Fuel cell market: winners are visionaries

Stuttgart (eos) – Hydrogen-driven fuel cells are one of the great hopes for the climatefriendly future of energy. Even today, they are used for emergency power supplies or deliver energy to mountain homes far from the mains network. In future, local authorities, companies, and home owners could also be able to use these effective energy converters to obtain power and heat, and the burden on our environment could be reduced with zeroemission fuel cell cars. The industry sector has – almost – made it. But how will the jump into the market work? This question is answered at the international fuel cell specialist forum “f-cell” (www.f-cell.de) on September 29 and 30 in Stuttgart. The event, which combines a congress and trade fair, is addressed to producers as well as users of the fuel cell, documenting the state of the art, international lighthouse projects, and exciting new developments for stationary, mobile, and portable fuel cell applications. The Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WSR – economic promotion) and the Peter Sauber Agentur Messen und Kongresse GmbH are organizing the “f-cell” for the eighth time this year. They will be supported by EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (power supplier) and the Ministry for the Environment of the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Open-minded thinkers in demand

One of the eleven forums of the event bears the title “Market Opportunities and Strategies for the Fuel Cell”. In her lecture “Green Ocean Competitive Strategies”, marketing expert Susan Sheehan of motum b2b from Toronto in Canada advises her audience to rethink everything. “A lot of companies are running on the spot because there is a lack of real visions and clear objectives. They are involved in a hotly contested market, a ‘Red Ocean’, in competition with companies that offer comparable products and services, or are waiting for the big breakthrough.” Susan Sheehan presents unusual possibilities for companies to discover their own markets (Green Ocean) or new technical access points. “All truly successful companies found their ‘Green Ocean’, pursued their objectives tenaciously, and did not let themselves be distracted by reservations regarding feasibility.”

Practical report on market entry

Dr. Manfred Stefener, member of the supervisory board of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG (SFC) in Brunnthal near Munich, will be reporting from his own experience. SFC is the first company worldwide to sell market-ready fuel cell products for applications removed from the mains network, for example in caravans and campers, yachts and holiday homes, or for security and measurement technology. “A complete product solution with all the accessories, in the sense of ‘plug-and-play’, is important to the customer,” says Stefener. “Users expect a fully comprehensive service – not just the fuel cell system or only the stack. This service also includes an infrastructure for the fuel that is all over the country. SFC ensures this for the required methanol tank cartridges, making us a pioneer in the fuel cell industry.”

Information on “f-cell”
Those who are interested will find more information and the current program of the “f-cell” on the Internet at: www.f-cell.de The Peter Sauber Agency can be reached by telephone at +07156 (0)7156-43624-51.