University of Wollongong (UOW) spin-out Hysata has been named a national finalist in the Research Commercialisation category at the 2026 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards, recognising the manufacturing and commercial development of hydrogen technology originating from university research.
According to UOW, Hysata was founded in 2021 to commercialise research led by Distinguished Professor Gerry Swiegers into a capillary-fed electrolysis cell designed to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production.
The company’s electrolyser technology converts renewable electricity to green hydrogen at a reported 95 per cent system efficiency, compared with 75 per cent for conventional technologies.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Max Lu AO said the company demonstrated the potential for university research to move beyond the laboratory and into commercial applications.
“An important measure of research excellence is what happens beyond the laboratory. Hysata shows how a breakthrough developed at UOW can be translated into a commercially viable technology, attracting significant investment and creating high-tech jobs here in the Illawarra,” Professor Lu said.
Hysata has raised $220 million in private capital since its spin-out and received more than $30 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, alongside other Australian and NSW Government support, UOW said.
The company opened an 8,500-square-metre headquarters in Port Kembla in 2023 and now employs 130 people in high-tech manufacturing and engineering roles. UOW said the facility has also provided opportunities for university graduates and interns.
Professor Swiegers said the recognition highlighted the potential for university research to generate commercial outcomes.
“Seeing that technology move from laboratory to proven commercial reality, underpinning international commercial agreements and a growing workforce in the Illawarra, shows what is possible when university research is backed to go the distance by the public and private sector,” he said.
Hysata has also progressed towards commercial deployment, including a binding order for a megawatt-scale system scheduled for delivery in 2027, a six-month trial in Jeddah with Saudi power utility ACWA Power, and Joint Development Agreements with POSCO Holdings and POSCO E&C.
The Research Commercialisation category recognises efforts to translate publicly funded research into products and companies delivering commercial and economic benefits.
