Interview with Davide De Giorgi on H2 testing

At the end of 2025, we spoke with our colleague Davide De Giorgi about current developments in the market for test solutions in the field of hydrogen technologies. Davide is Head of Strategic Business Development at SMART TESTSOLUTIONS and attended numerous conferences and trade fairs last year.

Review 2025 – Hydrogen testing systems

Davide, how would you describe the year 2025 in terms of testing solutions for hydrogen technologies?

2025 was a year of reality checks. After a very dynamic initial phase in the hydrogen industry – particularly in the areas of fuel cells and electrolysers – the market has consolidated noticeably. Projects were reprioritised or implemented more slowly. At the same time, interest in industrial-grade test systems and precise monitoring of cell voltages has increased significantly.

The focus has clearly shifted from visionary announcements to reliability, service life and cost control.

Which technological developments shaped the year?

We saw fewer major leaps forward, but many decisive improvements: more stable sensor systems, higher channel counts and better integration into complex test environments.

Demand was particularly strong for scalable, modular test solutions and reliable cell voltage monitoring (CVM) systems for fuel cells and electrolysers. CVM systems enable continuous, high-resolution monitoring of cell voltages, which is essential for long-lasting and safe systems.

What obstacles have most significantly slowed down development in 2025?

Three issues have emerged:
1. Lack of standardisation – both in terms of interfaces and testing methods for fuel cells and electrolysers.
2. Cost pressure – testing systems must become more efficient, simpler and more robust.
3. Infrastructure deficits – particularly when moving from laboratory to continuous industrial operation.

Future prospects for test systems in fuel cell and electrolysis applications

What trends do you anticipate for the coming years?

The market is moving towards industrialisation and series production. In future, test systems will be more closely integrated into overall processes – from development and quality assurance to operation.
Long-term data usage will become important: long-term monitoring, predictive maintenance and intelligent analysis models for fuel cell and electrolyser stacks.

What role do standardisation, automation and digitalisation play?

• Standardisation creates comparability and facilitates scaling – a must for the widespread application of hydrogen technologies.
• Automation reduces operator influence and increases repeatability.
• Digitalisation is becoming a key driver of productivity: digital test plans, automatic reports, remote diagnostics and analytics for drift or degradation processes.

Are expectations for hydrogen realistic?

Yes – but slower and more differentiated than initially expected. Hydrogen will not be a universal solution, but a key technology, especially in industry, energy conversion and special mobility applications. Demand will continue to rise, particularly where fuel cells and electrolysers offer real technical advantages.

30 years of CVM – significance for the industry

SMART Testsolutions will soon celebrate 30 years of CVM solutions. How has CVM shaped the industry?

Cell voltage monitoring (CVM) has been a key component in cell voltage monitoring for decades. The technology has made electrochemical systems – especially fuel cells, batteries and, increasingly, electrolysers – more transparent, safer and more controllable. CVM has been instrumental in enabling the shift from pure system operation to cell-based diagnostics and quality assurance.

What does this anniversary mean for you personally and for the E Cell Electronics division?

It stands for continuity, technological depth and learning curves that cannot be built up in the short term.
For the department, it means responsibility: further developing existing expertise while remaining open to new applications in fuel cells and electrolysis plants.