GW-SHIFT – developing a hydrogen supercluster
The Great Western Supercluster of Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies (GW-SHIFT) is a unique two-country programme to develop and accelerate the delivery of impact activities for the emerging hydrogen research and innovation cluster across the South West of England and South Wales. The programme will support these regions to decarbonise different sectors and accelerate the journey to Net Zero. GW-SHIFT is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as a flagship Place Based Impact Acceleration Account.
GW-SHIFT brings together ambitious civic organisations (including Western Gateway, Welsh Government, Great South West, West of England Combined Authority, Swindon & Wiltshire LEP, Cornwall & Isle of Scilly LEP), key industry partners (including Hydrogen South West, GKN Aerospace, Airbus, Johnson Matthey, National Composites Centre, Net Zero Industry Wales, Wales and West Utilities, TNO), and a number of SMEs (including SETSquared partnership), and world-class academic institutions (the GW4 Alliance of the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter, alongside Swansea, South Wales and Plymouth). These key regional partnerships will build hydrogen networks and capacity, deliver high-impact projects and engage widely with stakeholder communities.
The ambition of GW-SHIFT is to grow from an emerging cluster to an established supercluster which is uniquely placed in the South West of England and South Wales to lead the delivery of the green hydrogen economies needed to decarbonise the UK, driving joined-up impact that spans multiple sectors (maritime, road, rail, aerospace, chemicals) across the region’s unique testbed of urban, rural, and coastal areas and resources.
Find out more
Find out more about Professor Xiaohong Li, Director of Global Development, University of Exeter, research interests
