• Fuel cell technology from SFC ensures operation of the new digital, energy self-sufficient advertising pillar 4.0
• Digital outdoor media for crisis communication opens up another market for SFC fuel cells
Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, 8 April 2025 – SFC Energy AG (“SFC”, F3C:DE, ISIN: DE0007568578), a leading provider of fuel cells for stationary, portable and mobile hybrid power solutions, is making an important contribution to the new “advertising pillar 4.0” with its EFOY Pro fuel cell technology. The prototype of this innovative, energy self-sufficient information pillar was presented in Darmstadt on 3 April 2025 and is designed to reliably warn and inform citizens in the event of a crisis. In addition to the technical testing, scientific studies will subsequently show how local people perceive the warning pillar.
The lighthouse project is the result of a research collaboration between the LOEWE center emergenCITY, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the media company Ströer. Information and warnings from the authorities can be shown on three LED displays in the upper part of the advertising pillar, regardless of the power supply. Thanks to the sustainable fuel cell technology from SFC, the advertising pillar 4.0 remains in reliable operation even during power blackout – a self-sufficient energy supply enables this. Hessian Science Minister Timon Gremmels and Hessian Digital Minister Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus emphasized the importance of resilient communication structures for civil protection.
The advertising pillar 4.0 can communicate in real-time and is intended to be integrated into the warning and safety infrastructure in public spaces by connecting it to the warning system of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. Many thousands of screens nationwide are already connected to the system and can thus provide high-reach information through warning messages – for example, from local crisis teams – to inform the population in real-time and with a wide reach.
SFC's fuel cells have already proven to be a reliable and powerful backup source of clean energy in many other critical infrastructure applications, such as information and communications technology, around the world – regardless of local conditions.
Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG: “Critical infrastructure is vulnerable. In the event of power blackouts caused by natural disasters or geopolitical conflicts, mobile networks, landline telephony, internet and television can often fail and are no longer available for crisis communication. The EFOY Pro fuel cell integrated into the advertising pillar ensures resilient crisis communication in an emergency and guarantees operation for 72 hours. This ensures a self-sufficient and reliable power supply – exactly when it is needed most.”
In his search for suitable media, architect and emergenCITY scientist Dr. Joachim Schulze came across a classic part of outdoor advertising, the advertising pillar. "Evenly distributed throughout cities, these pillars offer several advantages: They are an integral part of the cityscape. There are 155 in Darmstadt alone, and around 65,000 across Germany. Unlike other digital outdoor media, they are located in residential areas, just a 300-meter walk away throughout the city center,” said Dr. Joachim Schulze, who is also the initiator of the advertising pillar 4.0.
Outdoor media already part of the warning and security infrastructure nowadays. "The advertising pillar is a piece of street furniture with a very long history, high public acceptance, and a distinctive presence in our cities. The advertising pillar 4.0 is the next evolution of this iconic medium and an important additional building block for providing services and infrastructure in public spaces for cities, municipalities, and their residents in the event of a blackout,” added Alexander Stotz, CEO of Ströer Media Deutschland GmbH.
With the advertising pillar 4.0 and the integrated EFOY Pro fuel cell, a decisive step is being taken towards a crisis-proof and sustainable information infrastructure in cities and municipalities.
Further information on SFC Energy's Clean Energy and Clean Power Management solutions can be found at www.sfc.com
SFC Energy AG (www.sfc.com) is a leading provider of hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells for stationary, portable and mobile hybrid power solutions. With the Clean Energy and Clean Power Management business segments, SFC Energy is a sustainably profitable fuel cell producer. The Company distributes its award-winning products worldwide and has sold more than 75,000 fuel cells to date. The Company is headquartered in Brunnthal/Munich, Germany, and has operating subsidiaries in Canada, India, the Netherlands, Romania, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. SFC Energy AG is listed on the Deutsche Boerse Prime Standard and has been part of the selection index SDAX since 2022 (GSIN: 756857 ISIN: DE0007568578).
How can the functionality of cities with digitally networked infrastructures be ensured even in disasters? The LOEWE Center emergenCITY has been researching resilient infrastructures that protect digital cities from crises and disasters since 2020. The solution concepts include modern information and communication technology, cyber-physical systems, as well as the historical, legal, social, and structural aspects of crisis and disaster response. More than 90 researchers are collaborating in four networked program areas and six research missions. emergenCITY is an interdisciplinary and multi-site cooperation involving the partner universities of Technical University of Darmstadt, the University of Kassel, and University of Marburg. Associated partners include the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, the German Aerospace Center, and the City of Darmstadt. The research is funded by the LOEWE research funding program of the state of Hesse. LOEWE stands for "State Initiative for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence."
Ströer is a leading German media company and, with its "OOH plus" strategy, combines the business segments of outdoor advertising/out-of-home (OOH), digital media, and dialogue marketing, as well as offerings from the areas of e-commerce and data as a service (DaaS). In its core "Out of Home" segment, the Ströer Group operates around 300,000 media outlets – from traditional poster media and exclusive advertising rights at train stations to digital out-of-home (DOOH) media. Outdoor advertising – especially DOOH – is one of the lowest-carbon media in the media mix in terms of contacts achieved. With an attractive portfolio of leading German websites and a wide selection of advertising formats, Ströer reaches over 50 million unique users monthly in the digital sector. The company has also established a strong position in the news sector with t-online and offers a wide range of premium content for digital natives. In the area of dialogue marketing, Ströer offers innovative solution models for telephone, email, and chat, as well as direct sales.
The Ströer Group employs approximately 11,850 people at around 100 locations. In fiscal year 2024, Ströer generated revenue of €2.05 billion. Ströer SE & Co. KGaA is listed on the MDAX of the German Stock Exchange.
Ströer has always integrated sustainable thinking and action into its own business and offers responsible, sustainable communication solutions. With ecological approaches in the areas of the environment, social commitment, and responsible corporate governance, Ströer is contributing to a sustainable future.
More about Ströer and its sustainability strategy at www.stroeer.de/en/.
Susan Hoffmeister
Tel. +49 89 125 09 03-33
Email:
Web: sfc.com
Angela Zimmerling
Communications and Public Relations Officer
Phone: +49 6151 16-25489
Email: press@emergencity.de
Web: emergencity.de