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Laura Pakenham talks about her love for the Irish language, how the language has opened doors of its own in her career, and she encourages young people to use their creativity and skills to achieve the career they want.
Dia daoibh agus fáilte chuig Kinia ag Caint, a bilingual space where educators, experts, and young people explore technology, creativity, and learning. This is a special episode because something historic has just happened in Ireland. On the 23rd of April, at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin, five teams of young people from across this country gathered to do something that, a year ago, most of them have never even imagined was possible.
They designed, built, and raced hydrogen-powered cars, and they did it at Ireland's very first ever H2GP Pro National Final, organized by Kinia and Horizon Educational, with the support of Research Ireland, Midlands Ireland, Department of Transport, and the Department of Education. In this episode, we're bringing you behind the scenes of that incredible day, the teams, the educators, the pit stops, the problem-solving, and the passion that made it all happen.
First up, Kinia CEO, Marianne Checkley.
What's special for us about this first H2GP final is that the teams that are involved in it would, to be frank, usually be the ones who are at the back of the queue when it comes to these kind of firsts and these kind of historic educational moments. So, we have five teams today.
Uh, they're from Cherry Orchard Equine Centre in Dublin. Uh, they're from an IPAC center in Macroom in Cork. Uh, we have two schools from Midlands counties, and then we also have a, uh, an after-school club from Donabate Library. So, a real mix of people who are involved. Uh, they're part of... Their educators are youth workers, they're teachers, they're local community champions, and that means that the young people who are here today are really creating their future for themselves and for their communities.
We're not talking about future-focused skills today. We're talking about skills that are here right now. We have young people who have designed hydrogen-powered cars. They've built hydrogen-powered cars. Uh, they've developed and problem solved. They've been racing now for about three hours. Uh, they've been running up and down the track, charging batteries, fixing motors, putting wheels back on, and their educators are incredibly and immensely proud of them.
They've been stepping back, watching these young people flourish, watching them champion each other as part of teams. And for us in Kinia, as our team see the impact of the work that we do, it's a very special day.
That was Marianne Checkley of Kinia explaining what a day like this means for the Kinia community. I sat down with Ben from Horizon Educational and Maeve from the Department of Transport to talk hydrogen as a cleaner fuel and what the H2GP Pro Competition means for young people in Ireland We might start with yourself, Ben Okay.
Thank you so much for having me. So yeah, my name is Ben Giordano, and I work for Horizon Educational, and we run the H2 Grand Prix competition, which is a global kind of STEM and renewable energy engagement competition where these students design, build, engineer, and then race these model hydrogen cars.
And that's what we're seeing today right here in the, in the gymnasium behind us. So great to be here, and thank you for having me. Thank you so much, Ben. And Maeve, would you like to give a short introduction as well? Sure. So my name is Maeve Whelehan. I work for the Department of Transport, and I look after alternative fuels infrastructure.
So I'm here today because very luckily I was at the World Hydrogen Technologies Conference last year. And myself and a colleague managed to meet Cinial, who's representing Horizon Education in Ireland with the H2GP. And very luckily, we managed to make some introductions, and the final of the Hydrogen Grand Prix is taking place here today at the Logistics TY event.
Incredible, and thank you so much, both of you, for, for being with us. And it's, it's such a great opportunity and a great event here today for us to have this chat, I think. And I suppose from both of your respective roles, what does it mean today to see a full arena out there for something like the H2GP Pro competition?
What does it mean, Ben? Yeah. Oh, it means a lot. To be honest, it's quite nice 'cause in my role I get to go around the world and see this exact kind of competition implemented in many different countries. So I've been to Singapore, Australia, California, and you kind of get to see how the different, like, varieties of students, how they respond to it, how they engage.
And right here in Ireland and Dublin, it's been great because I've seen how kind of passionate they are. They've been kind of building a whole kind of identity around their team and around their school. So kind of, you know, there's the kind of technical side of the competition, where you see the skills students are developing- Mm-hmm
and those kind of pathways opening up in terms of careers and things like that. But then there's also the kind of camaraderie and the kind of youthful excitement and the kind of joy, and that's something that I really like seeing here today. The kind of spirit, you know? There's an Irish spirit, which has been lovely to experience- Absolutely
personally too, not only professionally. So that's great. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I love it. That's fantastic. And what about yourself, Maeve? Just to say, Irish spirit is known as craic. Yeah, there's a bit of craic out there, Irish. I don't know what that means. I know. Me either. I don't know. I don't know if I'd be allowed to say that one, but I know one.
It's spelled differently. Okay. C-R-A-I-C. We're not all... Yeah. I'm gonna learn a bit of Irish- You'll need, yeah ... today. Slang. Oh, you're in the right place to learn some Irish, Cinial being a, a bilingual organization. Exactly. Thank you. So we'll, we'll certainly have the cúpla focal for you today, Ben. Yeah.
Again, the sound- Again ... probably sounds a bit different for someone who's not used to the Irish sounds. But, uh, yeah, it's just phenomenal to see, to be honest. I suppose for me, coming at alternative fuels infrastructure, usually we're looking at the large scale. You know, hydrogen technologies are so based on renewable energies, and it can often feel like an absolute mountain.
So- To have something like this showcasing the technology's actually working for our young kids, for our people, and in particular, I have to give a huge shout-out to Kenya in relation to, you know, focusing on young people in areas of Ireland that might not get these opportunities normally. To see an all-girls school from Eden Derry and boys from Cherry Orchard calling their team the Handbreakers, I love to see it.
