Professor Dmitri Bessarabov joins the jury of the Palladium Global Science Award
Published on 17 March 2025
Dr. Dmitri Bessarabov, Professor at North-West University in South Africa and Director of the HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence under the country’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, has joined the Palladium Global Science Award Jury.
Dmitri joins a panel of international experts from leading universities, research centres, scientific organisations and laboratories specialising in chemistry, materials science, energy, metallurgy and related fields of research.
He is an expert in hydrogen energy and electrochemical technologies with extensive experience in Canada and South Africa. His areas of expertise include water electrolysis using proton exchange membranes, hydrogen storage, electrochemical compression, renewable hydrogen production and refuelling systems.
Professor Bessarabov has held senior hydrogen R&D positions at Aker Kvaerner Chemetics, Ballard Power Systems and AFCC in Canada (AFCC was founded by Daimler AG).
Dmitri holds a PhD in membrane technology from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and is the recipient of the Sasol Medal for the best PhD in chemistry. He has co-authored over 200 publications with an H-Scopus index of 44 and leads the South African–Japanese SATREPS research programme in green hydrogen and ammonia.
The Palladium Global Science Award is an annual international science competition that seeks to identify scientific and practical ideas, research, development and future prospects for industrial applications of palladium, including new ways of using the metal and efforts to improve the technical and economic performance of existing technologies.
Submissions will be accepted until 31 July 2025. The jury will select five winners in three categories with a prize fund of $350,000.