Showcase your research and help shape Scotland’s hydrogen future.
Are you a postgraduate or postdoctoral student researching hydrogen, energy, decarbonisation or a related field?
Hydrogen Scotland is delighted to invite students from higher education institutions across the UK to take part in the Hydrogen Scotland Student Poster Competition 2026, being held as part of the Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference on Tuesday 6th October 2026 at the Hilton Glasgow.
This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your research to an audience of industry leaders, academics, policymakers and professionals working across Scotland’s growing hydrogen economy.
This year’s theme
From Supply to Demand: Advancing Scotland’s Hydrogen Economy through Innovation, Integration and Adoption
We are looking for innovative and thought-provoking research that explores the opportunities and challenges facing the development of Scotland’s hydrogen economy.
Entries could address areas including:
- The scaling-up of low-carbon hydrogen production
- Building local hydrogen supply chains and developing demand
- Hydrogen storage, distribution and infrastructure
- Hydrogen applications across transport, industry, heat and other sectors
- Innovation and emerging hydrogen technologies
- Integrating hydrogen into Scotland’s wider energy system
- Policy, economics and market development
- Opportunities for the sustainable export of hydrogen into wider markets
We welcome research from a broad range of disciplines and are particularly interested in work that demonstrates how innovation, integration and adoption can help move Scotland’s hydrogen economy forward.
Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference
Now in its 18th year, the Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference 2026 will take place on Tuesday 6th October 2026 at the Hilton Glasgow, bringing together key players from across Scotland, the wider UK and international hydrogen markets.
The conference will provide a platform for industry, academia, policymakers and other hydrogen professionals to share knowledge, explore the latest developments and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
The programme will feature keynote speakers, interactive workshops and Exhibitor Hub presentations, providing a valuable opportunity to hear from experts across the hydrogen sector and connect with organisations working to develop Scotland’s hydrogen economy.
Why take part?
The top ten shortlisted students will have the opportunity to deliver a 10-minute presentation on their research on the Exhibitor Stage at the Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference. Your poster will also be on display throughout the day, giving you the opportunity to engage directly with members of the hydrogen community, discuss your research and make valuable connections with industry professionals, academics and fellow delegates.
Taking part will allow you to:
- Deliver a 10-minute presentation on their poster on the Exhibitor Stage.
- Have their poster displayed throughout the conference, giving them the opportunity to discuss their research directly with delegates.
- Meet and network with industry professionals, academics, policymakers and fellow researchers.
- Raise the profile of their research and institution.
- Gain valuable experience presenting their work to a professional audience.
- Compete for the Hydrogen Scotland Student Poster Award, with cash prizes for the top three posters.
Prizes
The top three posters will be recognised at the Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 6th October 2026.
- Winner – £300 cash prize
- Runner-up – £150 cash prize
- Runner-up – £150 cash prize
All three winning posters will be recognised for their outstanding research, innovation and contribution to the development of Scotland’s hydrogen economy.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to postgraduate and postdoctoral students undertaking relevant research at a higher education institution anywhere in the UK.
Competition Guidelines
- Submissions should align with the conference theme: “From Supply to Demand: Advancing Scotland’s Hydrogen Economy through Innovation, Integration and Adoption.”
- Entries can explore topics including the scaling-up of low-carbon hydrogen production, developing local supply chains and demand, and opportunities for the sustainable export of hydrogen into wider markets.
- We’re looking for your own ideas, creativity and research. All work submitted must be the participant’s own. Plagiarised or AI-generated content will result in disqualification.
- Each participant or group may submit one poster only.
- Posters must be submitted in PDF and use a minimum font size of 10 pt, using a clear standard font such as Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri.
- Posters must be submitted in PDF by 5pm on 14th September 2025. Late entries will not be considered.
- Each submission must include the participant’s name, institution, course/programme and year of study.
- Shortlisted participants will be notified on 21st September.
- Shortlisted participants must be available to attend the Hydrogen Scotland Annual Conference on Tuesday 6 October 2026 and present their poster on the Exhibitor Stage.
- Shortlisted applicants will be asked to print their poster in A0 and bring it along to the conference
Conference attendance will be free of charge for the top ten shortlisted participants.
For group entries, please nominate up to two students to represent the group and present the poster at the conference.
How to Enter and submission deadline:
To participate in the competition, please submit your poster at the link below by 5 pm, Monday, 14th September. Good luck to all the participants!
We look forward to seeing the innovative research being undertaken by students across the UK and to showcasing the next generation of talent helping to shape Scotland’s hydrogen future.
Our Winners from 2025!
Tara Alkubaisi, University of Strathclyde and University of Exeter
Topic: Optimising Transmission Options for Offshore Wind: Green Hydrogen vs High Voltage Electricity
Michal Ciesielka, Heriot Watt University
Topic: Enhancing Water Oxidation with RuO2-Graphene Composites for Economical Green Hydrogen Generation
Roya Eidi, Abertay University
Topic: Simulation and Optimisation of Green Hydrogen Production to Minimise LCOH (Levelised Cost of Hydrogen)
““Taking part in the Hydrogen Scotland Student Poster Competition was a very valuable experience. It gave me the opportunity to showcase my PhD research to Scotland’s hydrogen community, build meaningful connections across academia and industry, and receive valuable feedback on my work. I also found the workshops and technical sessions throughout the two-day conference extremely useful. Being selected among the top posters and receiving an award was also a great encouragement at an important stage of my PhD.
The connections I made through Hydrogen Scotland have continued to support my research and the next stage of my journey. I would definitely encourage other students working in hydrogen to take part.”
