Bridging the Laboratory-to-Industry Gap: An International Project-Based Learning Model for Hydrogen Plant Conceptual Design

The global energy transition requires a workforce in the chemical sciences and engineering capable of bridging the laboratory-to-industry training gap. This paper presents an international joint Project-Based Learning (PBL) model involving undergraduate students from universities in Brazil and Ecuador, who collaborated on the conceptual engineering design of large-scale green hydrogen production plants for the urban transport sector. Following a PBL framework, three international teams integrated core chemical engineering principles with emerging technologies by utilizing basis of design and engineering criteria, simulation tools, and economic indicators to assess project feasibility. The pedagogical value of this model was evaluated through a student perception survey focusing on student-reported learning, in which 86% of participants recognized high perceived learning and 85.7% recommended the interuniversity format, despite logistical and linguistic hurdles. Subsequently, the technical outputs were subjected to an external evaluation by an industrial expert who validated the realism of the design bases and the rigor of the techno-economic assessments. The results suggested that while international PBL initiatives challenge traditional curriculum structures, they can provide a pathway to bridge the gap between academic theory and industrial reality. In doing so, the framework can foster the technical and transversal skills needed for future professionals to help lead the global energy transition. Ultimately, this study offers a proof-of-concept for an adaptable, international PBL framework that can be implemented across diverse institutional contexts and scaled to other fields of knowledge.