From 15 to 17 September 2026, Capri will host the 12th edition of the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen – Piero Lunghi Conference (EFCH2 2026), one of the leading international events dedicated to research, innovation and emerging applications in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector.
The conference will take place at the Conference Center of the Grand Hotel Quisisana and will bring together researchers, universities, industry representatives, institutions and delegates from leading international organizations involved in the development of hydrogen technologies.
The event is organized by ATENA scarl – High Technology District for Energy and the Environment, ENEA, the University of Naples “Parthenope”, and the University of California, Irvine.
Download the PRESS RELEASE
Research and Innovation at the Heart of EFCH2 2026
The EFCH2 2026 programme covers the entire hydrogen value chain, from new production and storage technologies to fuel cells, and from electrolysis to applications in the transport and industrial sectors.
Particular attention will also be devoted to infrastructure, safety, energy policies, market models, and the integration of hydrogen with energy grids and renewable energy sources.
Topics covered over the three-day conference include:
- hydrogen production through electrolysis and innovative processes;
- storage and distribution;
- ammonia and methanol;
- fuel cells for mobility and stationary power generation;
- industrial applications;
- Power-to-X and Hydrogen Valleys;
- sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment;
- national and regional strategies;
- safety and standards;
- business models.
A programme that reflects a particularly important phase for the sector, which is now being called upon to turn the results of research, experimentation and pilot projects into truly scalable and competitive solutions.
The Plenary Session Dedicated to the New Frontiers of Hydrogen
Opening the scientific debate on 15 September will be the plenary session entitled “Hydrogen at the Research Frontier: Innovations and Emerging Breakthroughs”.
The session will focus on the new frontiers of research and the technological priorities needed to support hydrogen as it moves towards wider industrial deployment.
Speakers will include representatives from international organizations, research centres and companies engaged in the development of hydrogen technologies, including Clean Hydrogen Partnership, Hydrogen Europe Research, NEDO, Snam Research and Technology Center, CEA and Mission Innovation.
Key challenges at the heart of the discussion will include improving system efficiency and durability, reducing costs and the use of critical raw materials, developing new materials, advancing component manufacturing, ensuring safety and building the necessary infrastructure.
Particular attention will also be devoted to digitalization and tools for the intelligent management of energy systems.
A Dialogue Between Research, Industry and Institutions
EFCH2 2026 aims to foster increasingly close dialogue between scientific research, industry and public decision-makers.
The conference comes at a time when several hydrogen technologies are moving from the experimental stage towards their first commercial applications. However, significant challenges remain in terms of costs, scalability, infrastructure and integration into existing energy systems.
It is precisely this transition from research and demonstration to industrial deployment that the conference aims to place at the heart of the international debate.
As highlighted by Viviana Cigolotti, Head of ENEA’s Technologies and Energy Carriers for Decarbonization Division and conference co-chair alongside Jack Brouwer, Professor at the University of California, Irvine and Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center, the challenge is to transform research results into reliable, sustainable and competitive technologies capable of being effectively deployed in real-world energy systems and industrial processes.
Scientific Sessions and Research Awards
Over the three-day conference, oral and poster sessions will feature scientific contributions selected through the international call for papers.
The poster sessions will take place in the afternoons of 15 and 16 September and on the morning of 17 September.
The conference will also present the Best Paper Award and the Best Thesis Awards, recognizing, respectively, the best scientific contributions and the best Master’s and PhD theses in the hydrogen sector.
The programme will span fundamental research through to applications already at the demonstration stage, with the aim of fostering new collaborations among the scientific community, universities, industry and institutions.
Established in 2005, the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen – Piero Lunghi Conference has progressively become an international meeting point for those involved in the development of hydrogen technologies, fuel cells and decarbonization solutions.
The latest programme, registration details and all information about EFCH2 2026 are available on the official European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen – Piero Lunghi Conference website.