Long-term research and mid-term development are carried out for and in co-operation with industrial partners, the government and the energy sector. In addition, short-term services and knowledge transfers are provided to industry and the business community. 

The mission of ECN is contributing to a sustainable energy supply, which will be hydrogen based in the long term. For the short and medium term the major contribution in solving environmental and supply related problems will be from the clean and efficient conversion of fossil fuels and biomass. 

Fuel cells are essential elements in energy supply scenarios for both scenarios. ECN is the main national research institute in the field of fuel cells. ECN has nine years experience in PEM-development, covering all aspects of cell, stack and system design and optimisation. Fuel processing for fuel cells as well as for other applications is also one of the core activities of ECN. In addition, ECN has a twelve-year experience in Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC). ECN has been involved in SOFC development since 1991, working closely with Siemens (D) and Sulzer (CH). The core SOFC effort is on the development of SOFC cells and the development of cost efficient manufacturing processes which are scalable to mass manufacturing. ECN established a pre-pilot cell-manufacturing unit for SOFC cells in 1997, which became an independent commercial venture, InDEC, in 1999. In March 2003 the German company H.C.Starck acquired the majority of shares from InDEC and took over control. For its fuel cell activities ECN pursues co-operation with other R&D institutes and particularly with industrial parties that aim for the commercialisation of fuel cell technology.

• http://www.ecn.nl