salzgitter, the partners are pooling their expertise to demonstrate the industrial use of hydrogen and develop marketable solutions for decarbonization. In particular, the Fraunhofer IST is contributing its expertise in the development of materials and processes for electrolysers, hydrogen storage systems and fuel cells as well as in holistic evaluation," said Herrmann.

The alliance partners share an enormous motivation, said Michael Gensicke, Managing Director of Robert Bosch Elektronik GmbH Salzgitter. "We are all united by our willingness to take action in the transformation towards a CO2-neutral industrial location. I can see that all partners involved are contributing valuable know-how and are willing to move forward," said Gensicke. He spoke of an "excellent alliance": "In the region, we combine powerful industry with innovative research," he said. Although the Bosch Group has already been CO2-neutral worldwide since 2020, it is nevertheless looking for ways to become even more effective: "That is why we will develop a kind of blueprint for the transformation of a medium-sized factory towards CO2 neutrality at the Salzgitter plant as part of the Hydrogen Campus project. We are already making a start on this," he said.

Dr.-Ing Benedikt Ritterbach, Managing Director of Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung GmbH, was delighted with the funding for the joint project with the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST: "The aim of our project is to develop a surface treatment to reduce hydrogen diffusion in steel tanks. Hydrogen plays a central role in the decarbonization of industry and in our innovation project 'SALCOS Salzgitter Low CO2-Steelmaking' for climate-friendly steel production. The safe production, storage, transmission and use of hydrogen are therefore crucial to the success of climate protection and the energy transition. We have decades of expertise in the interaction between steel and hydrogen."

Dr. Ulrike Witt, State Commissioner for Regional Development in Braunschweig, sees the campus as a benefit for the entire region: "A hydrogen region can only be created in cooperation with all hydrogen projects and partners," said Witt. It is about mapping value chains and enabling synergies. "I therefore want to continue to work with the South-East Lower Saxony project office on this important topic of regional development," she concluded.

In 2019, the state launched a structural aid program for Salzgitter with a total of 50 million euros to support the city in mastering its strategically necessary structural change. The structural aid is divided into three areas:

1. education and social integration (24 million euros)

2. urban development needs (19 million euros)

3. economic structural change (7 million euros).

"Salzgitter Hydrogencampus Innovation Network" project

The project aims to shape, continuously develop and professionalize the Salzgitter Hydrogencampus Innovation Network, including its infrastructure and services. This also includes the formal establishment of the Wasserstoffcampus as a legal entity. In addition to close networking of all players and activities of the Wasserstoffcampus, the project ensures in particular the transfer of knowledge and technology findings to industry, science, politics and society - e.g. through qualification programs, publications and tangible, interactive demonstrators on the campus site. The project also forms the umbrella for all other sub-projects (see, for example, the proposed sub-projects on "Factory transformation" and "Hydrogen tanks") that are to be carried out or initiated in the future as part of the innovation network. The project also paves the way for the long-term operation of the campus, including through the planned acquisition of further funding (state, federal and European level) and the development of business models that will enable continuous income for the campus (e.g. consulting, qualification, certification). Finally, the project enables professional public relations work so that the "Wasserstoffcampus Salzgitter" brand is visible as a national beacon in the field of hydrogen technologies and the campus can become an integral part of the German hydrogen economy in the medium term.