Learnings from the first Industry Advisory Board meeting

Innovation will be key to hydrogen success in Scotland. SHINe exists to stimulate investment into the Scottish hydrogen sector and capitalise on its potential to develop into an international hydrogen hub.

The first SHINe Industry Advisory Board meeting in February 2025 brought together a range of companies from across the Scottish hydrogen value chain. The meeting provided an opportunity to hear direct from the industry on the innovations needed to accelerate deployment. 

Encouraging collaboration

This collaboration across the value chain will enable new and exciting breakthroughs in hydrogen technology.

Our members discussed a number of pressing asks from the industry, and spoke about various technology areas, from direct seawater electrolysis to solid state storage and organic carrier solutions. 

What innovations will overcome hydrogen barriers?

It was agreed that in many of these technologies of high potential impact, there remains a need to test, prove and validate at full commercial scale. One example is the potential for solid state storage owing to its improved safety and energy density. Other validation areas included energy density, cost, safety, and stability. 

On solid oxide electrolysis, board attendees thought that this technology also had potential in instances where a residual heat source is available. These can include waste heat from a co-located industrial process to get the electrolyser up to the high operating temperatures needed. However, this technology is not yet commercially proven or ready. 

Members also discussed which technologies could be adapted from the existing oil and gas industry to enable offshore electrolysis, such as anti-corrosion coatings and platform stabilisation. They also identified seawater electrolysis as a technology of immense potential impact for use in coastal projects.

Our members highlighted that innovators could help to fine tune the technology and take renewable hydrogen deployment closer to implementation.

How will SHINe use this information?

These insights will help SHINe to shape its activities around what innovations the industry needs to scale up.

The SHINe team will feedback these productive discussions to the SHINe innovation network in Scotland and Scottish Enterprise. Insight provided in these meetings will help steer strategy and decisions on innovation.

By identifying barriers in the hydrogen market, we will shape our innovation practices to solve the barriers of greatest impact to the industry. This will help to speed up the roll-out of the hydrogen value chain.

We are looking for organisations to help us overcome hydrogen’s biggest challenges. If you have a solution to some of these barriers, or require a solution, contact the SHINe team today.