Electrochemical CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) has emerged as a key enabling technology for establishing sustainable carbon cycles and defossilizing the chemical industry by converting renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals and fuels. Despite tremendous advances in catalyst development over the past decade, the translation of promising laboratory-scale concepts into industrially relevant electrolysis technologies remains one of the major bottlenecks preventing large-scale implementation. While significant efforts have been devoted to the development of novel catalyst materials, industrial deployment requires a much broader perspective that simultaneously addresses electrode architecture, membrane-electrode assemblies, mass transport phenomena, and reactor engineering. Performance metrics obtained under idealized laboratory conditions frequently fail to translate into practical devices operating at elevated current densities and under realistic process conditions.

Herein, we present an integrated approach that bridges catalyst development with application-oriented CO₂ electrolysis technologies. Using representative examples from materials-based electrocatalysis, we demonstrate how catalyst design principles can be transferred into functional gas diffusion electrodes and subsequently implemented in zero-gap electrolyzers operating at industrially relevant current densities. Particular emphasis is placed on the interplay between catalyst properties, catalyst integration strategies, electrode formulation, and membrane-electrode assembly optimization. We further discuss how transport limitations, local reaction environments, and reactor configurations govern activity, selectivity, energy efficiency, and long-term stability under practical operating conditions.

Recent advances in high-pressure CO₂ electrolysis, scale-up methodologies, and the integration of electrolysis units with downstream chemical processes will be highlighted alongside. In addition, practical challenges associated with realistic CO₂ feed streams and the transition from laboratory screening platforms to pilot-scale demonstrators will be addressed.

By connecting catalyst development with engineering-driven device design, this contribution outlines a pathway towards application-ready CO₂ electrolysis technologies and identifies the key scientific and technological barriers that must be overcome for industrial implementation. Ultimately, the presentation aims to stimulate discussion on how interdisciplinary approaches can accelerate the deployment of scalable, efficient, and economically viable carbon conversion technologies.