It's representative of different groups around Ireland, different opportunities, and just showcasing that hydrogen fuel cell technology is real, electrolysis is real. And just getting that out there, this message that hopefully these kids go home, and they start talking about it at home. And I really like that point about safety and about the approachability of these technologies.
Mm-hmm. There's a lot of false information about hydrogen. There's a lot of popular culture representations of the technology. But by getting technology in young people's hands- Mm ... where they can experience it themself, experience the benefits of it, I think the wider community can kind of see how it can be integrated into a renewable energy value chain to things like that.
And to do it in a fun, engaging way- Yes ... that's key. So, so that's one of the things we, we're really happy to, uh, to see here today. Absolutely, and just to add to that, like, even, you know, some of the exhibitors here, I know there was a focus at the logistics TOI event. Our road freight policy division from the Department of Transport, you know, really emphasized in trying to bring in gamification so that all these kids, there's something memorable, there's something catching about it.
But, you know, some of the exhibitors here, we have, for example, Virginia Logistics, who have a fleet of CNG vehicles, so, or, or part of their fleet is CNG, showing that all of this is interconnected, that biomethane and hydrogen offer opportunities to Ireland interconnections in relation to e-fuels in the future and sustainable aviation fuel.
So there's incredible opportunities here, and having that chance to bring the different stakeholders together to look at each other's technologies is, it's just a fantastic opportunity. Absolutely. And it's, uh, you mentioned the young people, you mentioned stakeholders. I think so many people had a role in creating what is this event today, and as you've mentioned, it's absolutely electric atmosphere out there.
It's fantastic. And those young people really are at the forefront of it, and they're the ones out there driving the cars and creating that atmosphere, I suppose. But what advice from both of your walks of life and both of your roles, what advice would you give to the students that are here today, or students that are listening, who want to work in clean energy but they don't actually know where to begin?
Part of the H2 Grand Prix competition- Mm ... what we like to do is give them opportunities to experience different roles in a kinda real world setting. They get to kind of take on the role of a curator of the merchandise for their team, they get to create a name, the handbrake. So, so they get to kind of explore those like creativity or creative kind of aspects of what they do.
But then they also get the kind of hard engineering side, the kind of public relations side. So, you know, my advice, if I had any, would be keep an open mind. Mm. Life is an experience as you go through it. This is one of those experiences that you have. And, you know, the more things you can try, the better.
And this is a time in your life when you're just learning about the world, and, you know, do, say yes to things, and, and, yeah, and, and hopefully this is one of those things that allows you to kinda open up those different career pathways and experience, yeah, different opportunities. Absolutely. Yeah. Such a good point.
And yourself, Maeve, is there anything that you'd say to those young people? Yeah, I think renewable energy is, has an enormous future in Ireland. I think in particular what I see, and I'm from, my family is from Kildare and kind of the border of Offaly, so I'd have a lot of family members who would've worked on the bogs traditionally.
Mm. Um, I think a lot of kids here today are from rural areas where they've seen what's happened as we've transitioned from maybe turf, uh, to other forms of energy, and I think renewables offer an opportunity to, to local areas across Ireland that have maybe not had opportunities for a couple of decades.
So for kids from the west of Ireland, from the, the southeast, that maybe do not want to leave their communities and areas but feel that sometimes they have to because of jobs, renewable energy is gonna offer an opportunity for, for people to stay in their communities, for them to redevelop and re-energize their communities.
And I would say, you know, I look at renewable energy as a, a very high prestige career, but a career with purpose. Mm. Uh, so, you know, there's, there's a lot of big jobs we know with a lot of money in oil and gas, but th- with that comes a trade-off in relation to the damage being done to the environment.
Renewables offer a career that is both innovative and creative, but also infrastructure on the ground. Yeah, and I mean, i- it's a really nice point because it ties into a lot of what, you know, the H2 Grand Prix is, is sought to achieve in other regions, like in Australia. So in Australia, we implemented a program there in a place called Gladstone in Queensland, and it's a kind of, you know, historic coal mining community, a lot of work with natural gas and exporting, and it's a community that kind of, you know, with the renewable energy transition, there was a risk of it kind of falling behind, not only economically, but socially, you know, the kind of identity.
When we put on, we staged one of these events there with this race, you know, it was a great thing because we were looking to develop those future skills and to have young people, you know, see, like, potential, yeah, career paths- Mm ... and to develop that kind of talent pipeline away from fossil fuels. But what it also achieved was to kind of create a kind of sense of identity in the community where it was under threat.
People were moving away to big cities for jobs. People were moving internationally. And the kind of combination of skills development, but also the kind of social side of developing an identity and developing a sense of shared purpose- Mm ... is something that the H2 Grand Prix really looks to achieve. So it's fantastic to hear that that's something that, that we're looking to do in Ireland too.
And I, just to add to that, I suppose the other thing I'd say is that a career in renewables doesn't necessarily mean a career in engineering. It could be a career- Mm ... as a mechanic. It could be a career as a designer. You mentioned there's gonna be new vehicles coming out. There's going to be opportunities, uh, in all kinds of ways that right now there's jobs that just do not exist, that haven't even been imagined or named, that are coming in the future.
And I- I personally, I'm very excited. It's moving slower than we would've liked, but again, for young people, there's an opportunity here. I kind of just call it the democratization of energy, which is that every country in the world can begin producing its own energy again, moving away from extractive practices to- Mm
creating in circular economies and circularity. It's really exciting and, and we've opportunities in Ireland, given our island status and our proximity to Europe, really exciting opportunities. I think a lot of young people have their finger on the pulse when it comes to environmentalism anyway, but I think there's more opportunity for us to get young people involved and actually start listening to what they would like to see in the future, and create an energy industry that reflects our future generations, not just what's gone before.
