Objective
The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have collaboratively launched an international research initiative, funded by their respective national agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the USA and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
In addition, the Canadian federal government has established a dedicated agency for international research collaboration. The European Union’s Horizon program has also expanded to allow international researchers to receive funding.
Given the typically stringent deadlines for proposal submissions following the announcement of calls for proposals, this exclusive, invitation-only workshop is designed to provide a platform for researchers from these nations and related fields to network, foster relationships, and enhance their preparedness for future international collaborative opportunities.
Travel and accomodation
Accommodation Recommendations :
Novotel Atria (Belfort), Les Capucins (Belfort)
Both hotels are located 15-20mn walk from the venue. Bus lines 2 & 3 can also be used to reach the venue.
Travel and Accommodation:
Participants will cover their own costs.
Travel Recommendations:
- nearest airports include Basel-EuroAirport, Zurich airport, and Paris airports;
- direct high-speed train connections to Belfort (Belfort – Montbéliard TGV) exist from Zurich main train station (Zurich HB), Basel SBB train station, and Paris Gare de Lyon.
- Bus and train connections run regularly between Belfort TGV station and Belfort’s city center train station.
You can also book a taxi (around 12km). For more information, please contact us. Detailed travel information will be available in the upcoming booklet and on this website soon.
Booking train tickets within Switzerland (Zurich airport to HB, Basel airport to SBB): https://www.sbb.ch/en Booking train tickets to/from French stations: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
We recommend you arrive on July 8 and leave on July 11.
Included for all registered participants: 2 lunches (July 9 & 10), 1 social dinner (July 9), 1 excursion (July 10), coffee breaks on July 9 & 10.
Program
July 9, 2026 (Thursday
- 9:15 Registration, Opening remarks (Fei Gao, Xianguo Li)
- 9:30-10:30 Session 1 (presentations & discussion)
- 10:30-11:00 Coffee break
- 11:00-12:00 Session 1 (presentations & discussion)
- 12:00-14:00 Lunch break
- 14:00-16:00 Session 2 (presentations & discussion)
- 16:00-16:30 Coffee break
- 16:30-17:15 Session 2 (presentations & discussion)
- 17:30-18:00 Visit of the hydrogen platform (Building F, UTBM)
- 19:00 Gala dinner at Citadelle restaurant (Belfort)
July 10, 2026 (Friday)
- 9:30-10:30 Session 3 (presentations & discussions)
- 10:30-11:00 Coffee break
- 11:00-12:00 Session 3 (presentations & discussions)
- 12:00-14:00 Closing of workshop sessions, Networking lunch
- 14:00-19:00 Excursion to Colmar
Sessions & Speakers
Session 1: Thursday (July 9, 2026)
9:30 Bo Li, Bristol University – “Nanoscale structural insights into gas transport and electrolyte interactions in high temperature PEM fuel cells”
9:50 Ahmad Braydi, UTBM – “TEF H2 Satellite: From Hydrogen Testing Facilities to AI-Driven Services”
10:10 Wenming Huo, Tianjin University – “Three-dimensional multi-physics and dynamic characteristics of large-scale proton exchange membrane fuel cells”
11:00 Umar Sada, UTBM – “Modeling and Simulation of AEM Electrolyser for Offshore Wind-Powered Green Hydrogen Production”
11:20 Krishna Kumar, Auckland University – “The Self-Sufficient Grid: Anatomy of an Autonomous Microgrid”
11:40 Xiaoliang Huang, RISE Research Institute – “Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on the Deployment of Vehicle-to-Grid Systems”
Session 2: Thursday (July 9, 2026)
14:00 Bing Xu, Heriot-Watt University – “Accelerating Sustainable Solutions: From Innovation to Investable Solutions”
14:20 Faizan Mehmood, UTBM – “Voltage and Current Sensor Faults Diagnosis in DAB Converters in ISOP Configuration”
14:40 Huizhi Wang, Imperial College of London – “Engineering safer battery systems: Predict early, fail Safer”
15:00 Jian Wu, UTBM – “Multi-Approach Health Diagnosis and Degradation Prediction for Lithium-Ion Batteries in Sustainable Energy Applications”
15:20 Siyuan Wu, Tianjin University – “Electrode–Flow Field Integration for High Power Density PEMFCs”
15:40 Meddah Atallah, UTBM – “Development of an intelligent energy flow supervision unit for a hybrid hydrogen-wind system, for integration into electrical grid management”
16:30 Xianguo Li, University of Waterloo – to be communicated
16:50 Qian Xun, UTBM – “Control and optimization of hydrogen energy storage system for automotive and microgrid applications”
Session 3: Friday (July 10, 2026)
9:30 Xiang Li, UTBM – “Control and Stability Analysis of Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles”
9:50 Grazia Leonzio, University of Cagliari – “Carbon negative flowstone: a scalable pathway for atmospheric CO2 capture and mineralization”
10:10 Issam Salhi, UTBM – “Real-Time Modeling, Hardware-in-the-Loop for Next-Generation Power Electronic and Hybrid Energy Systems”
11:00 Zhixue Zheng, UMLP – “Efficiency and Durability Enhancement of a Multi-Source DC Microgrid”
11:20 Željko Penga, University of Split – “Multiscale Design and Modelling of Fuel Cell Systems”
11:40 Jin Xuan, Surrey University – “Using green hydrogen for net zero chemical manufacturing”
How to reach the Crunch Lab
(The pink arrow shows an alternative faster itinerary using pedestrian-only areas.)
The UTBM Innovation Crunch Lab is a 20 minutes’ walk away from the city center.
You can also take the bus line 2 direction “Cravanche” at the bus stops “République” (old town) or “Clémenceau” (Novotel Atria) and stop at “Mieg”. You can use the “Optymo” application on your phone to buy bus tickets and find bus schedules.
Registration & Inquiries
Please contact us at : gset2026@utbm.fr.
Host institution
University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM)
Organizing Committee
General Co-Chairs: Fei GAO, University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard & Xianguo Li (University of Waterloo) /Financial & Program Chair: Maeva Berghmans (University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard)"
