More than 1000 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors: The Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg has never been so big. But behind the impressive figures, an industry in waiting mode was revealed from 21 to 23 October – a recent report by the Federal Audit Office confirms this impression. We take a look at what is slowing down the hydrogen ramp-up.

The Hydrogen Technology Expo (HTE) could not have chosen a more suitable host. Climate protection plays a major role in the city of Hamburg: In the referendum on 12 October, 303,936 residents – 53.1% of the participants – voted in favour of bringing forward the Hanseatic city's climate neutrality target for 2045 to 2040. A strong signal – which must now be followed by action. The first projects are already underway, including a 100 MW electrolyser at a former coal-fired power plant.

So the conditions have been set, but the goal is still a long way off. Visitors to the 5th HTE were able to gain a similar impression of the hydrogen ramp-up. There is hardly any other place where the potential of the industry is as visible as here. But the challenges – and the approaches to solutions – are just as visible.

Record number of exhibitors and visitors

After three editions in Bremen, the British organizer of HTE, Trans-Global Events, decided to move to the Hanseatic city in 2024. And the success proved him right: Last year's HTE was the largest to date with over 700 exhibitors and three halls. In 2025, Transglobal was even able to top this success: the 1000 exhibitors filled a total of seven halls, and the organizer reported more than 20,000 visitors – a significant increase compared to the previous year (15,000).

Read more here: Wasserstoff: Warum der Hochlauf auf sich warten lässt

Thank you to Magnus Schwarz from ingenieur.de for writing this piece