Professor Nigel Brandon, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London and a leading expert in sustainable energy technologies, visited the University of Concepción during the week of January 6. His agenda included meetings, workshops, and tours of the Faculty of Engineering’s facilities, culminating in the international seminar titled “Technology and Innovation for the Energy Transition.”
During his first visit to Chile, Professor Brandon highlighted the significance of the country’s natural resources, such as copper and lithium, as well as its advancements in green hydrogen research. “It’s my first visit, so it’s a great opportunity to come and see all the excellent work being done here. The science I’ve seen is truly interesting and innovative. I have every reason to believe you are making a significant contribution” stated the dean.
During his stay, he met with authorities, academics, and students from UdeC’s Faculty of Engineering, who presented their advancements in energy research. Regarding the visit, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering at UdeC, Pablo Catalán, remarked, “It is a great honor and immense joy for us to host the Dean of Imperial College at our university and faculty. The topics addressed, focused on clean tech, green hydrogen, and the various technological processes leading to new energy sources, meet a high demand and represent a key requirement in terms of research and development both for the faculty and the university”
His trip to the University of Concepción was made possible through the initiative of researcher Felipe Sanhueza from the Department of Materials Engineering. Through an Initiation Fondecyt project (11231211), Sanhueza contacted Professor Brandon for research purposes, which later led to the approval of an international collaboration project (FOVI230161). “His visit is a direct result of those two awarded projects” explained Sanhueza.
International Seminar: “Technology and Innovation for the Energy Transition
The seminar, organized in collaboration with the Institute of Technological Research (IIT UdeC), focused on green hydrogen as a key energy vector for transitioning to decarbonized economies. “I think it’s a great achievement to leverage the expertise of both the Dean of Imperial College and the other speakers joining us today. They provide perspectives from various viewpoints and show us how we can integrate those insights to help our region implement projects related to renewable hydrogen and support the energy transition,” said Andrea Moraga, Manager of the Green Hydrogen Unit at IIT UdeC.
Professor Brandon, for his part, highlighted Chile’s strategic interest in hydrogen and underscored its global importance in the energy transition. “I cannot imagine a world that doesn’t need fuels or chemicals. The easiest and most efficient fuel to produce is hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen” He also emphasized the pivotal role of universities in the development of hydrogen-related technologies. “Universities play a role in thought leadership, exploring new technologies, supporting industry in deploying and improving them, and, of course, training the next generation of researchers and engineers”
