Delaware Business Times highlights an annual list of individuals as “People to Watch” in the new year as we believe they will leave a mark on their industries or communities.
NEWARK – In October, a public-private partnership led by the University of Delaware and Chemours unveiled the Center for Clean Hydrogen, which will invest in the advancement of hydrogen technologies based at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark.
The center is backed by millions in federal appropriations and will be led by Yushan Yan, the chair of UD’s chemical and biomolecular engineering program and a researcher who has worked on fuel cell technology for decades.
UD aims to become a hub of interest in clean hydrogen for the nation with the new center, much like it has for biopharmaceuticals through the creation of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals.
For Yan, it’s the culmination of a career and a moment, with the Biden administration committed to investing into hydrogen research and production. The professor is no stranger to the commercialization potential either though.
Five years ago, Yan founded the green hydrogen startup now known as Versogen, which has developed a proprietary membrane and electrolyzer to produce carbon-free hydrogen from water. This year, it raised a $14.5 million Series A investment round to back the development and announced plans for a $4.8 million expansion that will add dozens of new jobs at a leased portion of the FMC Stine Research Center in Newark.
