Best practice project: How to create a digital information platform for sharing expert knowledge
Expert interview with Tom George, Co-Founder of Hydrogen Galaxy
Hydrogen is the energy source of the future. However, it is often difficult for entrepreneurs and project managers with no prior knowledge to find sound and reliable information on the topic. The Hydrogen Galaxy is here to help. The modern learning and information platform offers everything newcomers and advanced users alike need to know on the subject. From a specially trained hydrogen AI that utilizes only validated knowledge, to modern, super-compact eLearning courses and expert discussions, the Hydrogen Galaxy gets companies ready for the hydrogen age.
In this expert interview, you’ll find out what challenges and opportunities surround the launch of an information platform like this, and which tools can support this kind of project. Find out more about this best practice project and take away some practical advice from an experienced founder.
Interview:
Tom George, Managing Director and Co-Founder of move technology GmbH, has more than 10 years’ experience in the high-tech, green-tech, and digital sectors.
He has drawn on this expertise to found an innovative hydrogen information platform together with his business partner Dr. Jörn Seebode. Named Hydrogen Galaxy,
it aims to give companies the means to succeed in the hydrogen age.
What is the idea behind the Hydrogen Galaxy, and who is the target group for your information platform?
Hydrogen is on the rise as a strategic energy source. It is already more important than ever in mobility, steelworks, and the chemical industry. Unfortunately, knowledge about it is very scattered. Although there are many studies and a wealth of information out there on the subject of hydrogen, it’s not bundled together anywhere. Newcomers in particular find it difficult to obtain reliable information. We want to resolve this with the Hydrogen Galaxy.
Our main target group is therefore those who have had little experience with the topic to date. We want to help them find their way in the hydrogen world. The information platform is designed to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to assess how well prepared they and their company are. With the Hydrogen Galaxy, we are getting companies ready for the hydrogen age.
How can companies and organizations use your platform to expand their knowledge about hydrogen, and perhaps even adapt their business strategies?
Our mission is to provide easy access to expert knowledge about hydrogen. We provide an AI chatbot on the information platform to do just that. This AI has been trained to simplify access to verified, reliable information—all curated and validated by us.
We also offer nano-learning courses in the Hydrogen Galaxy. These are small digital training units that specifically address individual topics. Unlike conventional training programs, the time spent learning is very short. The content is easy to understand and suitable for beginners.
How do you market the Hydrogen Galaxy so that potentially interested parties become aware of the information platform?
The marketing of our platform essentially consists of three aspects: Firstly, we use digital marketing—mainly social media and Google Ads. We are also actively involved in trade fairs and conferences, where we present our products and services. The third, very successful, area is partnering with various industry and interest groups (e.g. from the industrial and automotive sectors), as well as referrals. We also offer discounts for members of our partner associations.
You offer nano-learning on your information platform. What exactly is this, and what advantages does it have over conventional eLearning modules?
Conventional eLearning modules and traditional online courses are usually quite long. The learners need to put time aside for them and familiarize themselves with the topic first. Not something you can do in the blink of an eye. However, decision-makers, subject matter experts, and project managers in particular have a very tight schedule. That is why we have developed nano-learning as a form of microlearning. The required learning time is very short, yet the most important information is conveyed in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. There are also knowledge tests to consolidate what the user has learned. Whether you’re in the office, on the train, or at home on the couch, the nano-learning units can be taken anywhere.
What tools do you use to create and deliver your nano-learning units?
Before we started producing the nano-learning content, we took a close look at the eLearning market. There are a lot of providers that we first had to sound out and evaluate. In the end, we opted for chemmedia AG and the Knowledgeworker Create authoring tool. We were particularly impressed by the modern user interface and the easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor. The integrated AI feature was another decisive factor. AI-based text and image generation has greatly accelerated our nano-learning creation process.
We also use the Knowledgeworker Share learning management system from chemmedia. This enables us to offer an even better learning experience and makes it easier to understand which content is of particular interest to our target group.
Try it out
Create unique learning experiences!
Test Knowledgeworker Create free of charge
Easily create interactive and modern online courses via drag & drop in minutes, without any programming knowledge. Thanks to integrated task, review and translation management, you can work collaboratively and speed up your course creation process.
There is a paid version of the information platform. What exactly do users who opt for this get?
The Hydrogen Galaxy is fundamentally free to all users. However, the functionality of the information platform is limited in the free version. To get extended access to our reliable and validated expert knowledge, you need to purchase the paid version. The hydrogen AI, all of the nano-learning content, the expert discussions, funding advice, and the hydrogen calendar and newsletter are all included in the Pro version.
What role does artificial intelligence play in the preparation and personalization of content on your information platform, especially with regard to the needs of individual users?
