ABB SPZOO

Their core work

ABB SP ZOO is the Polish arm of ABB, one of the world's largest industrial automation and electrification companies. Within H2020, they contribute industry expertise in electrical machines, power electronics, and advanced insulation materials — bringing real manufacturing know-how to research consortia. Their participation spans process industry optimization, next-generation electrical insulation components, and high-reliability motor drives for electric propulsion, reflecting ABB's core business in power and automation technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ABB's earliest H2020 engagement (PRONTO, 2016) centered on process industry optimization — a broad operational efficiency topic. From 2017 onward, their focus sharpened toward electrification: first advanced insulation materials for electrical components (NOVUM), then electric motor drives for aircraft and vehicles (DORNA, 2020). This trajectory mirrors the broader industrial shift toward electrification and e-mobility that ABB has pursued globally.

ABB Poland is moving decisively toward electric propulsion and advanced materials for electrification, making them a strong partner for future e-mobility and electric aviation projects.

How they like to work

ABB SPZOO participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — typical for a large industrial company contributing domain expertise and validation infrastructure rather than leading the research agenda. With 48 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia. Their role is that of an industry end-user and technology validator, bringing real-world manufacturing context to academic-led research.

Despite only 3 projects, ABB SPZOO has built connections with 48 unique partners across 13 countries, reflecting their participation in large multinational consortia. Their network spans broadly across Europe with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

As a subsidiary of a global industrial giant, ABB SPZOO brings something most research partners cannot: direct access to industrial-scale manufacturing, testing, and eventual market deployment of research results. For consortium builders, partnering with ABB means having an industry validator with real production lines and a global customer base. Their combination of electrical insulation materials expertise and electric propulsion know-how is particularly distinctive.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DORNA
  Targets high-reliability motor drives for electric aircraft and vehicles — directly at the frontier of the electrification megatrend.
• NOVUM
  Combines bio-based materials (cellulose) with advanced manufacturing (3D printing, thermoforming) for electrical insulation — an unusual cross-disciplinary pilot line.