What developments! We are living in turbulent times. Several transformative processes are currently taking place at the same time: Not only the energy, transport and heating transition with the move away from fossil fuels or the social trend towards increasingly autocratic structures, but also the complete transformation of the information and communication sector with AI (artificial intelligence). It is therefore not only all industrial companies that are faced with the question of how their energy supply can be CO2-free by 2045. We are not only faced with the question of how we can end wars and strengthen democratic structures. The transformation process affects the whole of society – worldwide. Newsrooms, media houses and press agencies must also face new challenges and, for example, find a way of dealing with computer-generated information and fake news – whether they like it or not. And of course the advancing climate crisis also plays a decisive role here: Will journalists continue to research live on location and report from there? How many trips will be justifiable in the future from an environmental point of view? How will paper prices and postage costs develop? Will publishers still be needed at all in the future? Will readers still want to receive print copies tomorrow or will other formats be needed in addition to more digital offerings as well as podcasts, videos and webinars? Hydrogeit Verlag has been dealing with all of these questions for years. Originally started as a one-man publishing house, the range of activities has changed considerably since the company was founded in 2004. For some time now, there has been a team responsible for publishing HZwei and H2-international – now around ten people who work part-time. Despite the diligent and sustained commitment of all these players, we are constantly reaching our limits. While the hydrogen sector and interest in H2 and FC topics continue to grow, our offering has remained largely the same in recent years – high quality, as many readers keep telling us – but still focused primarily on the print sector and the printed HZwei magazines. And not really up to date. That may well change. To ensure that HZwei and H2-international continue to be perceived as leading media in the industry in the future, innovations are needed now. In order to enable up-to-date reporting online and to be able to offer more modern formats, appropriate structures and more power are needed. For this reason, we looked around for suitable cooperation partners months ago and found a player in Gentner Verlag that is a perfect fit for us both thematically and structurally. With its "Photovoltaics" and "Renewable Energies" brands, the Stuttgart-based publishing house publishes two important magazines that fit well with our magazine on hydrogen and fuel cells. We have therefore decided to work together from this year onwards in order to be able to cover the energy sector even better together. So you can look forward not only to more up-to-date and comprehensive information, but also to new formats in the future. As a first step, we have increased the frequency of publication. HZwei and H2-international will be published five times a year in 2025 and even six times a year starting 2026. We will also have our own stand at Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Europe in Hanover, where we will be able to interact with you, our readers. Further measures will follow in the course of the year. We look forward to a more intensive exchange and constructive feedback. These are turbulent times and we not only want to accompany them with information, but also actively contribute to shaping them sustainably. Sincerely, Sven Geitmann Editor of H2-international
Changes on the horizon
