HYGEAR OPERATIONS BV

Their core work

HyGear is a Dutch SME specializing in on-site hydrogen generation, gas purification, and membrane-based separation technologies. Across 10 H2020 projects, they consistently contribute hydrogen processing and purification expertise to research consortia tackling clean energy challenges — from solid oxide fuel cells to solar hydrogen and CO2-to-fuel conversion. Their role as a third-party contributor in every project indicates they provide specialized industrial equipment or proprietary technology (likely hydrogen purifiers and membrane systems) that consortia need but don't build themselves.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 participation (2017–2018), HyGear focused on established hydrogen infrastructure: solid oxide cogeneration, palladium membrane separation, CO2 sorbents, and hydrogen supply chains. From 2019 onward, their projects shifted decisively toward renewable hydrogen routes — solar-driven production, biomass gasification, artificial photosynthesis, and electrochemical CO2 conversion to e-fuels. This trajectory mirrors the broader European pivot from fossil-based hydrogen toward green hydrogen and Power-to-X, and suggests HyGear is repositioning its purification and processing expertise for the emerging renewable fuels value chain.

HyGear is moving from conventional hydrogen processing toward renewable hydrogen and CO2-to-fuel pathways, making them a strong fit for upcoming green hydrogen and Power-to-X consortia.

How they like to work

HyGear operates exclusively as a third-party contributor — they have never coordinated or formally participated in any of their 10 H2020 projects. This is a distinctive pattern: they are brought in by consortia specifically for their industrial hydrogen technology, likely providing equipment, testing, or proprietary processes. Despite this indirect role, they have built a remarkably wide network of 93 unique partners across 17 countries, indicating that many different research groups value their specific capabilities.

With 93 unique consortium partners across 17 countries, HyGear has an extensive European network despite never leading a project. Their connections span major hydrogen and clean energy research groups, giving them broad reach across the EU research landscape.

What sets them apart

HyGear occupies a rare niche as an SME that bridges industrial hydrogen technology and frontier research. While most third-party contributors appear in one or two projects, HyGear's 10-project portfolio shows that their hydrogen purification and gas processing capabilities are repeatedly sought after by diverse consortia. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to find: a commercially operating company that can provide real-world hydrogen infrastructure and testing capacity to validate lab-scale innovations.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CONDOR
  Combines artificial photosynthesis with CO2 reduction for renewable energy storage — represents HyGear's most forward-looking involvement in solar fuel technology.
• ECO2Fuel
  Large-scale low-temperature CO2 electrolysis to liquid fuels running until 2026, their longest-horizon project and a signal of their Power-to-X direction.
• EPISTORE
  Reversible solid oxide cells for ultracompact energy storage — an unusual step into ERC-type fundamental research (Research Excellence pillar) for an industrial SME.