Throughout Europe, a wide range of scientific, medical and industrial activities depend on the ability to produce, manage and maintain very low temperatures. Cryogenic systems operate well beyond conventional industrial cooling, supporting processes that require controlled thermal conditions and specialised handling of liquefied gases.
Cryogenic technologies support applications ranging from medical imaging and particle physics to hydrogen infrastructure, space research and advanced materials processing. Although rarely visible outside specialist environments, they form a critical technical layer across modern science, industry and emerging energy systems.
Beyond conventional cooling
Cryogenic systems are designed to reach and sustain temperatures significantly below those used in standard industrial refrigeration. At these temperature ranges, material properties change, gases liquefy, and new physical behaviours become relevant.
Maintaining such conditions requires carefully engineered combinations of thermal management, materials selection, vacuum environments and long-term operational stability. Small deviations in temperature, pressure or insulation performance can have a significant impact on safety, reliability and system behaviour.
While some processes can also be supported using stored liquid gases, cryogenic systems provide controlled, continuous and predictable thermal environments that are essential for many scientific and industrial applications.
As a result, cryogenic technologies are typically deployed for clearly defined use cases rather than general purpose cooling.
Supporting research and scientific infrastructure
One of the most established roles of cryogenic systems is within scientific research and large-scale research infrastructure.
Particle accelerators, space simulation facilities and advanced physics laboratories rely on cryogenic cooling to support superconducting magnets, detectors and experimental platforms. In these environments, cryogenics is often combined with high-performance vacuum systems to minimise thermal transfer and maintain stable operating conditions.
Performance in these settings is measured not only in cooling capacity, but in precision, uptime and long-term consistency over extended operating periods.
Medical, healthcare and imaging applications
Cryogenic technologies also play a critical role in healthcare and medical research. Medical imaging systems, including magnetic resonance imaging, rely on cryogenic cooling to maintain superconducting conditions.
In biobanking and life sciences, cryogenic storage enables the long-term preservation of biological samples, tissues, and genetic material without degradation. These systems are designed to operate continuously in sensitive environments, where safety, monitoring and reliability are as important as thermal performance.
Here, cryogenics supports clinical and research outcomes rather than industrial throughput.
Energy transition and emerging applications
As energy systems evolve, cryogenic technologies are increasingly relevant to new infrastructure challenges.
Hydrogen production, liquefaction and storage rely on cryogenic processes to enable efficient transport and containment. Cryogenic systems are also used in research environments exploring superconducting power transmission, advanced energy storage concepts and next-generation energy technologies.
These applications place new demands on cryogenic systems, including integration with wider energy infrastructure, high availability and predictable operation under varying load conditions.
Specialist cryogenic capability within SHI’s European businesses
Within SHI’s European businesses, cryogenic capability is supported by specialist companies such as SHI Cryogenics Europe.
SHI Cryogenics Europe focuses on the supply, delivery, integration and service of cryogenic systems for scientific, medical and industrial applications that require stable and reliable low temperature operation. This includes supporting complete cryogenic installations as well as long-term service and maintenance activities.
Operating within the wider Sumitomo Heavy Industries group, this capability supports research infrastructure, healthcare systems and emerging energy applications, including hydrogen-related projects and advanced scientific facilities.
Rather than serving general cooling needs, these cryogenic systems are deployed in environments where operational stability, safety and predictable long-term behaviour are essential.
Engineering for stability and longevity
Cryogenic systems are often required to operate continuously for many years with minimal interruption. This places particular emphasis on system reliability, vacuum integrity, thermal insulation and service strategy.
Factors such as vibration control, monitoring and fault tolerance all influence long-term performance. In many applications, system failure can disrupt research programmes, clinical services or critical infrastructure.
As a result, cryogenic engineering prioritises predictable behaviour and lifecycle performance alongside thermal capability.
A specialist but essential technology domain
Cryogenic systems represent a specialist but essential technology domain within Europe’s scientific, medical and industrial landscape.
They enable applications that depend on stable low temperature environments and controlled handling of liquefied gases, supporting advanced research, healthcare and emerging energy systems.
Within the broader SHI Europe technology landscape, cryogenic capability illustrates how specialist engineering and long-term system support underpin some of the most demanding technical environments in operation today.