A dedicated exhibition area on the topic of hydrogen was already part of The Smarter E in 2025, when it was called the Green Hydrogen Forum
Hydrogen Dialogue is relocating from Nuremberg to Munich and will, for the first time this year, be part of the energy trade fair The Smarter E. Fabian Pfaffenberger from the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) explains what this means for guests interested in hydrogen.
Interview: Eva Augsten
Mr. Pfaffenberger, the Hydrogen Dialogue is well known in the industry but has until now been based in Nuremberg. Are you looking forward to the move to the state capital and the new neighbors?
Pfaffenberger: The new environment offers a great opportunity. We are moving to a global metropolis with a very strong trade fair location and international reach. At the same time, we remain true to our Bavarian roots. In terms of content, it is also a good fit. Hydrogen cannot be viewed in isolation, after all. It is always also about power generation, conversion, energy management, decentralization and digitalization. These are exactly the topics that The Smarter E covers in Munich. There, we can think about sector coupling much more consistently.
Speaking of Bavarian roots: What role does H2.B play in the Hydrogen Dialogue?
H2.B, the Center for Hydrogen Bavaria (Zentrum Wasserstoff.Bayern), is the coordination and networking body of the Free State of Bavaria for the Bavarian hydrogen economy. We bring stakeholders together, inform, advise and connect. For the Hydrogen Dialogue, we serve as the non-commercial sponsor. This means we contribute our expertise and our network and are responsible for leading the conference program. The organizer is now Solar Promotion, and the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs serves as patron.
The Smarter E has a reputation for being very international. Does a Bavarian format fit in there?
Absolutely. The Hydrogen Dialogue was never a purely Bavarian event. Since 2019, it has been clear: On the one hand, we want to offer the central platform for the Bavarian hydrogen economy; on the other hand, we want to deliberately involve international players and cover federal policy topics. Through delegation trips and cooperations, a robust network has emerged. We invite this network to Bavaria. In Munich, that is even easier than in Nuremberg.
“The Hydrogen Dialogue was never a purely Bavarian event.”
What changes for visitors?
It will be bigger. The trade fair in Munich has a significantly higher visitor frequency. This creates more opportunities for contacts, not only within the hydrogen community, but along the entire value chain: from power generation through hydrogen production to storage, conversion and application.
Also new is the standalone “Hydrogen Dialogue Summit” as a specialist conference in Munich. It focuses on the energy and economic policy perspective at a strategic level.
As in previous formats, we again have a high-caliber program, featuring among others Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger, economic policy advisor Veronika Grimm, and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis from Hydrogen Europe. Thematically, it covers system integration, green lead markets, industrial competitiveness, the role of hydrogen in diversifying energy supply, and the geopolitical situation. The technology competition with Asia also plays a role.
In addition, there continues to be the dedicated exhibition area at the trade fair, the Hydrogen Dialogue Forum, which focuses more on deep tech. There are also guided tours for international delegations and, going forward, visits to companies in the region again, though not yet this year.
The hydrogen industry and the renewable energy industry represent quite different energy worlds. What do you expect from this encounter?
Indeed, and that is a good thing. This is already the case within the hydrogen industry itself. On one side, there are established energy suppliers who see hydrogen as a complement and bridge to existing business models. On the other side, players from the renewable energy scene who want a transformation “from the bottom up.” In between lie topics such as CCS/CCU, where on the one hand there are concerns about lock-in effects, but on the other hand there is also the argument that hydrogen would otherwise not be affordable.
These tensions are part of the reality of the industry. That is why we will also discuss CCUS in a panel at the conference. We do not want to exclude this debate.
What is your goal for the coming years?
The brand will continue to integrate at the new location. The growth potential is there, thanks to the higher visitor frequency and the thematic overlaps. With the somewhat broader orientation, we also reach players who have not primarily come from the hydrogen world until now but see the topic as a strategic add-on.
We also want to strengthen the international dimension. The Hydrogen Dialogue should be a platform, a space for debate and a showcase all at once, for Bavaria, for Germany and for the international hydrogen economy. If we succeed in bringing different perspectives together constructively, then we will have achieved a great deal.
One more question for future capital-city dwellers: How do you even find a hotel room in Munich?
Anyone who wants to attend the Hydrogen Dialogue and The Smarter E should act fast. The room situation is indeed more difficult than in Nuremberg.
Dr. Fabian Pfaffenberger is the Managing Director of the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B).
About The Smarter E and Hydrogen Dialogue
It all started with a small solar trade fair in a gymnasium in the German city of Pforzheim. After 35 years and a series of relocations, it has become Europe’s largest exhibition alliance on the topic of energy. The Smarter E reliably fills exhibition halls in Munich to capacity, and the hotel situation looks similar. Exhibitors and events related to hydrogen can be found at The Smarter E as part of the sub-exhibition ees Europe, which focuses on energy storage. This year, the Hydrogen Dialogue is part of the event for the first time, having previously been hosted at Messe Nürnberg (NürnbergMesse).
When:Trade fair with Hydrogen Dialogue Forum from June 23 to 25, 2026; specialist conference Hydrogen Dialogue Summit on June 24 and 25
Where:Messe München (Munich Trade Fair Center) and International Congress Center Messe München (directly on the exhibition grounds)
Who:The organizers expect 2,800 exhibitors and over 100,000 visitors across the entire trade fair.
