Future Leader

Beau Broen is nominated as Future Hydrogen Leader for his exceptional contributions to the hydrogen sector across three key pillars:

• Technical & Strategic Excellence: Facilitated a landmark 1MW solid-oxide electrolyzer project for Rainbow Colors B.V. and contributed to the development of regional hydrogen strategies.
• Human Capital Leadership: As a board member of Jong-NWBA, he designed a national strategy to attract and retain young talent, directly tackling the labor shortage in the hydrogen transition.
• Ecosystem Building: Through Hydrogen Bridgebuilders, he provides specialized consultancy that connects hydrogen regions, turning isolated projects into integrated ecosystems.

Beau is a natural leader whose career is defined by an infectious passion and a relentless determination to see the hydrogen economy flourish. He doesn't just plan for the future; he is actively building it.

Vishnupriya (Priya) Aryabhumi is the Project Manager of Holland Hydrogen 1 responsible for connecting the hydrogen plant to a 380kV high-voltage power station. She led the process of connecting Holland Hydrogen 1 electrolyser to the power grid, on schedule, within budget, and in close collaboration with, among others, TSO TenneT and the Port of Rotterdam. For a full description of her contribution, please see this article: https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/shell-venster-2026/carriere-bij-shell-projectingenieur-bij-holland-hydrogen-1.html

Anne Lyck Smitshuysen is a distinguished hydrogen technologist whose innovation is advancing the global green energy transition. A fuel-cell specialist with a Master’s in Physics and Nanotechnology, she completed her PhD at the Technical University of Denmark while working as an Industrial Researcher at DynElectro, a leading Power-to-X start-up. Her pioneering work solved a decades-old electrolysis challenge by developing a 3D-printed processing method that enables solid oxide electrolysis cells to scale from 150 cm² to 1,000 cm² without failure, cutting production costs of green hydrogen by ~15 % and accelerating large-scale deployment.

This breakthrough earned her the prestigious 2021 Flemming Bligaard Award and recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing & Industry, underscoring her influence and potential as a hydrogen champion shaping sustainable energy systems.

Dr. Sandip P. Dhurat is nominated in recognition of his pioneering contributions to global green hydrogen innovation, safety, storage systems, and scientific advancement. His work directly aligns with the award criteria, particularly in innovation, impact, sustainability, safety, and leadership in the hydrogen industry.

He has developed multiple breakthrough contributions that are recognised worldwide:

He has filed 24 patents at the UK Intellectual Property Office, primarily focused on hydrogen storage, safety engineering, energy systems, and future mobility.

He created the H2SafeCell hydrogen storage system, offering a new safety architecture for compact mobility applications that goes beyond conventional Type-IV tanks.

He developed the H2-1 Hydrogen Safety Standard, one of the first India-origin hydrogen safety frameworks, addressing the critical global gap in safe hydrogen storage, testing and certification.

He authored “Hydrogen Cylinder Testing for the Green Hydrogen Era,” one of the world’s only book."

Dr. Jimmy Rojas is an execution-driven leader transforming electrochemistry into a scalable, profitable industrial platform. As CEO and co-founder of EVOLOH, Dr. Rojas prioritizes economics and manufacturability over incremental academic optimization. Under his leadership, EVOLOH redesigned electrolyzer stacks for high-throughput manufacturing using earth-abundant materials, eliminating dependence on fragile supply chains. This approach addresses the primary bottlenecks limiting hydrogen: high costs and manufacturing risk. Dr. Rojas has raised over $42 million from strategic investors like NextEra Energy and 3M Ventures. Holding a Ph.D. from Stanford and degrees from MIT, he combines deep technical expertise with disciplined commercial judgment. Dr. Rojas is nominated for the Future Hydrogen Leader Award for building an economically grounded model that moves the industry beyond experimentation. His work positions hydrogen as a competitive, resilient pillar of the global energy system.