19 May 2026
A blog bij Dr. Beata Kviatek.
For years, the conversation around hydrogen and the broader energy transition has centred on technology: electrolyser efficiency, storage solutions, system integration, infrastructure, and cost curves. These are essential components of the transition — but they are not the only ones. Increasingly, leading organisations such as DNV underline a reality that has long been visible to those working at the intersection of policy and innovation: the decisive bottlenecks are often regulatory, not technical.
Markets do not scale in a vacuum. Investment does not flow without clarity. Innovation does not become reality without the frameworks that enable it. Policy, governance and regulation shape the very conditions under which the energy transition unfolds.
This is not a theoretical observation. It is a practical one.
At universities of applied sciences, including Hanze, our mission is to deliver knowledge that is directly relevant to society. We work closely with industry, governments, and regional partners to accelerate innovation and implementation. This hands‑on, impact‑driven approach is one of our greatest strengths.
Yet within this context, policy and regulatory governance are often perceived as “outside” the core of applied research. They are sometimes seen as too abstract, too political, or too far removed from the practical challenges of technology development.
But the opposite is true.
Regulation determines:
These are not abstract questions. They are the very issues our partners in industry and government struggle with every day.
If applied sciences aim to support real‑world implementation, then governance is not a luxury — it is a necessity.
Hydrogen illustrates this dynamic clearly. Europe has ambitious targets, strong industrial interest, and a growing ecosystem of pilots and demonstrations. Yet progress is uneven. Many projects stall not because the technology is lacking, but because:
These are governance challenges. And they are precisely the challenges that applied research can help address — if we choose to include them in our research landscape.
The energy transition is not only a technical transformation. It is a systemic transformation. It requires new forms of coordination, new market designs, new regulatory instruments, and new institutional capacities.
This is where universities of applied sciences can play a unique role.
By integrating governance research into our applied projects, lectorates, and Centres of Expertise, we can:
This is not about shifting our mission. It is about completing it.
As the energy transition accelerates, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration becomes more urgent. Technical innovation and governance innovation must evolve hand in hand. The applied sciences community is well positioned to bridge these worlds — if we recognise the value of doing so.
DNV’s recent report is a timely reminder that the transition will not be delivered by technology alone. It will be delivered by the alignment of technology, markets, institutions and policy.
Perhaps this is the right moment for us, as a knowledge community, to broaden our perspective and embrace governance as an integral part of the applied research landscape. Not as an academic add‑on, but as a practical enabler of the transition we all want to accelerate.
Image: witsarut/
