The German National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme” (NIP) is off to an impressive start. At a meeting in Berlin on September 22 already more than 60 hydrogen and fuel cell projects were presented. The National Innovation Programme provides a common framework for numerous hydrogen and fuel cell research projects conducted by academic institutions and the industry. The National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW), a public-private partnership (PPP), is scheduled to run the programme  for the next 10 years..The Federal Government and the industry will provide a total of €1 billion for research, development and demonstration projects over the next 10 years. The NIP has been launched jointly by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The programme is part of the high-tech strategy for Germany and ties in with the Federal Government’s Fuel Strategy.