CENTRUM ORGANICKE CHEMIE SRO

Their core work

Centrum Organické Chemie (COC) is a Czech private research centre specialising in functional organic materials and printed electronics — translating laboratory chemistry into manufacturable electronic and optical components. Their core work involves formulating and processing conductive inks, electrochromic coatings, and nanomaterial-based films (silver nanowires, PEDOT, tungsten oxide, nanocellulose) using scalable deposition techniques such as screen printing, spray coating, and in-mold processes. In practice, this means they can take a material concept and demonstrate it on an industrially relevant substrate — laminate, film, or moulded part — making them a bridge between chemistry R&D and manufacturing. Their projects show a clear trajectory from decorative electrochromic surfaces toward embedded functional electronics: printed antennas, photosensors, and smart tags integrated directly into physical products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

COC entered H2020 through the decorative and design-led end of printed electronics — their first project, DecoChrom, was about making surfaces that change colour or respond to touch, targeting creative industries and interior applications. By the time MADRAS launched in 2020, the vocabulary had shifted entirely toward functional components: photosensors, printed antennas, smart tags, autonomous devices — applications with a clear IoT and embedded systems logic. This is a meaningful shift from "materials that look interesting" to "materials that do something useful in a connected product", suggesting the organisation is maturing toward higher-value industrial electronics rather than aesthetic novelty.

COC is moving from decorative material applications toward embedded printed electronics for IoT and smart packaging — a commercially high-demand space where their chemistry background gives them a credible materials advantage.

How they like to work

COC has participated as a partner in both of its H2020 projects, never as coordinator — consistent with the profile of a specialist research centre that provides deep technical input rather than project management. Despite only two projects, they have accumulated 30 unique consortium partners across 13 countries, suggesting they were embedded in large, multi-partner Innovation Actions rather than small bilateral projects. This breadth of network relative to project count indicates they are valued as technical contributors and are likely brought in for their specific materials and processing capabilities.

COC has built a surprisingly wide network for an organisation with only two projects — 30 partners across 13 countries, entirely through Innovation Action consortia. Their reach is genuinely European, with no visible concentration in a single country cluster.

What sets them apart

COC occupies a rare position as a private (non-university) research centre in the Czech Republic with hands-on printed electronics and organic materials processing capability — a profile more common in Western European countries. They are not a large institute with broad remit; they appear to do a small number of things at high depth, specifically the chemistry-to-process translation that many academic partners cannot provide. For a consortium that needs someone who can actually make a printed electronic component on an industrial substrate — not just model it — COC is a credible candidate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DecoChrom
  Largest single funding award (EUR 376,000) and COC's entry into H2020, combining electrochromic chemistry with creative industries and industrial laminate manufacturing — an unusual cross-sector combination that established their printed electronics credentials.
• MADRAS
  Marks COC's pivot toward functional organic electronics — printed antennas, photosensors, and smart tags — signalling a strategic move into IoT-relevant manufacturing with a richer materials toolkit including silver nanowires and nanocellulose.