Yeah. And, and, and that, that idea too of energy independence. You know, right now in the world there's a lot of uncertainty, instability. To kind of, you know, have wind power or have solar, to be able to kind of capture that and store that as a kind of global energy commodity and be able to export that, be able to sell that, that's something that, you know, solves multiple problems in one, right?
It solves the issue of, of energy instability and having homegrown source of energy, but it also, yeah, it solves the, that issue of, of, of creating those kind of, you know, economic systems and value chains in, in, in communities that historically relied on fossil fuel. And we hope the H2 Grand Prix will play a vital role of that in Ireland and across Europe and across the world too, so.
And just to add, again, for some surety for, for young people that are kind of looking at this and maybe aren't aware of what's coming down the pipeline- Mm ... no pun intended, but- So ESB, you mentioned hydrogen used as storage. ESB has the Kestrel project here in Ireland, and that's looking at hydrogen storage using, uh, gas fields.
We also have Gas Networks Ireland has committed to net zero by 2050, so they're looking at repurposing our pipelines in Ireland to biomethane and hydrogen. So the biggest energy organizations already here in Ireland are looking at these fuels. But again, that's why the, the H2GP is just so great at offering something that's accessible, fun, memorable, and showcasing a real-life use, which is transport.
So it's, uh, it's coming together really well and letting the kids see, like, this really works, and it, you know, there's, there's a real future in this area. Yeah, absolutely. And it's such a good point. I think the reason we're here today for the H2GP Pro competition, it, it is, it's such a tangible, as you mentioned, way to kind of gain that insight from young people.
And what skills do you think they're specifically gaining from the program then? Would you like to share with us. What... How is that kind of transition taking place to really get the young people involved? Yeah. I mean, I, I, I like that word you mentioned, tangible. In a lot of the kind of countries we work in, there's a skills shortage in a lot of areas, but one of those areas is around dexterity and kind of practical hands-on kind of, m- like, use and engineering.
Mm-hmm. And that's something we're, we're, we're looking to build, and one of the skills that participants gain, which a lot of our kind of partners are really, really excited about. Students learn, like, systems thinking, especially w- when it comes to engineering. So they, they learn about how, you know, a fuel cell integrates into kind of a, a, a vehicle.
They learn about how an electrolyzer produces hydrogen, how to store that hydrogen, how that hydrogen is used then to, to power that vehicle. And then, you know, they also learn, kind of like I was mentioning earlier, earlier, a little bit about, you know, how marketing, how public relations kind of plays into that.
You know, how to present their team. So how do you kind of, you know, link kind of th- that kind of engineering with the kind of wider kind of presentation of your team and your school in a kind of competitive format? That's something that, that is quite exciting a- about what they learn, you know. And then the final thing I'll say is, you know, problem-solving under pressure.
So we've seen today, right, these teams are going around a track with their cars for, like, three and a half hours. You know, things go wrong with the car, right? Like, things don't go perfectly. When something happens to the car, they have to take that car off the track. They have to work as a team to kinda diagnose the problem, find a collective solution, what are we gonna do, implement that, that solution in real time, and then put their car, get their car back on track as fast as possible.
So that kind of team-based problem-solving under time pressure is something that, that we really look to kind of develop in, in the students. Yeah, absolutely. I'm very conscious that we have, I suppose, with Ben and Maeve with us today, we have two people that are really kind of w- having a really engaging conversation about what the future of sustainability might look like, but really two quite different roles that we're discussing at the moment.
I, I assume that your roles probably would sit between industry, education, and really that global collaboration, which you mentioned initially, Ben. But I would be really interested to hear that what does your actual day look like on a day-to-day basis in your respective roles? So yeah, I, I mean, Horizon Educational is a relatively small organization.
We have around, like, 15 people globally working for us, and I work in our office in Prague, which is, like, our head office. So a lot of what I do, I mean, day to day it varies massively actually. I was just speaking to one of our interns, and I was explaining to him, like, you know, you, it's a really exciting place to work because you can never get bored 'cause there's always new things- Mm
to do. So, you know, kind of public relations is, is one of the things I, I, I look to do, especially when it comes to, like, how the program is presented to the world. What do we want people to know about our program? One of the big things I work on, too, is partnerships, looking to identify new partners and to develop those partnerships and, and see how we can kind of implement this program in new regions.
Well, it's one of the reasons I'm really, really excited to be here with Kenya today. So that's one thing I do is, is working on, you know, those partnerships and kind of implementation of the program. And what about yourself, Maeve? So my day looks different every single day. I suppose the, the big thing I work on at the moment is the national policy framework for alternative fuels infrastructure.
So a key part of that is, exactly as you said, it's reaching out to stakeholders. So my day could consist of maybe multiple hours of meetings with different stakeholders around what their needs are, their wants for alternative fuels. Then also meeting with other policymakers. Something that the Department of Transport is producing in relation to hydrogen at the moment is the sustainable aviation policy roadmap, so we would work with different policymakers.
We'd also work with different departments, Department of the Taoiseach and Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment. So it's a lot of reading in, learning about things, and trying to strategize and figure out a way to add value to our country. And it really changes day to day, but I think the big thing I would say is it's about how do you bring value to, through whatever, whether it's strategy or policy.
I've had four different roles in the civil service since I joined six years ago, so things often change. And again, for, for those who are kind of wondering- You know, what, what does the future hold? Or are afraid of making a commitment to something. Again, for young people who fear, "Oh my goodness, if I have to fit, pick this course before fifth year, and then I'm tied to this."
