A champion of the hydrogen industry, Heinrich Klingenberg’s defining influence extends from northern Germany throughout Europe. In early July, the hySolutions chief executive embarked on his well-deserved retirement.

Klingenberg was instrumental in setting up hySolutions in 2005. As CEO and spokesperson, he doubly served the company throughout his entire term of office (see interview in H2-international, April 2019).

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Before taking the helm at hySolutions, he sat on Hamburger Hochbahn’s board, assuming responsibility for bus services. Employing his extensive political contacts as well as those with regional transit company HVV, Klingenberg successfully promoted hydrogen and fuel cell technology among the highest administrative echelons in and around Hamburg. As a NOW advisory board member and serving on multiple EU committees, he stimulated technological advances on the entire European continent.

Hamburger Hochbahn’s chief executive, Henrik Falk, said: “Regarding zero-emission transportation services and local clean energy, Hamburg is one of the top-performing regions, both nationally and globally. And hySolutions and Heinrich Klingenberg have been major contributors to this success.”

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Christoph Steinkamp replaced Klingenberg on May 1, sharing duties with Peter Lindlahr, hySolution’s other CEO since 2010. Together, they will continue to move forward the business’s electric transportation projects. Prior to joining hySolutions in 2013 to lead its vehicle market division, the 37-year-old Steinkamp was long employed by Deloitte. Upon accepting his new position, he said: “I look forward to working hand in hand with all stakeholders, pursuing Hamburg’s vision of a sustainable, zero-emission economy and transportation network. This calls for integrating the transportation and energy markets while ensuring that the projects we launch today are economically viable tomorrow. As we have the support of several Hamburg politicians, committed business partners and hySolutions experts, we are confident our collective efforts will be successful.”

Lindlahr, originally responsible for the battery-electric market, now handles initiatives promoting hydrogen and fuel cells. He told H2-international that Klingenberg “left big shoes to fill,” but he clearly upholds hySolutions’ commitment to propagating hydrogen and fuel cell technology in northern Germany.