Professor at Khalifa University on a list "Top 50 Women in the Hydrogen Sector" Globally

Abu Dhabi, November 20 / WAM / Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced today that Professor Lourdes Vega, Director of the Center for Research and Innovation in Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide and Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the university, was among only four women from the UAE who were included in the global list of the top 50 women in the hydrogen sector 2025, technology and innovation category.

This global list was prepared in cooperation between the “Hydrogen Economist” and “H2Tech” platforms, and in partnership with the International Conference for Women Leaders in the Energy Sector.

The global list includes 50 female entrepreneurs distributed across five main categories, including projects and partnerships, technology and innovation, policies and regulations, industrial use and transformation, and emerging leaders. The list was published in June 2025, after a global evaluation, selection and review process, and official celebrations are scheduled to be held on this occasion in October this year.

The selection of Professor Lourdes on this list confirms her great and distinguished efforts in research and development in the field of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and technologies for utilizing it.

The inclusion of Professor Lourdes Vega’s name in this year’s edition of the list confirms the effective role played by the UAE in advancing the transition towards clean energy, as she was nominated by many leaders in the industrial sector for her prominent influence in hydrogen technology and her efforts in empowering the next generation of scientists.

Professor Ahmed Al-Durrah, Deputy Academic Director for Research Affairs at Khalifa University, said that the selection of Professor Lourdes Vega in the Technology and Innovation category, among the global list of the 50 best women in the hydrogen sector for the year 2025, is an important achievement that indicates her distinguished contributions and global expertise at the university. This honor is considered a source of pride for the scientific community, and also strengthens the university’s position as a center for innovative research in the region.

He added that this honor highlights the pivotal role of Khalifa University in promoting solutions that rely on hydrogen and clean energy, along with the efforts of partners in the industrial sector in the UAE and globally.

For her part, Professor Lourdes expressed her happiness at being selected among the global list of the 50 best women in the hydrogen sector, along with a group of creative specialists who contribute to shaping the future of hydrogen. This honor also reflects the collaborative environment at Khalifa University, where science and innovation combine with each other to produce an effective impact.

She added: “Our efforts at the university’s Center for Research and Innovation in Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide contribute to providing direct support to the country’s strategy for carbon neutrality 2050 and implementing the global agenda to eliminate carbon. In this context, we focus on finding practical, realistic solutions that will contribute to achieving a more sustainable future in the energy sector, not only in the UAE, but on a global level as a whole.”

Professor Lourdes has more than 30 years of experience in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, where she is highly regarded for her research efforts in the areas of molecular modeling, hydrogen gas and its derivatives, carbon dioxide capture and use, alternative energy, sustainable cooling devices, and water treatment.

Professor Lourdes performs other roles in addition to her academic role. She is an independent member of the Board of Directors of (Ercros), a leading chemical company, and (Canal de Isabel 2), a company specializing in water bottling. In addition to her role as a scientific advisor to international research institutions, including the Catalan Institute for Energy Research and the Center for Advanced Engineering for Engineering Inspired by Nature, in addition to her presidency of the international advisory board for the Hydrogen Fusion Project to Accelerate Energy Transitions.

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