You know, I have three different degrees in the civil service, four different roles. I've had many, many different jobs, and I suppose the point I'm trying to make there is diversity is a key skill. Having a diverse skill set is, is- Yeah ... so for, for kids that are looking ahead at what career paths look like, I suppose the thing I'd say is just look for transferable skills.
So the people skills I developed in my former career help me now with working with stakeholders. The writing skills I developed in university help me now with policy development. I also advocate civil service as a fantastic place to work, but if you, if you're looking to work in Horizon Educational, we have a lot- Education is also a calling
we, yeah, we have a lot of roles open too, which, which we're, we're always looking for great talent, so both places are great to work, I'm sure. I'm sure, yeah. I, I think for me as well, there's a little bit about, it's kind of like l- being allowed into the kitchen to see how the meal gets made. That's a little bit what being a policymaker is like, to, to actually see- Absolutely
how, there's a lot of mystery sometimes, you know, unless you... So again, to realize, and it's not, it's not magic, and it's not, as you said, it's not a top-down approach. It's, you know, the, the policy development of Ireland is all around listening to people, different people, making sure voices are heard. Just transition, which is something Kenya is really championing, even via this HT Grand Prix, which is ensuring that all our people are heard, not just those, uh, that are in the, in the privileged position of- Mm-hmm
so yeah, it is, it is great to, to have the opportunity to kind of be in the middle of it and trying to ensure that our people are looked after in the future. And there was one other thing, Maeve, that you mentioned that I was interested in, the hydrogen strategy for Ireland that you're currently developing.
Do you want to tell us a little bit about how that's going? So there is a national hydrogen strategy- Mm-hmm ... and I don't want to take credit for that because that's not my baby whatsoever. So that is the Department of Climate Energy and the Environment. So there is a national hydrogen strategy which sets targets, and we also have to fall in line with EU regulation legislation.
But I personally work on something called the National Policy Framework for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure. Okay. So this is a requirement of the alternative fuels infrastructure regulation in the EU. Mm-hmm. And this is something that we are trying to look at all the different technologies available for decarbonization and sustainability of transport and looking at the infrastructure requirements there.
So in particular, I suppose what I'd say there, we, we obviously have a huge focus on electrification, and that, that will be, you know, our key driver for decarbonization in transport, but not every mode of transport will be able to go electric. And it's important for us to diversify our energy sources. So what we're looking at in the National Policy Framework is if we're ch- going to treat it kind of like an education engagement document, so an opportunity.
You know, in particular, I would, I would point to, let's say, the freight sector, which is who we're here for today, and the logistics sector. You know, they work under extreme pressure, very tight timelines, very tight margins, and so they don't always have the time or ability to be looking 10 years down the line.
So what we hope to do with the, it's a bit of a mouthful, the NPFAFI, or the National Policy Framework for Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, both are mouthfuls- .. uh, is to have an opportunity to showcase what these different fuels are. So actually explaining how hydrogen works, how electrification works, how biomethane works.
I keep using this term, but explain like I'm five from Reddit. So we want to put this into language that is accessible and digestible for everyone in the country to read about and understand, and then give opportunities for stakeholders to start identifying what their requirements are and what is possible for them from an infrastructure perspective.
Because I would say, you know, with, with alternative fuels, often we're coming at it from a vehicles perspective, which of course we should. We need to look at what- Mm-hmm ... is going to come onto the market. But it's a little bit, the, the expression you often hear here is chicken and egg. Which comes first, the vehicles or the fuels or the infrastructure?
And unfortunately, I would say everything needs to move together. It is highly complex, and nothing like this has ever been done in the history of humanity. And one of the things I hope to showcase in the NPFAFI is that timeline of fossil fuel industry, showing those supply chains. Actually showing how does our fuel come to Ireland, and what would an alternative fuel supply chain look like in comparison to a fossil fuel supply chain?
Um, showcasing, for example, I was at a, a talk a, a few weeks ago at an event for, um- The Western Development Conference, and they were looking at hydrogen. And the head of hydrogen for the ESB spoke about how when electrification, when electricity came to Ireland, you know, they had to go into people's houses and show women that this, that electricity was not gonna kill their children- Yeah
or lead to... And that's kind of the space we're in right now. Mm-hmm. Like, we, we have to accept that there's a lot of education engagement that needs to go on. So again, to come back to this event today and the work of Kenya and Horizon, incredibly important that we get out there and start speaking to people, and again, putting this into terms and into language that is accessible.
A lot of the times we think, especially at Horizon, is one of the things that is missed is young people and skills. People talk about it, but a lot of times they don't really wanna invest in it. So that's kind of one of the things we look to solve, and especially when it comes to, yeah, the future. We work in a region of Germany in kind of near Chemnitz, and they're looking to implement kind of, yeah, hydrogen pipelines and refueling stations and things.
But young people, that's part of it. For them, they've made a big commitment to say, "Okay, we wanna train the next generation of engineers and not just do these kind of large scale commercial investments, but really develop a sustainable- Mm-hmm ... talent pipeline." So that's one of the reasons we're happy to see that happening in Ireland too.
Yeah. Just to add, I suppose, I came into this role about two years ago, and I'm someone who's always had an interest, a lifelong interest in sustainability and the environment, big nerd for nature and that kind of thing. And I'll be honest, I, I shared the same climate anxiety as, you know, a lot of people around the world and in Ireland, and in particular young people.
You know, it can feel hopeless. It can feel like we know we're heading for the iceberg and nothing's gonna change. But alternative fuels, funnily enough, have given me a real sense of hope. Mm-hmm. I think we have to accept that climate change is very much real and adaptation is going to be a key part of the future.
