APE ANGEWANDTE PHYSIK UND ELEKTRONIK GMBH

Their core work

APE (Applied Physics and Electronics) is a Berlin-based SME that designs and manufactures ultrafast laser instruments and photonics equipment — tools that scientists use to see and measure matter at the nanoscale and femtosecond timescale. In EU research projects they function as a technology provider and expert contributor, bringing specialized hardware (optical parametric amplifiers, pulse characterization tools) and deep know-how in nonlinear optics and ultrafast spectroscopy. Their participation in projects like NanoVIB shows they are not just equipment vendors but active research partners applying their instruments to real scientific problems — in this case, visualizing bacterial behavior at nanometer resolution. Their commercial product line serves academic and industrial labs across photonics, biophotonics, and advanced microscopy.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

APE entered H2020 through MUSIQ (2019) with a physics-heavy portfolio centred on multiphoton microscopy, nonlinear optics, vibrational imaging, and plasmonics — the kind of research that maps closely to their commercial ultrafast laser products. By 2021, with NanoVIB, their application focus shifted clearly toward life sciences: super-resolution microscopy techniques (MINFLUX, SRS) applied to microbiology — specifically visualizing how pneumococcal bacteria become virulent. This represents a deliberate move from pure photonics instrumentation into biomedical imaging applications, where the value of their tools is demonstrated against a concrete health-relevant problem. The trajectory suggests APE is positioning their technology as a solution for nanoscale biological visualization, not just a physics instrument.

APE is moving from physics instrumentation toward biomedical applications, making them an increasingly relevant partner for life-science consortia that need nanoscale optical imaging capabilities.

How they like to work

APE consistently joins as a specialist contributor or third-party expert rather than leading projects — they have never served as coordinator in their H2020 history. This is typical of high-quality instrument SMEs: they are brought in for specific technical capabilities (equipment provision, measurement expertise) rather than to manage consortium administration. Their participation in 20 unique partner relationships across 10 countries despite only 2 projects suggests broad network exposure through consortium membership, making them well-connected without being a dominant orchestrator.

APE has built connections with 20 unique consortium partners spread across 10 countries through just 2 projects, indicating that both consortia were mid-to-large in size. Their network spans multiple European research systems, though Berlin's position as a photonics hub likely anchors their strongest ties in Germany and neighboring countries.

What sets them apart

APE occupies a rare niche as a commercial laser instrument manufacturer that also participates actively in frontier EU research — this means they bring both validated products and hands-on experimental know-how to a consortium, not just a catalog. Unlike university labs that build custom setups, APE can translate research-grade techniques into reproducible instrumentation, which is valuable when a project needs results that can later be commercialized or standardized. For any consortium working at the intersection of photonics and life sciences, APE offers a direct link between optical hardware development and application-driven research.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NanoVIB
  APE's largest funded project (€703,025), applying MINFLUX super-resolution and stimulated Raman scattering to understand bacterial virulence — a striking bridge between precision photonics instrumentation and infectious disease biology.
• MUSIQ
  An MSCA Innovative Training Network covering the full breadth of APE's photonics expertise — multiphoton microscopy, ultrafast spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and plasmonics — signaling their role in training the next generation of photonics researchers.