Oulu's new H2Koulu prepares hydrogen experts

The City of Oulu plans to train new people in a sector that does not yet exist - the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen plays an important role in achieving Finland's carbon neutrality goals, as its use reduces the need for fossil fuels and thus carbon emissions.

There is a common need for businesses and educational institutions to understand what hydrogen can do. As knowledge of the element grows, so does understanding of its potential for new business.

- There is a lot of talk about the use of hydrogen, but still very little is known about it. Vision is good, but it needs to be accompanied by realism: what hydrogen enables and what risks and problems are associated with it," says Laura Pihtsalmi, an education planner at the University of Oulu.

The University of Oulu is coordinating the H2Koulu project, in which the university, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and OSAO are jointly developing a hydrogen curriculum.

- Hydrogen is an element with which everyone is familiar in one way or another. We are also familiar with its future applications, such as cars. This makes the subject easily accessible," says Pihtsalmi.

The hydrogen economy needs experts from processing to transport

Hydrogen is a challenging element. Its production, storage and transport require cooperation and expertise throughout the production chain and across a range of sectors, from logistics to energy. New skills will enable, for example, the construction of hydrogen production plants and infrastructure not only in Oulu but also nationwide.

Explosive hydrogen also requires specific safety expertise. The University of Oulu specialises in safety and safety management, so the university has a lot to offer in terms of identifying and solving risks," says Satu Pitkäaho, a researcher in environmental and chemical engineering. Pitkäaho is involved in developing the H2Kool curriculum.

- We need people who can build gas pipelines or hydrogen production plants. In other words, people who know how hydrogen is produced and what the limitations are," says Pitkäaho.

A crash course allows anyone to learn the basics of the element

H2School covers four modules. The first of these is a two-credit online course in Finnish, known as the "Kurkistuskurssi". It does not require any previous knowledge of hydrogen or technology, or a look at time and place.

The course will be piloted in educational institutions during autumn and winter and finalised based on feedback from students. The course is aimed at high schools and vocational schools, but will later be offered to anyone interested in hydrogen.

- There is no similar course yet. The course teaches the basics of hydrogen and the hydrogen economy. Initially, the aim is to build up the skills of students, but later also those of people working in companies," says Pitkäaho.

The other three courses will be specific to each institution. Oulu University of Applied Sciences is developing a course on the hydrogen production process, the university on hydrogen production and use and OSAO on hydrogen distribution and storage. Initially, the courses will be open only to students from the institutions, but at least the university plans to open a course on the open university side.

According to Mr Pitkäaho, the course was designed so that the acquisition of hydrogen skills does not require a full degree, but can be acquired in bite-sized chunks. This rapid assimilation of knowledge supports lifelong learning, continuing education and the needs of businesses in particular.

H2Koulu combines research and business understanding

The collaboration also increases the knowledge base of the institutions themselves. Universities build on research and theory, while polytechnics and vocational schools have a greater understanding of practice and business needs.

 - The University of Applied Sciences and the OSAO receive confirmation from the University that the courses are guaranteed to provide the most up-to-date information available on hydrogen. In addition, the university's safety experts ensure that safety is taken into account in all teaching materials," says Pihtsalmi.

Satu Pitkäaho believes that, without the cooperation, the course would not have been as comprehensive as it is now, especially in the case of the peering course.

- We would have been able to run the course on our own at the university, but then it would not have been as comprehensive as it is now," says Pitkäaho.

The City of Oulu has an important role to play in the creation of the new training. One of the objectives of the Oulu Innovation Alliance (OIA), coordinated by the city, is to ensure that the Oulu region has the talent to meet the skills needs of the future.

H2Koulu is funded by the ESF+ Sustainable Urban Development, Oulu Innovation Ecosystem Agreement grant and thus implements the strategy of the Oulu Innovation Alliance and the Ecosystem Agreement between the City of Oulu and TEM. The University, OAMK and OSAO are all alliance partners.

Experts to Oulu, benefits for the whole of Finland

If successful, the project will increase Oulu's hydrogen know-how. According to Pihtsalmi, this is not only in the interest of Oulu, but also of Finland as a whole. The hydrogen economy is part of the green transition and will bring new business opportunities, investment and tax revenue for companies. Finland has the potential to become an international leader in the sector, and companies have been interested in hydrogen for years.

Oulu has a long tradition of hydrogen research and education, which makes it a natural choice to offer education for all levels of education and starting points.

- The university's mission is to provide the latest research knowledge for the use of citizens and businesses. Teaching is one way of ensuring this. As long as technology is not familiar to the general public, its exploitation may remain marginal. That's why we wanted to create a course that is suitable for everyone, so that anyone can deepen their knowledge," says Pihtsalmi.