Exactly: We need the h2 for processes where it's irreplaceable. Burning it for transportation tasks is a pure waste. That's like using drinking water for pools during a drought.

And no, I don't think solving the fundamental problems of h2 tech is a matter of research. Let alone take this: H2 is terrible to store. There are ways to circumvent this, such as storing it in a solution, but that again lowers the efficiency. And h2 storage is a really old problem; like 100+ years. It is very unlikely that this would be solved all of a sudden. And storage is just one of many problems.

H2 cars received more funding until the mid 2000s than BEVs. The ICE car industry kept showcasing them, knowing they would never be a danger for their core business - while receiving state subsidies to research a dead-end tech. Without Tesla, we'd still hear "in 20 years, we'll all drive using h2 cars".

Edit: sorry to bring up cars. But even for storing energy, h2 is a poor choice.