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.

In the field of international innovation cooperation, his work focuses on market development for start-ups and SMEs, including the adaptation of business models in different markets. At the local and state level in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin, he has worked intensively to promote cooperation between companies, start-ups, science and administration. He played a key role in the start-up initiative of the state capital of Düsseldorf and the founding of the digihub Düsseldorf / Rhineland.

Since November 2021, he is managing director of H2UB GmbH. H2UB, together with strong partners from industry, science and politics, is Europe’s leading Open Innovation Platform for the whole hydrogen value chain. H2UB is co-funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and supported by numerous private companies and institutions.