NATO SPS Workshop “Development of Hydrogen Compressors (NO-DEPENDENCE)” Held in Madrid
The NATO SPS Workshop entitled “Development of Hydrogen Compressors (NO-DEPENDENCE)”, which took place from 19th to 21st October 2025, at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Faculty of Sciences, brought together scientists, researchers, and industry representatives to share knowledge and strengthen international collaboration in advanced materials and hydrogen technologies. The workshop was organised with the support of the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme within the NO-DEPENDENCE project’s wider research and innovation framework, which aims to develop a technically innovative, multi-stage hydrogen compression system for autonomous hydrogen refuelling stations, thereby making them more cost-effective, safe and accessible. The scientific sessions featured a rich and diverse program of keynote and invited lectures, covering topics from quantum technologies and photonics to hydrogen production, storage, and electrolysis systems.
The opening session was led by Prof. Snežana Lazić Knežević (Project Co-Director) and Dr Sanja Đurđić Mijin, who welcomed the participants. Distinguished guests, H.E. Irena Šarac, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, and MSc Milena Veljović, Diplomatic Representative of Montenegro to the Kingdom of Spain, addressed the participants, emphasising the importance of scientific collaboration and expressing their warm wishes for the successful realisation of the NO-DEPENDENCE project.
Prof. Vanja Asanović, from the University of Montenegro (UoM) and NATO Country Project Director, reminded the audience of the shared responsibility we all have in addressing the challenges of climate change and decarbonising. She highlighted the growing importance of hydrogen in the clean energy transition. Still, she emphasised that the inspiring wave of innovation in renewable and sustainable clean-energy technologies could not be achieved without joint research and a shared vision. Every initiative, she noted, no matter how small, plays a role in shaping Europe’s path toward a greener tomorrow, and the work within the NO-DEPENDENCE project is part of that collective journey.
Dr Jasmina Grbović Novaković, from the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (VINS), and the Partner Country Project Director shared the project’s progress to date and reflected on the milestones achieved through close collaboration among partners. She pointed out that, within the collaborative framework, team members are engaged in experimental synthesis, structural characterisation, and performance evaluation of novel hydrogen-storage materials. Dr Jasmina Grbović Novaković explained that assembling the hydrogen compressor remains a key task. Beyond the scientific work, the team is also dedicated to increasing the project’s visibility and promoting the importance of hydrogen technologies through conference participation, workshops, and public outreach initiatives.
Keynote and invited lectures included a wide range of research contributions.
The workshop was concluded with a guided visit to the UAM Laboratories, led by Prof. Snežana Lazić Knežević, Prof. Fabrice Leardini and Dr Sanja Đurđić Mijin. The Madrid workshop reaffirmed the project’s central mission: to bridge scientific excellence and applied innovation in service of cleaner, more secure energy systems. By bringing together diverse expertise under the NATO SPS framework, the NO-DEPENDENCE project continues to foster cooperation, innovation, and peace through science.
The Madrid workshop once again highlighted that by uniting experts from different fields and countries under the NATO SPS framework, the NO-DEPENDENCE project continues to strengthen cooperation, inspire new ideas, and demonstrate how science can serve both peace and sustainable progress.