VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a government organisation established by law and operating under the auspices of the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Through its international scientific and technology networks, VTT can produce information, upgrade technology knowledge, and create business intelligence and value added for its stakeholders. VTT Group consists of VTT research and development, business solutions, strategic research, IP business and group services. Additionally VTT manages three state-owned companies: VTT Expert Services Ltd, VTT International Ltd and VTT Ventures Ltd. VTT’s key technology fields include: Applied materials, bio- and chemical processes, energy, ICT industrial systems, microtechnologies and electronics, services and the built environment, and business and innovation research. VTT Group is the largest public applied research activity in Finland with a staff of 3200 and a turnover of 307 M€ (2011). In the past 20 years, VTT has participated in more than 1000 European R&D Framework Programme projects. VTT is a member of the FCH-JU Research Grouping and actively participates in several FCH-JU projects.

VTT´s multi-technological risk management expertise improves companies´ capabilities to lead and manage risks created by emerging technologies and changing operating models and business environment. VTT’s expertise covers the applications of risk, safety and reliability management across the whole life cycle of a product service. VTT implements the risk and safety management procedures in the life cycles of products or services and supports decision-making at each stage. This creates the basis for seamless operation processes, business continuity, risk-conscious decision-making, and proactive exploitation of opportunities.

VTT is one of the leading groups in biomass gasification and synthesis gas applications. To support its R&D in this field VTT is also developing and utilizing several gas analysis methods for H2, CO, CO2, heavy and light hydrocarbons, Cl, NH3, H2S and particles. VTT has also a long experience in environmental emission measurements.
www.vtt.fi

ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES AND ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (CEA)

CEA has been developing for more than twelve years a transversal program on hydrogen and fuel cells by combining many complementary skills within its various research centres. LITEN (Laboratory of Innovation for New Energy) is involved in the project through LCPEM (Laboratory Components of Fuel Cells in proton exchange membrane and Electrolysis and Modeling), which has extensive experience in the development, characterization and understanding of the operation of fuel cell MEAs. The lab has skills associated with various equipment for the preparation of catalysts, electrodes and MEA for fuel cells. LCPEM has developed skills on deposition techniques for inks and electrochemical methods. It has also expertise and resources in the battery and electrolyser tests, in procedures and performance studies and in degradation, in in-situ and ex situ electrochemical characterization, in rotating electrode half-cells, and the structural characterization of MEAs and their components, including electron microscopy and X-ray scattering for the active layers.
http://www.cea.fr/

European Commission, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy and Transport (JRC)

The Institute for Energy and Transport (IET) is part of the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. Its mission is to provide scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of community policies related to energy. Special emphasis is given to the security of energy supply and sustainable and safe energy production. JRC supports EU actions by executing its specific research programme in the fields of clean and sustainable energy spanning both nuclear and non-nuclear domains. Typical activities encompass nuclear safety in the enlarged EU; clean, efficient biomass combustion and gasification, and harmonisation and validation of safety and performance assessment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. The Institute concentrates on S&T reference systems for policy support at European level, networking, especially in areas where integrated action at the Community level in support to policies is needed, and finally on mobility of scientific skills. It also performs contractual work co-financed by the indirect actions of the Framework Programme (FP) and work for third parties as well as work at the direct request of Commission Services.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/

Protea Limited

Protea Limited is a UK based SME specialising in the development, manufacture and use of gas analysis equipment. Formed in 1996, the company pioneered FTIR in gas and emissions monitoring in the UK and Ireland and became recognised as a unique expert on this technology.

To improve knowledge transfer, Protea was involved in the validation and demonstration of novel spectrometric techniques (FTIR and QMS based) under the UK VAM 1.6 and two Intersect initiatives Protea manufactures a range of analysers (FTIR, QMS, TDLAS) and has recently introduced a new generation FTIR product. Protea also produces complete systems for monitoring processes and emissions and produces custom systems for specialised applications such as Fire Testing.

Protea has an active development programme to commercialise new technologies and to integrate these within existing technology. This currently includes Quantum Cascade Lasers, electrochemical and semiconductor sensors and mini spectrometers. The objective is generally to produce lower cost products through innovation leading to wider use.
http://www.protea.ltd.uk/index.php

STIFTELSEN SINTEF (SINTEF)

Stiftelsen SINTEF is an independent research institution affiliated to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). It is a multidisciplinary contract research organization that performs research and development in technology. SINTEF has around 2100 employees (2011), and a total turnover of 365 M€ in 2010.

SINTEF Materials and Chemistry is a division within the SINTEF Group with 500 employees, and around 30 associated professors, covering fundamental and industrial research related to materials and processes. The New Energy Solutions group within Department of Energy Conversion and Materials has specialized in electrochemical energy conversion technologies. The main focus is on research related to PEM fuel cells and electrolysis cells and inorganic material chemistry. The group is highly experienced with various electrochemical and physical characterization techniques. In the area of PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, recent research activities have focus on studies of degradation of PEM fuel cells and especially metal based bipolar plates In situ characterization is mainly based on electrochemical techniques and local temperature measurements together with online effluent monitoring by GC-MS and FTIR as well as analysis of liquid by LC. SINTEF also possesses a lot of equipment for analysis of thin films (BPP) like XRD, SEM (EDS), TEM, XPS and STM etc. Staff members of DECM located in Oslo also has a lot of experience in both production and thorough analysis of thin films for many applications.

SINTEF Applied Cybernetics is specialising in the development of dynamic models and advanced control systems, with customers from process industry, marine systems, manufacturing, health care, and oil and gas industry. In particular, the department is one of the few sites worldwide with specific expertise at the crossroads of control systems and fuel cells. The department has extensive experience in software development and implementation of control systems for industrial use. Through Sinvent AS, expertise in IP management and patenting processes is available.
http://www.sintef.no/home

POWERCELL SWEDEN AB

Powercell Sweden AB was formed to commercialise the fuel cell technology which had been developed within the Volvo group over the past 20 years. In 2009 Powercell became an independent company with a strong new ownership structure still with Volvo as the principal owner. Powercell’s long term mission is to develop and commercialize complete environmentally friendly fuel cell based electric power generators for the truck, automotive, recreational vehicle and marine segments.

Today PowerCell employs approximately 25 people. The company has a stack manufacturing plant as well as state-of-the-art fuel cell R&D laboratories in Gothenburg. The first commercially available fuel cell stack platform has been available since end of 2011.
http://www.powercell.se/