The UK Hydrogen Research and Engineering Services Hub (UK-HyRES) has been rated as exceeding the aims of its funding opportunity following a comprehensive mid-term review by an independent expert panel, marking a significant milestone for the national hydrogen research programme.
The review recognised UK-HyRES as delivering an excellent technical research programme, advancing early-stage hydrogen technologies that directly support the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 ambitions and Net Zero by 2050 targets.
Driving high-quality, collaborative hydrogen research
The panel praised the Hub’s strong foundations in engineering and physical sciences, alongside its extensive national and international partnerships. UK-HyRES has successfully engaged a large UK research community through competitive flexible-funding calls, attracting high-quality proposals and demonstrating strong stakeholder engagement beyond the core consortium.
The Hub has also secured impressive levels of private-sector co-investment, with active involvement from the hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels supply chain. International engagement spans the US, Europe and Australia, including collaboration with organisations such as the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and leading European research institutions.
Professor Mi Tian, Co-Director, UK-HyRES, says: “We’re delighted that the panel has recognised the strength, quality and ambition of UK-HyRES at this stage of the programme. Over the past two years, we’ve built a truly collaborative national platform for early-stage hydrogen research, bringing together academia, industry and international partners to tackle some of the most pressing decarbonisation challenges.
As the UK hydrogen landscape evolves, we are focused on sharpening our strategic alignment, strengthening partnerships with policymakers and industry, and accelerating the pull-through of our research into real-world impact. With a clear sense of purpose, we are excited about the next phase of UK-HyRES and the role it will play in supporting the UK’s journey to Net Zero.”
New, exciting initiatives
Another major milestone for the research hub was the recent completion of the UK-HyRES Research and Innovation Laboratory, connected to an on-site green hydrogen electrolyser facility at IAAPS, University of Bath, on the Bristol & Bath Science Park.
The lab will focus specifically on flexibility and smaller-scale, experimental hydrogen research and also has a cryogenic helium system operating at 20 K (–253 °C) supporting superconductivity research, a technology area of growing interest for the aviation sector.
To engage and inspire the next generation of hydrogen leaders, a strong network of Early Career Researchers has been established, with a bi-monthly webinar series that provides resources and support to help build and enhance their careers.
Calls for the latest rounds of the Fellowship and SPRINT funding have recently closed, with strong interest in both, suggesting a healthy pipeline of future research collaborations.
With strong performance to date and a clear plan for the next phase, UK-HyRES is well-positioned to continue accelerating innovation and impact across the UK hydrogen ecosystem.