Muthana Shirzad, MSc Aerospace Engineer and Aircraft Maintenance Licensed Engineer, has 27 years of experience in the aviation industry where he worked as an engineer and later as a director of quality control and managing the UK branch of Safari Aviation for more than 15 years, throughout his occupations he established a strong client-focused relationships, robust quality system, initiated and managed multiple distribution programs and engaged in several engineering projects.

His Hydrogen Journey started when he strives to develop efficient and sustainable bio-solutions that can generate hydrogen onboard an aircraft. To investigate this decade-old idea, he embarked on a self-funded PhD research program in January 2020 at Cranfield University, by February 2021, he had designed a novel enzymatic bio-hydrogen production pathway from a lightweight organic waste substrate that can potentially generate high yields of hydrogen, consequently developing the world’s first (Net-Zero emission) bio-hydrogen powertrain concept for aviation and the hard to decarbonise transportation sector.

In July 2021, he established Protium Technologies in the UK and the UAE as an R&D start-up company focusing on sustainability, renewable energies and the meaningful applications of hydrogen. Conjoining his commercial and engineering skills with the newly ventured academic pathway, he is aiming to establish a business model that plays a major role in the world’s transition to a decarbonized future, by focusing on a hydrogen economy via partnerships and a one-stop-shop approach for the hydrogen industry supply chain, such as components development, parts sales, technical support, consultancy services, systems integration and hydrogen safety solutions, also concurrently to lead his shrewd and dedicated team to develop innovative efficient and cost-effective energy solutions.