But also, I think presenting a future to young people that really is fundamentally different from the current global system. And again, going back to that point around the de- democratization of energy. You know, so taking energy out of the hands of enormous corporations- Yeah ... and bringing it back to communities and to nations so that we have more of a say in our future.
Yeah. And I really like that point, yeah, about agency, putting it in people's hands. You know, getting them kind of to feel like they, they have a stake in it and they can, can determine the future. Exactly. That's something that, yeah, running these type of, you know, hands-on educational competitions is really key because it's not only about messaging, but it's about experience.
It's about, like, your physical experience with- Yeah ... a technology. So you're not only being told something, but you're literally experiencing how it works. And, and you gain a sense of, of, of, yeah, of agency and of, of possibility. What you can achieve personally, but what we can achieve also together as a society.
Of power, one might say. Hey. Um, no, but, but truly, I think it's, it's kind of- You know, taking it away from international companies and again, looking at local communities. And, you know, we- here we're looking at hydrogen, but also there's other alternative fuels, biomethane, anaerobic digesters for rural communities, giving farmers another income stream.
So there's just so many tentacles to this piece, and I think there's something for everyone, whether you're interested in engineering, mechanics, PR, education. There really is something for everyone. I'm so glad that you both highlighted kind of the importance of that education, and I think that's why I, I think us at Kinia, we're so proud to be part of the day-to-day, to be part of conversations like this.
I suppose because of our hydrogen education course- Mm ... that, of course, is available with thanks to the amazing support from, uh, from Horizon Educational. But I suppose it's, you know, to follow up on your point what you said as well to Maeve, to be getting into communities as well, like it is really, it seems to be so much about that education and then to bring it to communities, not in the hands of those bigger corporate organizations.
It's, it's such a good point, and it's so great for us to be part of it with yourselves, I think. And as I said, like we're in communities, going into schools, going into organizations with our work in Kinia. And I'd love to hear from you both in terms of what's the biggest challenges that you're facing, uh, with everyone aligning on clean energy?
For me, from a policy perspective, I think just grip- grappling with the complexity. You know, it's- Mm ... because we're going from... Now we do have, you know, two fuels at our forecourts, petrol and diesel, but I think everyone wants a simple, quick, easy solution, and unfortunately there just isn't one. Mm. This is so complex.
I think as well that the different vested interests, just the, the- I think what we're really struggling with, and it's not just us, it's internationally, is just bringing people together and people speaking to each other openly and transparently. There's been a fear and a struggle, you know, to get people together, and that is the number one thing I'd say that different stakeholders with different interests are willing to come together and just talk to each other.
That's something that I think is very challenging across the board. And again, I suppose because of the technicalities and complexity of energy and what we're talking about, it can be very daunting to, to, to row into. So again, it's why I think we need to look at our messaging, our education piece, but also our messaging to ensure that those that these policies impact are well aware of how it impacts them, both positively and potentially, and they have a voice in any decision that's made that does impact them.
The work we do at Horizon and the H2 Grand Prix is really, you know, at the intersection of, you know, energy interests and corp- corporate interests and communities. And a lot of what we do, you know, a lot of the funding we get are from big energy corp- corporates, and we basically use that to kind of implement these programs in communities too.
When you talk about policy in civil service, it's like aligning stakeholders, but a lot of what we do is aligning different interests from different groups. You know, we work with, you know, of course, yourselves, Kineo. Uh, we work with national governments. We work with local governments. We work with international corporations.
And aligning those interests around a kind of renewable energy program is real work. It takes a lot of work, and that's something that is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity because it allows you to kind of connect young people to rooms and pathways and conversations which they otherwise wouldn't have access to.
For instance, here today, we're here with representatives from the Department of Transport for Ireland. Um, a lot of these students, you know, I'm sure you'll get a chance to, to meet them and talk to them, give them career advice, give them opportunities. That's something that's really valuable in and of itself, so regardless of renewable energy competition and things.
So that kind of bringing people together and opening up those pathways is something that takes a lot of work behind the scenes, but it's something that's incredibly valuable, and it's something that we really like to be part of. You know, whether that's, you know, we, one of our major partners is Toyota in the USA, and we have, you know, engineers and, and representatives from them talking to young students in Los Angeles about, you know, how to become an engineer, what their job is like.
Building those connections is something that's really important, you know, connecting people, and it can be a challenge when it comes to aligning, you know, stakeholders' priorities. But it can be a great opportunity when you see some of the kind of conversations that can happen and things that, yeah, people can, can start to, yeah, agree on.
Hmm. And it's fantastic that we're, we're seeing that today, the, the fruits of those l- that labor, I think, at such a, such a fantastic event. Did you want to add something, Maeve? No, just fully agree. Like, it's... I think that's something I've, you know, when I first started working in this area, I did see it as one giant challenge.
Mm-hmm. And again, I suppose that's where I've... it's really brought more hope to me around the future because there's incredible opportunities. And not just, the thing that it's really brought home to me, not just for Ireland, for every nation on this planet, there are opportunities when it comes to alternative fuels.
And again, it's, it's around that just transition, ensuring that we are not, you know, exporting our carbon footprint. Uh, and I know, for example, like, just to give an example of an alternative fuel that's very much in the news is HVO. And, um, HVO has, you know, it's, it's obviously a great alternative. It helps with decarbonization.
But unfortunately, the supply chains are, are tricky, and the fear would be that there's a lot of misinformation around those supply chains, and potentially damage being done to environments in other countries where there's deforestation in order to bring palm oil in. So again, I think it's about taking a big-picture approach as well And that can feel quite daunting and quite difficult, but it's...
