Researchers from the Centre for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences (CEMEA SAS) participated in European Researchers’ Night 2026, bringing science and technology closer to visitors through interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities, and educational exhibits.
One of the attractions was the Martian Sands exhibition, introducing visitors to materials inspired by the surface of Mars and offering an engaging way to explore the links between materials science, planetary research, and future space exploration.
Visitors could also discover the possibilities of 3D scanning and 3D printing. Through practical demonstrations, our researchers showed how physical objects can be digitally captured, transformed into three-dimensional models, and subsequently reproduced using additive manufacturing technologies.
A major part of the CEMEA SAS programme was dedicated to green hydrogen and renewable energy technologies. Visitors could see a working demonstration of hydrogen production using an electrolyzer powered directly by photovoltaic panels. The demonstration illustrated how electricity generated from sunlight can be used to split water and produce green hydrogen.
The setup also highlighted efficient electrocatalysts developed at
CEMEA SAS, demonstrating how research in advanced materials can contribute to improving the efficiency and sustainability of hydrogen production.
To illustrate the broader renewable-energy and hydrogen ecosystem, visitors could explore educational models of a fuel cell, wind turbine, photovoltaic panels, and hydrogen-powered car. Together, these exhibits demonstrated the complete energy pathway: from renewable electricity generation and hydrogen production to its conversion back into useful energy.
Participation in European Researchers’ Night provided CEMEA SAS scientists with an opportunity to share their research directly with children, students, families, and other visitors. Through experiments and hands-on demonstrations, we aimed to show how advanced materials research can contribute to practical solutions for clean energy, sustainable technologies, digital manufacturing, and future exploration. We thank everyone who visited the CEMEA SAS activities and shared their curiosity and enthusiasm for science with us.
