Uwe Kerkmann

Uwe Kerkmann has been working as a business developer in an international context for more than 20 years. His focus is on innovation topics from the fields of environment and energy, digitalization, creative industries and knowledge transfer. Particularly in international innovation cooperation, the focus of his work is on the topics of market development for start-ups and SMEs, including the adaptation of business models in different markets. At both the municipal and state levels in the German States of NRW and Berlin, he has worked intensively to promote cooperation between companies, start-ups, science and administration. He played a key role in shaping the start-up initiative of the NRW state capital Düsseldorf and the founding of the digihub Düsseldorf / Rheinland.

 Since November 2021, he is managing director of H2UB GmbH. H2UB, together with strong partners from industry, science and politics, is the leading European Open Innovation Platform for hydrogen along the value chain and fosters the cooperation of start-ups, corporates, and VCs. H2UB is co-funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.