For the first time, we report on micro- and nanostructured Ti surfaces produced by ultrashort-pulse laser processing followed by sputter deposition of Pt aiming at efficient cathode electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis. We studied the laser processing-induced surface morphology, the elemental composition of the surface, the specific surface increase, the wetting behavior as well as the activity of the hydrogen evolution reaction. It is demonstrated that ultrashort-pulse laser structuring in combination with thin layer catalyst deposition can dramatically boost the performance of cathodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction due to the enormous increase in specific surface in combination with superhydrophilic and superwetting properties leading to a rapid gas bubble detachment. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.