ABB SPA

Their core work

ABB SPA is the Italian subsidiary of ABB Group, a global leader in electrification, industrial automation, robotics, and power grid technology. Within H2020, they contributed industrial expertise in energy systems flexibility, advanced materials integration (particularly graphene), and electromagnetic compatibility. Their role has been primarily as a third-party contributor to large flagship initiatives, bringing real-world industrial application knowledge to research consortia focused on graphene commercialization and European energy grid optimization.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ABB's early H2020 involvement (2015–2018) was split between energy efficiency in buildings (ZERO-PLUS) and broad graphene research covering composites, sensors, photonics, and energy applications. From 2019 onward, their focus narrowed sharply toward graphene commercialization and pilot-line manufacturing (2D-EPL), with the Graphene Flagship moving from basic research to industrial scale-up. This shift from broad materials exploration to production-ready 2D materials reflects ABB's interest in bringing graphene into real industrial products.

ABB is moving from exploratory graphene research toward production-scale integration of 2D materials into industrial components, suggesting readiness for applied graphene partnerships.

How they like to work

ABB operates almost exclusively as a third-party contributor or participant — never as coordinator in their H2020 portfolio. This is typical for large industrial companies that lend domain expertise and application testing capabilities to research-led consortia without taking on project management overhead. With 297 consortium partners across 26 countries, their network is vast but largely inherited from the massive Graphene Flagship consortia rather than built through selective bilateral partnerships.

Connected to 297 unique partners across 26 countries, though this breadth is driven primarily by the large Graphene Flagship consortia. Their direct working relationships are likely concentrated among the graphene and energy research communities in Western Europe.

What sets them apart

ABB brings something rare to research consortia: the ability to test and validate advanced materials and energy solutions against real industrial requirements at scale. As a global automation and electrification company, they can bridge the gap between laboratory graphene research and actual product integration. For consortium builders, ABB's involvement signals industrial relevance and provides a credible path from TRL 4-5 research toward market deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• OSMOSE
  Largest funded project (EUR 387,994) focused on electricity system flexibility — directly relevant to ABB's core grid technology business.
• 2D-EPL
  Graphene Flagship pilot line project representing the transition from research to manufacturing, where ABB's industrial scale-up expertise is most directly applied.
• ETOPIA
  Marie Curie training network on EMI analysis — an unusual entry showing ABB's commitment to training the next generation of power electronics researchers.