This is really something that, for me, I, I think I've realized from both a miniature scale all the way up to a large scale, it's pretty much the same thing. It's just around that investment piece to, to bring it in as well. So I think that the challenges that are there can be overcome. It's just the people that need to, to, to come together.
Mm. Absolutely. Yeah, some really important points raised there. Yeah. Um- And I'll say, you know, bringing people together, it's a great thing because we... So our kind of world final race, you know, the winner of this Irish national race will progress to this world final race- Yeah ... in, uh, Switzerland. So exciting.
Yeah, really exciting. Mm. Really great opportunity. But, you know, talk about bringing people together. Mm. I mean, it's great when you see, you know, a student from Australia meeting, like, a, a student from Spain or America or, or, you know, Czech Republic, and they make, they make friendship. And it's not only a chance to, like, exchange, you know, knowledge and skills and, and, and kind of, uh, develop a kind of community, but it, yeah, it's a chance to really, like, develop as individuals and to really, yeah, to really kind of, you know, develop, like, kind of a new mentality, right?
An international mentality. You know, my work has significance beyond this border. You know, I, I can kind of, you know, work collaboratively with a, with a student across the world. I mean, that, that's something that's really valuable and that, that sometimes gets lost- Yeah ... especially when it comes to national kinda education frameworks and success criteria and metrics and things like that, and that's one of the things that we, we like to focus on, too.
So it's quite, it's quite, yeah, it's quite nice to, to see that and hear about that. Yeah, I think that's, that's a really good point. I think s- something I've noticed is, you know, let's get rid of this spirit of com- competition- Mm-hmm ... and change it to collaboration. And, like, even what you said there, like, the opportunity for kids to come together, potentially build lifelong relationships.
You know, I've learned so much from colleagues from other member states. Denmark, 40% of their heating is now from biomethane. You mentioned Portugal earlier. Portugal are moving to a, have just introduced a mobile hydrogen refueler as a demonstrator project. And there are such fascinating things going on, and the more people come together, the more we can learn from each other, and not just learn what works, but also learn what doesn't work.
Yeah, when it comes to, you know, making mistakes and failing and things like that, I mean, that's something, yeah, you learn as a nation, right? Together you, you, you can kind of... You know, that's how you innovate, and that's how you, you develop, but also as an individual in that micro scale that you were talking about, Maeve.
Like, you know, that, that kind of, you know, the, to develop that kind of grit and that kind of perseverance and that kind of confidence with failing and being, being, you know, being proud of your failures is something that, that we look to kind of instill in students, too. Um, so yeah, r- exactly what you were saying.
You know, when it comes to, you know, micro scale, macro scale, that's really relevant to kinda what we see here today. Absolutely. It's, I suppose, super, super topical to what you just mentioned, to be really learning from those mistakes, which I think is such a good point in, in all walks of life, I think. But before we finish up, I'm very conscious that I don't want you to miss any more of this incredible event.
And I'm sure things are heating up out there in the HTTP, so we, we won't take too much more of your time. But I wanted to take this, um, opportunity to ask yourselves, at Kineo, our tagline is learning is life, which is central to absolutely everything that we do. What first sparked your interest in learning, and I suppose what role does learning continue to have in both your professional and personal lives?
I'll go first 'cause I'm less in this space anymore. So I'm actually a former teacher, uh, and I also used to work in professional learning and development, so I'm a nerd when it comes to learning. I think for me, um, I had a teacher in sixth year who just changed my perspective on education in, in a ... Like, she doesn't know this, that we weren't close or anything.
But her approach to education, which was very much making it ... It was ... She was a German teacher, but she made ... She brought German alive, which I know that's a weird thing to say. But often in schools, the focus is, you know, grammar, and it's very dry, and she brought in topical issues. She made it feel alive, and I think for me, learning is just about, you know, it's
I, I enjoy a challenge, I'm not gonna lie, but it's about betterment. It's about betterment for yourself and betterment for others. I think there's a lot of fear in our current environment about being seen to make a mistake, and it's something I personally really detest because- Mm ... I think we should be open and willing to talk about our mistakes and learn from them.
And again, in the old fuel space, it's something I really look at and say, you know, "We can't look at what's come before. We just have to look at what's possible in the future." I think for me with learning, it's, it's, it's just around that, that betterment of yourself, your betterment for others around you, and the challenge of it, I'm not gonna lie, it's a great dopamine hit, so.
There's also that, to be honest. That's ... But, but the thing I would say about learning is, is not to associate formal education with learning, and again, that's what I'm trying to stress in this space, which is learning isn't, you know, just sitting in a classroom or at a desk or reading. Learning is ... The, the most I learn personally with the way I learn is from listening to others.
Yeah. It's not from reading a book or reading an article or an academic paper. That's all very helpful, and I take that as the starting point for the conversation, but certainly for me, I learn the most from other people. Mm. Uh, and I think that's something, again, that we need to bring back in a little bit more, that community element of learning, and also the fact that every single one of us should be a teacher in some way.
Yeah. We should be willing to share knowledge. We should be willing to pass on knowledge. Um, and so again, removing that spirit of competition and bringing more a spirit of collaboration. I love, you know, learning stuff from colleagues and team members. One of my favorite things is when someone has an interest on my team that I'm not interested in, I'm like, "Go for it.
Let's get you on a course. Let's get you learning about this." So what I would say for anyone listening, especially young people, is, uh, you know, don't be afraid to pursue your special interest. And no matter what your special interest is, no matter what it is, right now we have an exhibitor out there who has the logistics environment built in Lego to showcase what it means.
You know, every ... If your special interest is Lego, you just need to think, how do you make that into a transferable skill that benefits you in your career? So yeah, I mean, what, what sparked my- Yeah ... my learning- Absolutely. Would love to hear from you. Thank you, Maeve. That was really- Yeah ... really insightful answer.
