H2Summit Panel - WEAF and Vassal Enterprises
Channel: Paul Perera
Date: 07/02/2021

WEAF Hydrogen Summit – Nick Cook – Managing Director NCW.

Panelists:

• Paul Perera, Founder of Vassal and MyMaskFit, and moderator of Day 1 and 2 of the H2 Summit (ex Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE SYSTEMS and GKN Aerospace)
• What are your key takeaways from this summit?
• Any surprises?
• What are the next steps to action?


1. Jackie Castle, UK Chief Engineer for A380, Airbus:
• How impressed are you by what you’ve heard here?
• What must the UK supply chain do to cement its future with Airbus?
• What is the payoff for the UK in terms of investing now in a clean energy/hydrogen future in the SW?
• How important is collaboration?

2. Phil Smith, Managing Director, Business West:
• How prepared is the Southwest for the challenge set out in this summit?
• What would it do for the regional economy?
• What can BW do to get central government to engage?

3. Claire Gibson, Head of Delivery, Heart of the Southwest LEP:
• How vital is aerospace as a capability to the SW?
• How might a cross-sector regional approach centered on aviation boost ‘clean’ economic growth in the Southwest?
• How impactful would a programme such as this be for the SW in terms of economic growth, job creation and prosperity?
• Can an effort such as this complement other regional hydrogen efforts (e.g. in Wales & Scotland)?

4. Ben Rhodes, Deputy Director Southwest at the CBI:
• How critical is it for the region to get its ducks in a row on the green revolution as we come out of pandemic?
• Can a plan such as this help incubate technologies that will keep the UK on track to meet its net zero emissions targets?
• How can government, business and academia work together to make it happen?

5. Simon Earles, Planning & Sustainability Director, Bristol Airport:
• What role can Bristol Airport play in a regional plan such as this?
• Tell us about the need for ‘joined-up hydrogen’ across the aviation ecosystem – on the ground and in the air.
• Can pioneering endeavor by Bristol Airport in hydrogen transfer to other airports across the UK and worldwide?


6. Helen Isles, Senior Policy Adviser, West of England Combined Authority (WECA):
• How might a cross-sector plan, focused on hydrogen, act to boost clean, inclusive growth regionally?
• What role can WECA play in aligning the region – and central government - behind initiatives such as this?
• How ‘exportable’ will this initiative be to the rest of the world?

7. David Morgan, Director Flight Ops & Lead on Future Flight Technology, EasyJet:
• Where does hydrogen sit in a portfolio of clean energy technologies for aviation – short, medium and long haul?
• What would EasyJet learn from an initiative such as this in the SW?
• What role, potentially, might EasyJet play in it?

8. Toby Savage, Leader South Gloucestershire Council & Deputy Mayor, WECA:
• How aligned is the region when it comes to efforts that boost the green economy?
• How integral is aerospace to the region’s past – and its future?
• With your background in communications, how does the SW tell a story such as this for maximum impact?

9. Simon Henley, Business & Industry Strategy Adviser at Reaction Engines:
• As an ex-President of RAeSoc, what excites you about this summit’s ‘Call To Action’?
• A high-level UK hydrogen strategy – absent thus far – is desperately needed. What should its priorities be (A: transport, not heating).
• How do you see this summit’s objectives contributing to ATI’s Fly Zero study?
 

10. Ben Harrop, Hydrogen Economy Lead at Department of Business, Enterprise, Innovation and Skills:
• As BEIS Hydrogen Economy team works to develop and promote a strategic approach to the UK hydrogen economy across government, what are your biggest challenges?
• Given today we have a strong partnership between all levels of government, industry and academia – what would a COP26 goal for your team be in the South West in delivering Net Zero?
• How do we make the case to government as a Region , looking at a great opportunity to leverage the demand and supply side? 
• What can we learn from your approach today in bringing forward plans for net zero, how can we prioritise against the 10 point plan Hydrogen Aviation?