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Coventry University and Oxford nanoSystems Partner to Advance Next-Generation Hydrogen Technology
13 Oct 2026
A new strategic collaboration will place advanced electrolyser testing equipment at Coventry University’s Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems, supporting research into cleaner and more efficient hydrogen production.
13 October 2026 — Coventry — Coventry University and Oxford nanoSystems (OnS) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the development of next-generation hydrogen energy technology and strengthening the connection between academic research and industrial engineering.
Under the agreement, Oxford nanoSystems is providing Coventry University with an advanced electrochemical electrolyser test stand, which will be installed within the university’s Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS).
The equipment will allow researchers to test electrochemical systems and materials under conditions designed to reflect real-world operation, while also giving both organisations a platform to jointly develop improved testing instrumentation.
The partnership is intended to support research into lower-cost and more sustainable hydrogen production technologies while helping new ideas move more quickly from laboratory research toward commercial application.
Building hydrogen research capacity in Coventry
Hydrogen is increasingly being explored as part of the transition toward lower-carbon energy systems, particularly in sectors where direct electrification can be difficult.
A central challenge is producing hydrogen more efficiently and at lower cost.
Electrolysers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, but their commercial viability depends heavily on factors including efficiency, durability, materials performance and manufacturing cost.
The new test stand will expand Coventry University’s existing ability to study those issues.
Professor Oliver Curnick, from Coventry University’s Research Centre for e-Mobility and Clean Growth, said:
We welcome this strategic partnership with OnS on electrolyser testing and characterisation.
He said the collaboration would strengthen work on novel electrolyser materials, PFAS emissions, cell designs and diagnostic techniques, while supporting the development of lower-cost and more sustainable hydrogen production technologies.
From academic research to industrial application
One of the main objectives of the agreement is to ensure that research findings can feed directly into equipment and technology development.
Rather than treating the test stand simply as a piece of laboratory equipment, Coventry University and Oxford nanoSystems plan to use it as the basis for a longer-term collaboration on the design and refinement of future electrochemical testing systems.
David Hodgson, Executive Chairman of Oxford nanoSystems, said:
This arrangement is much more than a simple equipment loan; it represents a vital building block in our mission to develop superior test hardware.
He added that combining commercial engineering experience with Coventry University’s academic expertise could improve the instrumentation used to validate future electrochemical technologies.
That relationship between universities and industry is particularly important in clean energy, where promising materials and processes often need extensive validation before they can move toward commercial scale.
Research into novel materials and emissions
The collaboration will support several areas of electrolyser research already being undertaken at Coventry University.
These include the development of novel electrolyser materials, research into emissions associated with PFAS, new cell designs and improved diagnostic methods.
Materials are a particularly important part of electrolyser development because their performance can influence efficiency, cost, durability and environmental impact.
Better testing can help researchers understand how materials behave over time and under different operating conditions before they are considered for larger-scale systems.
The partnership therefore addresses both hydrogen production itself and the tools required to measure whether emerging technologies can perform reliably.
Strengthening Coventry’s clean-energy research ecosystem
The agreement also adds to Coventry’s growing role in low-carbon mobility and energy research.
C-ALPS provides research infrastructure focused on advanced propulsion and low-carbon technologies, giving academic teams and industrial partners facilities in which to test emerging systems.
The addition of the Oxford nanoSystems test stand expands that capability further into hydrogen and electrochemical technology.
For cities seeking to build clean-energy industries, research infrastructure can be particularly important because it creates links between universities, manufacturers, engineers and technology developers.
That can help keep research, skills development and future commercial activity connected within the same regional ecosystem.
Collaboration as a route to faster innovation
The partnership reflects a broader trend in energy innovation: the increasing importance of collaboration between research institutions and specialist technology companies.
Academic teams can provide deep scientific expertise and experimental research, while companies contribute engineering knowledge, commercial constraints and understanding of industrial deployment.
Combining those capabilities can reduce the gap between a promising laboratory result and a system capable of operating in real-world environments.
Coventry University said the agreement is designed to create exactly that type of pipeline, with academic insights informing commercial engineering while industry requirements help shape university research.
Hydrogen’s role in the energy transition
Hydrogen remains one of several technologies being developed to support decarbonisation across transport, industrial processes and energy systems.
Its long-term role will depend on factors including the source of the electricity used for production, infrastructure requirements, cost and efficiency.
The Coventry University and Oxford nanoSystems project focuses on one part of that challenge: improving the technology and testing methods used for electrolysis.
If electrolysers become more efficient, durable and affordable, hydrogen production could become more viable in applications where lower-carbon alternatives are currently difficult to deploy.
The new partnership is therefore as much about improving the scientific infrastructure behind hydrogen development as it is about producing a single new technology.
About Coventry University Group
Coventry University Group is a UK-based education and research organisation with activities spanning teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international partnerships.
Its research covers areas including health, artificial intelligence, sustainability, e-mobility and clean growth, while its Knowledge Exchange activities connect academic research with businesses and other organisations.
About Oxford nanoSystems
Oxford nanoSystems is a technology company working on advanced electrochemical systems and testing solutions.
The partnership with Coventry University will focus on electrolyser testing, characterisation and the co-development of improved instrumentation for future hydrogen and electrochemical technologies.
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
