# Research and innovation

**Source**: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/hydrogen/research-innovation/
**Parent**: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/hydrogen/

Home to one of Europe's largest Green Hydrogen research groups and a high proportion of internationally respected centres of expertise engaged in Net Zero research and innovation with demonstrable commercial and societal impact.

## Net Zero related Centres

In partnership with industry, policymakers, including national and international government agencies, our research centres lead a breadth of projects required for a Net Zero future.

### Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology

Internationally significant research applications spanning wind power, solar PV, energy in buildings, grid connection and integration, and energy storage. Cross-disciplinary critical mass focused on low-cost green hydrogen from production through to use.

[CREST website](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/crest/)

### Green Hydrogen Research Group

Research areas encompass all areas of hydrogen from production through to end use including storage, distribution, combustion, policy, economics and safety, sustainability analysis and lifecycle management.

[Group website](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/green-hydrogen)

### Caterpillar Innovation and Research Centre

World-class facilities and expertise in the off-highway sector for engines, engine sub-systems and hybrid powertrain systems development, including the exploration of hydrogen solutions.

[CAT-IRC website](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/cat-irc/)

### National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology

Global open access research and development hub for low-emission gas turbine technologies, with applications in automotive, marine propulsion and energy sectors. Rolls-Royce is the lead partner.

[NCCAT website](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aae/research/nccat/)

### Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre

High quality characterisation of materials down to the atomic level and analytical services and £6M world-class equipment available to support hydrogen research and industry partners.

[LMCC website](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/lmcc/)

[### Buildings Energy Research Group

Multi-disciplinary, collaborative research developing the next generation of built environment solutions in Low energy buildings; Building performance evaluation; Health, wellbeing and indoor air quality; Smart buildings, communities and cities.](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/research/building-energy/)

[### Intelligent Automation Research Centre

Applying advanced robotics and digital automation to create intelligent automation solutions to improve productivity, agility, efficiency and resilience across the hydrogen value chain.](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/intelligent-automation/)

[### Interact

Loughborough University leads this £4.4 million initiative providing pioneering economic and social science insights to build a network of manufacturing and digital industry partners and researchers to help in UK manufacturing realise Net Zero.](https://interact-hub.org/)

[### Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience

£80M research centre working with a range of stakeholders to accelerate progress towards universal access to modern energy as an enabler of sustainable development across the global south.](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/steer/)

## Building the new technology ecosystem

The University is a founding partner in the patient capital investment company for university spinouts and early-stage IP rich businesses in the Midlands.

### Midlands Mindforge

Midlands Mindforge is an independent company wholly owned by Midlands Innovation universities that aims to raise up to £250m from strategic corporate partners, institutional investors, and qualifying individuals. Clean technologies is a priority area.

[Midlands Mindforge website](https://midlandsmindforge.com/)

- [Inward investment and productivity](https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/hydrogen/inward-investment/)