Organization

ADVANCED COATINGS & CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

Belgian coatings and materials specialist providing ceramic coatings, laser surface processing, and superalloy expertise to European manufacturing R&D consortia.

Engineering firmmanufacturingBENo active H2020 projects

H2020 projects

As coordinator

Total EC funding

€1.1M

Unique partners

What they do

Their core work

AC&CS is a Belgian private company based in Liège specializing in advanced surface coatings, protective layers, and high-performance materials processing. Their work spans ceramic coatings, laser-based surface treatments, and materials for demanding industrial applications including energy devices and aerospace-grade superalloys. They contribute materials science and coatings expertise to EU research consortia focused on manufacturing innovation, from thin-film solar cells to electrical steel processing and next-generation alloy development.

Core expertise

What they specialise in

Advanced surface coatings and protective layersprimary

3 projects

Core contributor across HIPERMAT (ceramic coatings, refractory steels), ESSIAL (insulating layers, film removal), and ARCIGS-M (thin-film architectures).

High-performance materials and superalloysprimary

2 projects

HIPERMAT focuses on superalloys, high entropy alloys, and refractory stainless steels; ESSIAL on soft magnetic materials and electrical steels.

Laser-based materials processingsecondary

2 projects

ESSIAL centres on laser technologies for structuring and assembling electrical steel; HIPERMAT involves laser metal deposition (LMD).

Thin-film and OLED technologiessecondary

2 projects

LEO project targeted low-cost OLED lighting; ARCIGS-M addressed ultra-thin CIGS solar cell manufacturability.

Predictive modelling for materials designemerging

1 project

HIPERMAT explicitly includes advanced modelling and predictive modelling for materials validation.

Evolution & trajectory

How they've shifted over time

Early focus

Thin-film energy devices

Recent focus

Industrial superalloys and laser processing

AC&CS began their H2020 participation (2015-2017) with thin-film and optoelectronic applications — OLEDs for lighting (LEO) and thin-film solar cells (ARCIGS-M). From 2017 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward heavy-duty industrial materials: laser processing of electrical steels (ESSIAL) and high-performance superalloys with ceramic coatings (HIPERMAT). This trajectory shows a clear move from consumer-facing energy devices toward industrial materials engineering and advanced manufacturing processes.

AC&CS is moving toward high-performance industrial materials with predictive modelling capabilities — expect future work in digitally-designed coatings and alloys for extreme environments.

Collaboration profile

How they like to work

Role: specialist_contributorReach: European11 countries collaborated

AC&CS operates exclusively as a consortium partner or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, suggesting they contribute specialist materials expertise rather than driving project strategy. With 46 unique partners across 11 countries from just 4 projects, they consistently work in large, multinational consortia. This profile points to a reliable technical contributor that integrates well into established research teams without seeking the administrative lead.

Despite only 4 projects, AC&CS has built a broad network of 46 partners across 11 countries, indicating participation in sizeable consortia with wide European reach. Their Liège base positions them within Belgium's strong materials science ecosystem.

Why partner with them

What sets them apart

AC&CS bridges the gap between coatings application and fundamental materials science — they work on both the surface treatment (ceramic coatings, insulating layers) and the underlying material design (superalloys, high entropy alloys). Their combination of laser processing know-how with predictive modelling for materials makes them a rare partner who can contribute to both experimental fabrication and simulation-driven design. For consortium builders, they offer private-sector industrial coatings experience that complements academic materials research groups.

Notable projects

Highlights from their portfolio

HIPERMAT
Their most recent and technically diverse project, covering superalloys, ceramic coatings, high entropy alloys, and predictive modelling — represents the fullest expression of their current capabilities.
ESSIAL
Participated as third party in a laser-based electrical steel processing project, indicating trusted specialist status even without formal consortium membership.
LEO
Largest single EC contribution (EUR 513,739) and their entry into H2020, focused on low-cost OLED manufacturing.

Cross-sector capabilities

Energy — thin-film solar cells and electrical steel for power applicationsDigital — OLED display/lighting technologiesTransport — superalloys and protective coatings for aerospace and automotiveEnvironment — durable protective coatings for infrastructure longevity

Analysis note: With only 4 projects (one as third party) and no website available, the profile is built primarily from project keywords and titles. The company is classified as non-SME private, suggesting meaningful industrial scale, but the lack of a web presence limits independent verification. Early projects (LEO, ARCIGS-M) had no keywords in the data, so the evolution analysis relies heavily on the contrast between project titles and the keyword-rich later projects.