Yeah. Um- It's a really, really great question. I mean, I'm, I'm re- It's a really kind of personal question, too, actually. I don't really ... I, I never really reflected on that. Yeah. So maybe now's a great time on the podcast. A, a great time. But, but I, I think, yeah ... I mean, I- To be honest with you, I, I couldn't read properly till I was about like 11 or 12 years old.
I had pretty bad dyslexia when I went to school, but my parents, you know, every day around like the dinner table, they would... they'd talk about history and politics, and like my father, you know, really loved history. We always had really great conversations as a family. So that kind of sparked my interest in the world and like politics and, and what's happening, you know, and, and kind of...
You know, and then, you know, you know, invention of the internet, I mean, w-well, it was around 2007 or '8, you know, and you get to kind of read things online, and I'd read newspapers online. I'd read Wikipedia, and I started becoming intensely interested in learning- Yeah ... you know, for myself. And in school, I was doing really badly, but I was able just to learn how to read because I had this, this kind of interest that developed through kind of my conversations at dinner with my parents, and that really, really sparked it.
And then, you know, so around 11, 12 till around 16, I kind of started getting interested in these things. And then luckily it was good timing 'cause around 16 is when you take your A levels or whatever. So then by then I was pretty interested in learning or pretty engaged. And then, yeah, I, I went to university and ended up getting a PhD in history, and that's...
So I've had a kind of cool, exciting journey with learning, but it's something that, yeah, you, you kind of... You know, I agree. There's like kind of the academic side of, of learning- Yeah ... and then there's the kind of human side of it, and I think that's a really nice point that Maeve mentioned because, you know, I've, I've done a lot of academic learning, which is great, but actually the more academic learning I've done, the more I've realized that- Mm
that isn't really That isn't really, you know, the, that isn't really the key. Yeah. Because you can have a degree in whatever, and you can have a qualification. That doesn't really say much about- Yeah ... s- the individual. And I think as I've kind of gone on, and, and you, you kind of realize that the learning is- Mm.
You know, you, you're constantly learning, whether it's about other people, whether it's ab- whether it's about your own emotions as a person, how you relate to other people, whether it's about, you know, how you, how you experience the natural environment, how you experience, you know, your own perception of the world.
So yeah, I would encourage people to see learning in a lot broader sense than just their academic qualification and the... I mean, l- learning about yourself is actually one of the most difficult things, and that's something that I think, yeah, is something to be celebrated and yeah, is a good mm. Yeah. I couldn't agree more with everything you said.
Like, it's, it's so on the ball. And to add to it, I suppose, formal education has not existed for that long. Yeah. Mm. It's one approach, and again, just that learning is life. You know, look at how human beings are meant... Like, think of we're simple animals in many ways- ... with a very complex brain. You mentioned having dyslexia until you were 11.
For young people, for anyone, there, there's a lot of shame sometimes associated with what you know- Mm ... and knowledge and what you're able to do compared to others. Yeah. And you know, I often joke in, in work with people, like, I'm very open about those areas where I'm an absolute failure because I ask people to support me and help me in those areas.
I no longer hide them. I no longer am ashamed about them. I'm just very conscious this is not something that I am as strong in in other areas. There's space for everyone, what they wanna learn and what they wanna do, and I, I think it's a really exciting time because, uh, my hope would be that we are going to see a move away from a very product, good-oriented society to a more service-driven society where people get to actually work in the areas they're most passionate about and share that with others.
Yeah. I mean, one of the points that Maeve made I really like is about patience, and especially the thing with social media. I mean, I think, you know, what's that Guinness advert? We're an island, right? The good things come to those who wait. That's when I was a kid- Better not shout out to you. That was every- On every, you know, every TV screen back when I was a kid.
But I, I, I actually think it's good advice. Patience is something that I think is really undervalued in today's society, and something that I think has been quite valuable in my life and is really essential, like critical to learning- Yeah ... and understanding something. And, you know, people can really advocate education and knowledge and learning and...
But, but patience is really key to that, and really taking the time to understand something and trust that, you know, things take time. And, and, yeah. And celebrate the small wins. Yeah. The incremental wins. The other thing I live by, and I say it to a lot of people, comparison is the thief of joy. Do not look at others.
Don't compare yourself, whether it's your friends, your brothers, other kids on social media. Just look to yourself to, and trust yourself, as you said- Yeah ... that's really important. And learn how to love yourself. Kinia is doing an incredible job. I've said it to your team as well, but, you know, it's just that focus around ensuring no one's left behind- Yeah
while also the bilingual approach, absolutely thrilled to see that. I'm not a Gaelgoir myself, as much as I'd like to be, but, uh, it's just fantastic to see something like this, you know, in Ireland. Uh, every time I meet you guys, you seem to have something else really cool to talk about and that you've developed.
And, uh, so yeah, just when it comes to what, what you're doing and what Horizon Education are doing in relation to, and, and podcasting in general, hydrogen technologies, future technologies, you know, really putting it in a cool, interesting, engaging way, that's, that's the key to, to starting people on that kind of journey of learning.
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having us. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Brilliant chat. Huge thanks to Ben and Maeve for taking the time while the buzz of the day was still very much alive. Now, the teams weren't the only ones enjoying themselves. We also caught up with some of the young people and educators who were there on the day to find out what they thought. Have a listen.
I'm here with Calvin, and you've just arrived into the arena. How are you feeling for the event today? Um, I'm really excited to see all these cars race, and I'm just excited, really. And I know you're here a part of Logistics Skills and Expo, and this is Ireland's first ever H2 GP Pro Race, so how are you feeling about the first ever race?
