The “Energy System 2050” initiative explores the integration of technological key elements into the energy system and elaborates solutions to integrate the partially fluctuating renewable energies successfully into German and European energy systems. Its five selected research topics address fundamental challenges of the German Energiewende: Storage and Grids (RT 1), Bioenergy (RT 2), Hydrogen-based Energy and Resource Pathways (RT 3), Life-Cycle-Oriented Sustainability Analysis at System Level (RT 4), and Toolbox and Data Models (RT 5). Within the research topic “Hydrogen-based Energy and Resource Pathways”, scientists study the role of hydrogen in the reduction of greenhouse gases, elaborate concepts for setting up an integrated power and hydrogen supply infrastructure, examine and assess options of energy and materials self-supply for industry and households, and analyse the changes of global supply infrastructures for renewable energies and hydrogen.