Opportunities in the Hydrogen Economy

Amer Gaffar is director of the £4.1m Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University and a sustainability professional with more than 23 years’ experience in the sector. Amer is a passionate advocate for fuel cell and hydrogen technology and Net Zero innovation. He has a track record of building successful innovation programmes such as the £6m Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster which has led to him being invited to multiple inquiries for the Department of Net Zero and Security, the House of Lords and Commons, the Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society to provide evidence on key net zero ambitions for the UK with a focus on the role of Hydrogen and Innovation.  In 2024 he was Invited and approved to become a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts Manufacture and Commerce. In addition to his role at the Centre, Amer leads several projects to make Greater Manchester a centre of excellence in hydrogen and fuel cells such as Europe’s first targeted programme of Hydrogen Education (HySchools) and authored the Greater Manchester Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Strategy. Amer also holds board and advisory positions within the Energy Innovation Agency, Trafford Green Hydrogen and Hydrogen Safe.

Chris joined Manchester Metropolitan University in 2017, and for the last three years has been the operational lead for the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre project. Funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the project has supported small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Greater Manchester to understand and develop new products and services utilising hydrogen and fuel cell technology.

Working within the University’s Business School, Chris has a research interest in SME eco-innovation, and is Manchester Met’s project lead for a new, three-year ERDF low carbon project, Eco-I NW. Working with North West university partners, the project will actively support SMEs to develop low carbon products and services, and iterate circular economy business models.

Neil Simpson has spent more than a decade bringing innovation to businesses, helping them to grow by turning their ideas into money. Based in Liverpool, Neil specialises in ideation, digital marketing and innovation, assisting entrepreneurs to profit from their intellectual property, brand value and in house genius.