Episode 7 of WHySE Creatures Stories
This post first appeared on LinkedIn on 25 June 2026.
I’m Dog –
and what that has to do with WHySE.
Admittedly, not everyone gets to choose their own creature.
Even so – Dog suits me. Loyal. Experienced. Always by my side. Listens before speaking. Comes back, even when things get tough. And loves nothing more than sitting in an armchair with a good cup of coffee, looking out at the world – and thinking.
There are three pieces of paper on the table in front of me. PhD. HyGear. DVGW.
Three stages that led me to WHySE.
I completed my PhD at the University of Duisburg-Essen – hydrogen purification using pressure swing adsorption. Sounds dry? Quite the opposite. It was the moment when H₂ went from being just a subject I studied to a passion.
Then eleven years at HyGear in the Netherlands. International R&D projects, budgets of up to €5 million, more than 23 projects. I learnt what it means to think in terms of hydrogen and put ideas into practice – with all the ups and downs that real-world projects entail.
Followed by nine years at DVGW. The Hydrogen Innovation Programme. A research budget of €9.3 million, over 30 projects, and involvement in the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and Hydrogen Europe Research. I came to understand how European hydrogen strategy works – and where the sticking points lie.
Since 1 April 2025, I’ve been with WHySE (pronounced ‘wise’).
For one clear reason: I realised something was missing – someone who is independent of manufacturers, authorities, associations or consortia. Someone who provides answers to small SMEs, small local authority-owned companies, and also research institutions. Someone who listens before responding. Who analyses and provides guidance. Who points out stumbling blocks.
Incidentally, in the mythology of many cultures, Rat and Dog are a fruitful pairing. Rat is clever, quick and strategic. Yet strategy requires clear terrain and direction. Dog knows the H₂ terrain unknown to Rat, having been there for decades. Knows every tree, bush and creature. Provides direction without an agenda of its own.
That’s Dog. That’s me.
Since June, I’ve been telling WHySE creature stories. About Rat sitting on the fence. About Snake that brings legal certainty. Each character represents a role in the hydrogen and energy sector – and a genuine question that I hear time and again.
The stories appear a week after their LinkedIn post as blog posts on whyseh2.com – at your leisure, without algorithms, just for browsing.
How can Dog support you?
#Hydrogen #WHySE #EnergyTransition #H2 #Ikigai