Metamaterial-based optical solar reflectorsprimary
2 projects
META-REFLECTOR and SMART-FLEX both focused on next-generation metamaterial optical solar reflectors, showing sustained investment across 2016-2021.
Organization
CONSORZIO CREO-CENTRO RICERCHE ELETTRO OTTICHE
Italian research consortium developing metamaterial optical reflectors for space and contactless sensor systems for forensic security applications.
Research institutespaceIT
H2020 projects
4
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€1.8M
Unique partners
37
What they do
Their core work
CREO is an Italian research consortium based in L'Aquila specializing in electro-optical technologies, advanced materials, and sensor systems. Their core work spans two distinct domains: developing metamaterial-based optical components for space applications (such as solar reflectors and thermal management coatings) and building contactless sensor systems for forensic scene assessment in CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) security contexts. They bridge materials science with applied optics, delivering components and sensor solutions that serve both the space industry and security agencies.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Thermochromic and smart radiation materialsprimary
1 project
SMART-FLEX explicitly targets temperature variable emitters, thermochromic materials, and perfect metamaterial absorbers for adaptive thermal control.
Forensic scene sensing and remote analysissecondary
2 projects
ROCSAFE and RISEN both address remote forensic examination — ROCSAFE for CBRNe scenes, RISEN for real-time on-site trace qualification using contactless sensors and data fusion.
1 project
RISEN integrates augmented reality with contactless sensors and data fusion for on-site forensic work, indicating a move toward AR-enhanced field tools.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Space optical materials and CBRNe
Recent focus
Smart thermal materials and forensic sensing
CREO's early H2020 work (2016-2017) centered on space-grade optical materials, specifically metamaterial solar reflectors (META-REFLECTOR) and remote CBRNe scene assessment (ROCSAFE). By 2019-2024, they deepened their materials expertise into smart thermal management — thermochromic coatings, variable emitters, flexible reflectors — while their security work evolved toward real-time contactless sensing with augmented reality and data fusion. The trajectory shows a consistent materials-science core that is branching into increasingly sophisticated sensor and data integration applications.
CREO is moving toward adaptive smart materials and sensor-data fusion, suggesting future work will combine advanced coatings with intelligent monitoring systems.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: specialist_contributorReach: European15 countries collaborated
CREO operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, preferring to contribute specialist expertise within larger teams. With 37 unique partners across 15 countries from just 4 projects, they join sizeable international consortia rather than small bilateral collaborations. This pattern suggests they are a valued technical contributor that larger coordinators seek out for specific electro-optical and materials capabilities.
CREO has collaborated with 37 distinct partners across 15 countries through only 4 projects, indicating large consortium participation with broad European reach. Their network spans both space-technology and security-research communities, giving them cross-domain connections.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
CREO occupies a rare niche at the intersection of metamaterial optics and applied security sensing — few organizations combine space-grade thermal materials expertise with forensic sensor systems. Their dual-domain profile makes them an unusual partner choice: they can contribute advanced coatings and thin-film technologies to space missions while also delivering contactless sensing solutions for security applications. For consortium builders, this crossover capability means one partner can address materials and sensor work packages that would otherwise require two separate organizations.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- SMART-FLEXLargest single EC contribution (EUR 613,000) and the most technically detailed project, advancing metamaterial solar reflectors with thermochromic smart radiation devices.
- RISENMost recent project (2020-2024) combining contactless sensors, augmented reality, and data fusion — signals CREO's emerging direction toward integrated field-sensing systems.
- META-REFLECTORTheir earliest H2020 project and the foundation of their metamaterial optical reflector expertise, which they continued to build on in SMART-FLEX.
Cross-sector capabilities
Security and forensicsEnvironment and thermal managementDefence and CBRN responseAdvanced manufacturing of thin-film coatings
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