AI is used in several places in the Hydrogen Galaxy. Firstly, we have the specially developed hydrogen AI, which makes reliable expert knowledge more accessible. It draws information from individual studies and provides users with easy-to-understand answers on the subject. Interactions with the hydrogen AI are tailored precisely to the user and their specific needs.
We also use artificial intelligence to create the nano-learning content. It enables us to adapt the eLearning courses to the needs of the respective target group. AI helps us align the technical depth of the learning content with the needs of the target group.
What challenges did you face when developing and implementing your hydrogen information platform, especially with regard to the technology?
The biggest challenge for us was finding a suitable platform that offered what we needed. In the end, we decided to adapt an existing tool to suit our requirements. This led to the development of our own hydrogen information platform, which we also host ourselves.
External IT experts initially supported us throughout the development process. The aim was then to gradually bring this knowledge in-house. We created our own software development department, which is now continuously working on the further development of the platform to get even more out of it for our users. It also ensures our independence from third parties.
The second major challenge was the development of our hydrogen AI. Most current AI models, such as ChatGPT, have access to a huge pool of knowledge. However, there is no certainty as to whether the knowledge is actually correct and up-to-date. In addition, the AIs often ‘hallucinate’. In other words, they invent things that aren’t actually real. Our second challenge in building the Hydrogen Galaxy was developing an AI that operates in a limited space and only accesses validated and reliable knowledge.
We took a step-by-step approach to developing the AI. In the first generation, we tailored the OpenAI model using intelligent prompting. This ensured that the model only accesses knowledge sources that we have validated. We are currently developing the second generation of our hydrogen AI, which is completely independent of third-party providers. All of this is an ongoing process. Both for us as a company and for Hydrogen Galaxy as an information platform.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who want to set up an information platform to share their own niche knowledge?
The most important thing when setting up an information platform is to make what you are offering very clear. During a personal consultation, I quickly get a feel for my counterpart. I can quickly clear up misunderstandings and use the ‘human element’ to figure a lot of things out. It works differently in the digital space. The offer—and the resulting added value for the user—must be clearly formulated from the outset.
The information platform must make knowledge easily accessible to users. This applies both to the operation of the platform and to the learning content. User guidance on the platform must be intuitive. You need a user interface that can be operated without instructions. The learning content itself should also be as easy to understand as possible. This includes breaking it down into the smallest possible units. Just as we have done with the nano-learning units. So my advice is: “Take out the complexity.”
Unfortunately, science has made a sport of presenting knowledge in such a complicated way that even colleagues who work in the field can no longer keep up. We are consciously bucking this trend by providing information that is valuable, yet clearly and comprehensibly formulated.
What does the future hold for your Hydrogen Galaxy information platform, and what other functionalities and improvements can users expect in the coming years?
We have only just launched our information platform. Our biggest priority for the near future is to achieve a stable market position. We are currently looking for additional pilot customers to work with us via a framework agreement and provide us with real-world market feedback. This will help us tailor our further developments to the market and the needs of our customers.
The next project is to start internationalizing the Hydrogen Galaxy. Hydrogen is a relevant topic wherever you are in the world. Especially in southern Africa and North America. It therefore makes sense for us to position the information platform as a central hub for knowledge in these international markets. We have extensive experience and excellent access to these markets via move technology.
And of course, the user experience will be further improved and expanded in the future. This includes, for example, approaches drawn from the metaverse, and virtual reality experiences that facilitate even deeper immersion into the world of hydrogen. This is also our greatest strength compared to other educational programs: We make knowledge accessible in a modern, entertaining, and simple way, regardless of your prior level of expertise.
The bottom line on the Hydrogen Galaxy information platform
With the Hydrogen Galaxy, move technology GmbH has succeeded in creating a central hub for knowledge about hydrogen as an energy source. With the help of AI that accesses validated knowledge and newcomer-friendly nano-learning, the Hydrogen Galaxy provides you with the knowledge you need to get ready for the hydrogen age in an easy-to-understand way. Instead of complicated scientific texts and incomprehensible technical terms, you receive reliable expert knowledge that anyone can understand. The short learning units are also suitable for entrepreneurs and project managers with little free time. See the features and how easy the information platform is to use for yourself.
Do you want to lead your company into the hydrogen age with confidence? Are you interested in a long-term collaboration? Become a pilot customer and benefit from special offers—simply get in touch by filling in the contact form.
You can find more information about move technology GmbH at www.move-technology.de or send specific inquiries directly to hello@move-technology.de.
How do I launch my own information platform?
Do you want to set up your own information platform and make your expert knowledge accessible? We’ll advise you on choosing the right platforms for your eLearning courses and support you from the implementation to the rollout of your learning units.
