2014 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 161-164
Japanese society must cope with structural vulnerabilities such as an aging population, a low energy self-sufficiency rate, and a high probability of earthquakes. The Japanese people live on the risk that a major disaster is likely to occur in the near future even as they try to deal with the issues raised by their own rapidly aging society and global competition for energy resources. Within this context, hydrogen, which is an energy resource with high potential, offers a promising option for achieving a sustainable society. This paper proposes a new innovation model of hydrogen stations that provide electricity in times of disaster as well as function as a platform for a business ecosystem in normal times. This business ecosystem will involve people from a diverse range of industries and businesses and is certain to enhance social receptivity to the emergence of a hydrogen-based society.
