[en] Hydrogen has historically been used as an industrial chemical. For several decades, it has also been used as a source of energy in space propulsion. More recently, it has entered two new niche markets: forklift trucks and certain types of emergency systems. Beyond these niche markets, the potential of hydrogen-based systems lies in their 'versatility', allowing them to generate synergies between extremely diverse applications. As a result, hydrogen could play a potentially significant role in the energy transition, provided of course that the relevant technologies are developed. (authors)