The World Hydrogen Expo Organizing Committee, co-chaired by Kang Nam-hoon, Chairman of the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association, and Kim Jae-hong, Chairman of the Korea Hydrogen Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the WHE Organizing Committee), announced on the 24th that it will hold the H2 Innovation Award to discover next-generation hydrogen industry technologies and business models.
The H2 Innovation Award aims to accelerate innovation in the hydrogen industry and support the global expansion of outstanding technologies. The award identifies companies with differentiated technological capabilities across all hydrogen-related fields and selects 10 innovative technology companies for recognition. The WHE Organizing Committee hosts the event, while the Korea Energy Agency and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology jointly oversee it.
Startups and companies that possess technologies, solutions, or services related to hydrogen production, storage, and transportation, or utilization may apply to participate. Applications are open from September 22 to October 31 and can be submitted through the official World Hydrogen Expo 2025 website. Applicants must submit an application form and a technology overview by email.
After the application deadline, the organizing committee will conduct a review of the documents to select 10 finalists. In November, a final presentation round will take place, after which one company will receive the grand prize regardless of category, three companies will receive excellence awards by category, and six companies will receive merit awards.
The award ceremony will take place on December 4 at the World Hydrogen Expo 2025 venue. The ceremony will present one grand prize, which includes a cash award of 10 million won and a trophy; three excellence awards by category, each with a cash award of 5 million won and a trophy; and six merit awards by category, each receiving a certificate and a booth fee discount of 2 million won for the following year. Award-winning companies will also receive benefits, including on-site promotional displays highlighting their awards and opportunities to promote their technologies.
At the H2 Innovation Award held in the second half of 2024, Iljin Hysolus won the grand prize with its Type 4 hydrogen transport tube trailer. Utility Global received an excellence award for its H2Gen™ reactor, Mt. H earned recognition for its high-pressure hydrogen dispenser flow control valve, and EFlow won an excellence award for its 1.5 kW hydrogen fuel cell power generator. Each received recognition for innovation and technological competitiveness.
Kang Nam-hoon, Co-Chair of the WHE Organizing Committee, said, “The full-scale expansion of the hydrogen economy depends on the practical application of technology and its entry into the market. The H2 Innovation Award is not just a ceremony, but a strategic platform that supports the rapid diffusion of hydrogen technology innovation throughout the industrial ecosystem,” adding, “We hope this award will strengthen competitiveness across the hydrogen industry and create new growth momentum that accelerates the transition to clean energy.”
Meanwhile, the World Hydrogen Expo 2025, where visitors can explore new technology exhibits alongside leading domestic and international hydrogen companies, will run for four days from December 4 to December 7 at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Ilsan.