Central Coast-based hydrogen company, Star Scientific, has been selected as a finalist for the 24th annual SXSW Innovation Awards, to take place at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals on 11-20 March to recognise and celebrate new technology developments in the connected world.
Star Scientific has been nominated in the New Economy category for its Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser, or HERO®. This category recognises those redefining the exchange of goods and services, from the sharing economy to virtual currency, to micro-finance, to mobile-device-payment systems and beyond.
Star Scientific was one of 65 finalists selected across 13 categories by a panel of judges composed of industry peers and experts. Each entry was graded on four criteria: creativity, form, function and overall experience. The Finalist Showcase provides an in-person experience for the judges to complete their second round of voting to determine the winner of all 13 categories.
The categories include AI & Machine Learning, Culture & Social Impact, Health, Med, & BioTech, Innovation in Connecting People, Music & Audio Innovation, New Economy, Robotics & Hardware, Smart Cities, Transportation, & Delivery, Speculative Design, Student Innovation, Visual Media Experience, Wearable Tech, and VR, AR & MR.
The winners in each of the 13 categories and additional honours will be awarded at the Awards on Monday 14 March.
“This is an exciting time to be pioneering hydrogen technology and I am very proud of the Star Scientific team. We are seeing a shift toward hydrogen as the energy choice of the future and we are very excited by the opportunities that HERO® will bring,” Star Scientific global group chairman Andrew Horvath said.
“HERO® is the missing link in the hydrogen supply chain, turning green hydrogen into continuous industrial heat without combustion. Thanks to the Internet of Things and 5G, the digital economy demands a huge amount of energy. The world is yet to grasp the reality that data centres are the ‘new steel.’ Data centres are looking to get off the grid, but solar, wind and batteries won’t serve their needs alone – which is why they are so interested in green hydrogen.”
The HERO® hydrogen technology aims to close the gap in carbon-free 24/7 intensive energy needs for the digital economy.
“SXSW is thrilled to honour this year’s most innovative projects and give each finalist the opportunity to showcase their inventions to all SXSW attendees through interactive demos at the Finalist Showcase,” SXSW chief programming officer Hugh Forrest said.
For more information about the SXSW Innovation Awards and to view the complete list of 2022 finalists, visit www.sxsw.com/awards/innovation-awards/.