‍The Best Paper Award of the European Fuel Cells andHydrogen Piero Lunghi Conference 2026 (EFCH2 2026) is established to recognize the most outstanding scientific contribution presented at the conference.

The award aims to highlight research excellence and topromote innovative, high-quality work capable of advancing knowledge andapplication in the fields of hydrogen technologies, fuel cells, electrolysis,system integration, and related clean energy solutions.

All authors of accepted contributions presented at EFCH₂ 2026, to be held in Capri, Italy, from 15 to 17 September 2026, are eligible for the Best Paper Award, provided that:

-> the abstract has been submitted in accordance with the conference rules and deadlines;
-> the abstract is accepted through the official conference review process;
-> the contribution falls within the scientific and technical scope of the conference;
-> the accepted contribution is presented at the conference by a registered author.

‍Papers may be considered regardless of the authors’institutional affiliation, country, or career stage

‍The selection process will be carried out in twostages

‍Stage 1 – Pre-selection
A shortlist of candidate papers will be identified among the highest-ratedaccepted accepted abstracts, based on the outcome of the conference reviewprocess.

‍Stage 2 – Final Evaluation
The shortlisted papers will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee / AwardCommittee, which will determine the winning paper on the basis of thecriteria listed below.

The Committee reserves the right not to assign theaward if no paper is considered to meet the expected standard of excellence.

Each criterion will be assessed using a standardizedinternal scoring scale applied by the Award Committee. Candidate papers will be assessed according to thefollowing criteria:
‍
‍Originality and innovation
Novelty of the research idea, approach, methodology, or application.

‍Scientific and technical quality
Soundness of the methodology, quality of the analysis, and robustness of the results.
‍
‍Potential impact
Expected contribution to research advancement,technology development, industrial application, or policy discussion.

‍Clarityand quality of the abstract
Clarity, structure, and readability of the abstract,including how effectively it presents the objectives, approach, main results,and relevance of the work. 

Special consideration will be given to papers thatdemonstrate a strong capacity to advance the field, stimulate future research, and bridge scientific knowledge with real-world energy transition challenges.

The author(s) of the winning paper will receive:
-> an official Best Paper Award certificate;
-> formal recognition during the conference closing session;
-> announcement of the award on the conference website and/or in the conference communication channels.

Main contacts
Conference contact: ‍info@europeanfuelcells.com
Submission assistance: myabstract@europeanfuelcells.com
Francesca Santoni: francesca.santoni@enea.it