New publication on the game- theoretic analysis of government intervention in hydrogen supply chains

We are happy to announce a new publication by Maria Beranek and Udo Buscher in the Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, titled “Government Interventions in a Hydrogen Supply Chain: a Bi-criteria, Game-theoretic Approach”. 

Green hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition but is currently not yet competitive. High production costs and limited electrolysis capacities mean that it continues to compete with grey hydrogen produced from fossil fuels.

The article applies a game-theoretic framework to analyze three governmental instruments aimed at strengthening the position of green hydrogen: taxes on grey hydrogen, subsidies for retailers of green hydrogen, and financial support for expanding production capacities. In doing so, the government faces two opposing objectives: maximizing the market share of green hydrogen while minimizing the public expenditures associated with these interventions.

The results demonstrate that the right policy measures can significantly accelerate the transition toward a sustainable hydrogen economy. Negative instruments, such as taxes, are particularly suitable when the government must consider the fiscal impact of its interventions. In contrast, the role of positive support measures grows in importance the more strongly the government prioritizes increasing the market share of green hydrogen.

Reference:
Beranek, M., Buscher, U. Government Interventions in a Hydrogen Supply Chain: a Bi-criteria, Game-theoretic Approach. Schmalenbach J Bus Res (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41471-025-00229-2