I feel like it was really well put together, and I feel like it's gonna be, like, the main show, honestly. Like, when I came in, the first thing I saw was the track, and I was like, "I have to get involved with this," so. And is there any teams you have an eye on that you think are gonna win? Group two, 'cause they, their car is, like, painted like Lightning McQueen, so it's already on my top.
Very good. Thank you so much. Thank you. I'm currently here with Danielle from St. Mary's CBS in Portlaoise, and she's one of the educators for this team. Could you tell us about the preparation coming up to this event with the lads? Uh, it's all been very hands-on over the last couple of weeks. We've been assigning roles.
Some students are kind of the leaders, the standout leaders. Others are very creative, and they went and designed the car, which I think looks fantastic. It's been a really hands-on project, and it's great to get the opportunity for the lads, um, beyond the classroom, where we can bring science, teamwork, and problem-solving all into a project that has a really meaningful experience for the lads.
And how did you find the hydrogen aspect? Do you think the lads learnt a lot from it, and is there a future in it? I think hydrogen is such a big part of the sustainable energy conversation at the minute, so for the lads to get this opportunity and bring it to the fore in their minds, uh, it's really preparing them for their future, um, what would I say, careers and challenges even ahead.
And saying careers, do you think we have some future engineers here today? Oh, 100%. Like, the skills these men have shown me over the last couple of weeks, the teamwork, the critical thinking, um, they've really come together and enhanced their communication skills. And the resilience has been amazing. And how would a prize of €3,000 really, would this benefit your community or school?
Oh, 100%. And, like, the, our school is so into any STEM projects, anything hands-on creative, so this will go a long way in our school community. Brilliant. Thank you so much. Thank you. I'm currently here with Savannah and Blaze from Donabate Library. Could you tell us a bit about your project? What are you most excited about here?
I'm really excited to race the car, obviously, because we spent a lot of time working towards this as a team, doing checks and racing it together. And did you have lots of preparation to do? How did you find that coming up to the event? Oh, we had a good bit of preparation, a good bit of training. We learned how to fix the car, uh, mostly, and stuff like that.
Yeah. And what are you most excited about for today? Just racing it in general. Yeah, it's great fun to be here and have everyone here all together. I'm most excited for winning the race. And what's your team name? How did you come up with it? So we're Eco Motion Donabate because the hydrogen is eco-friendly and less emissions.
And do you think there's a future in hydrogen? Can you see yourself driving a car in a few years' time fully powered by hydrogen? Maybe, yeah. Yeah. And was there anything really, really difficult, or did you have so much fun with it? Was there anything really, anything unique that surprised you along the way?
It was fun, but sticking the car together, first of all, was quite hard, especially with all the bits and trying to put them all together. And how did you find the car putting it together? Was it difficult? How did you design your car? Does your car have a specific look by any chance? Uh, our car is spray-painted gold.
Gold's the winning color. That's very true. And are we going to win today? Yes. Yeah, we definitely will, yeah. Brilliant. Thank you so much, guys. No problem. I'm currently here with Harry and Maddox from St. Mary's CBS, and I want to ask you about your car. So who is this here with us today? This is Eugene. We got the name from our last car, which we put in a random name generator, and then we just stuck with this name for the race again.
Brilliant. I love the name. And could you tell me how was the preparation? Did you have any challenges or anything coming up to the event? Well, what I would say is it was definitely very difficult to, like, make the car. We had a few issues through the way, like the car was veering to the left and it was hard to control it, but overall it's looking really good now and I'm really excited to give it a go and try everything.
And how did you find it being powered by hydrogen? Was there any benefits from that or any difficulties with that either? Uh, I'd say it ran a lot better at, on hydrogen, and when we tried it with the battery as well, it wasn't as fast or efficient. So it's... Hydrogen was much better in my opinion. And you think in the future we'll have cars fully powered by hydrogen on the roads?
I mean, I'm not sure about that, but, like, I'd say there's definitely a possibility, but we'll have to see about that, like. And if you could describe your team name in three words or your team car, how would you describe it? Uh, I'd say it's very creative. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And yourself? I'd just say it's fast, really fast, I like, like.
And uh, what are you most excited about today? Is it the race, the event, meeting everybody? I'd say it's meeting everybody and seeing the other cars and what they do with theirs and yeah. Yeah, I'm just excited to meet everyone, you know. I'm excited to see how the race goes and so I'm just really look forward to it.
And can you tell me a bit about the painting of the car? Was there any car that ins- inspired the look of it? Uh, we started with Doc Hudson from Cars, because we thought it would be cool, and then we just decided that, like, Lightning McQueen is much faster and he's just a much more memorable character, so we just went with Lightning McQueen for our car, and we have our own crest on the front and all for our own aspects.
Great. And are yous gonna win today? Yeah, 100% we're gonna win. Yeah. Brilliant. Thank you, guys. So I'm here at the hamburgers and they have just won the first HU GP program race.
Brilliant. Great, team. Yeah, brilliant, yeah. After an incredible three-and-a-half-hour endurance race, 366 laps, one team crossed the finish line as Ireland's champions. The Handbrakers from Cherry Orchard Youth Service are going to Switzerland to represent this country at the H2GP World Final. And that's a wrap on our H2GP Pro special.
To Jack, Cian, Rhys, Kyle, and Nathan, the Handbrakers, we'll be cheering you on all the way to Switzerland. To every team, to every educator, to every youth worker who gave their time and energy to make this event happen, go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh. You've shown what's possible when young people are given the opportunity to dream big.
Until next time, slán go fóill.