ALUWAG AG

Their core work

ALUWAG AG is a Swiss SME specializing in light metal processing — specifically aluminum and magnesium components manufactured through high-pressure die casting. Their core industrial work targets weight reduction in automotive and electromobility applications, where replacing heavier materials with precision-cast light alloys directly reduces CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. In addition to die casting, they have entered the additive manufacturing space, contributing industrial know-how to multi-material 3D printing processes that incorporate nanoparticles and enable new part geometries. They bring an SME manufacturer's perspective to applied research: they are not developing theory, but validating and scaling production-ready solutions for mass-market adoption.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ALUWAG entered H2020 in 2020 with two parallel but distinct projects, so their evolution is less a chronological shift and more a deliberate dual-track positioning. Their first track — MAGIT — sits firmly in their traditional domain: light alloy die casting optimized for the automotive transition to electromobility. Their second track — MULTI-FUN — signals an intentional move toward advanced manufacturing methods, specifically additive manufacturing with functional nanoparticle-enhanced materials. The trajectory points toward a company that wants to remain relevant as conventional die casting faces competition from printed and composite part technologies by building competence in both simultaneously.

ALUWAG is positioning itself at the intersection of conventional light metal processing and next-generation additive manufacturing — a company preparing to serve the automotive and electromobility sectors as both casting and printing technologies mature in parallel.

How they like to work

ALUWAG has participated in all projects as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a production SME that brings hands-on manufacturing expertise to research consortia rather than managing project administration. With 24 unique partners across 7 countries spread over just 2 projects, they are engaging in genuinely broad international consortia rather than a closed circle of repeat collaborators. Working with them likely means getting access to real industrial die casting or production environment for validation — they are the "industry end-user or manufacturer" seat in a consortium.

ALUWAG has connected with 24 distinct partners across 7 countries through only two projects, suggesting they joined well-networked consortia with wide geographic spread. Their Swiss base gives them access to both EU and non-EU industrial networks, though all funded activity falls within the European research space.

What sets them apart

ALUWAG occupies a rare niche as a Swiss SME die caster with active EU research engagement — most companies of this size and type remain outside the H2020 ecosystem entirely. They bring real production infrastructure and manufacturing process knowledge that many research-heavy consortia lack, making them a credible industrial validator rather than an academic observer. Their simultaneous participation in both a mature process technology project (MAGIT) and an emerging additive manufacturing project (MULTI-FUN) shows strategic range unusual for a small manufacturer.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MAGIT
  The largest investment in ALUWAG's H2020 portfolio (EUR 1,083,250), directly advancing their core die casting process with gas injection technology for automotive lightweighting — the closest project to their commercial product line.
• MULTI-FUN
  Demonstrates ALUWAG's strategic diversification into additive manufacturing and nanocomposite materials, a domain well outside conventional die casting and significant for future-proofing their manufacturing capabilities.