The swarm takes flight
At this year’s World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, one thing was palpable:
The mood has shifted.
After a phase of high expectations, followed by noticeable disillusionment last year, the conversations today are different. Less loud, less visionary in tone, but at the same time clearer, more concrete and, above all, more confident. This may seem trivial at first glance. But it is not.
Because industries do not develop on the basis of data, business cases or regulatory frameworks alone. They develop on the basis of trust.
A helpful analogy is a flock of birds in the sky. Not every bird analyzes the situation anew. It only takes a few to change direction. A small group follows. And suddenly the entire flock is on the move. In business, momentum works in a similar way. A few market leaders make bold decisions. Early followers validate these steps. The broad mass gains confidence, and follows suit.
That is why the mood among decision-makers is of particular importance. When one company invests, viewed in isolation it seems risky. When several companies invest in similar directions at the same time, the perception changes: the risk becomes a calculable step. The swarm begins to move.
Rotterdam has shown that we could be standing at exactly such a point. The hydrogen economy will not be decided by a single breakthrough. No project, no company, no technology will tip the scales on its own. It will develop when many players simultaneously find the courage to take the next step.
Then we are like birds, and the hydrogen industry moves like a swarm.
Let’s get to work, and take flight.
