DALLARA AUTOMOBILI SPA

Their core work

Dallara Automobili is a renowned Italian manufacturer of racing cars and high-performance automotive engineering, based in the motorsport hub of Varano de Melegari. In H2020, they bring deep expertise in advanced composite structures and carbon fiber manufacturing to EU research consortia. Their involvement spans graphene-enhanced materials, smart structural components, and robotic automation of composite draping — all driven by the demanding performance requirements of motorsport and high-end automotive engineering. They serve as an industrial end-user and validation partner, testing advanced materials and manufacturing processes in real automotive applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Dallara's H2020 journey started in 2018 with broad engagement in graphene research (GrapheneCore2) and smart composite design (SMARTFAN), exploring how advanced materials could improve structural components. From 2020 onward, their focus narrowed and matured: they moved from fundamental graphene research into pilot line manufacturing (2D-EPL) and robotic automation of carbon fiber processes (DrapeBot). The trajectory shows a clear shift from materials exploration toward industrialization and manufacturing scale-up.

Dallara is moving from advanced materials research toward automated, scalable composite manufacturing — expect future interest in digital twins, robotic production lines, and Industry 4.0 for high-performance parts.

How they like to work

Dallara participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an industrial end-user that validates and applies research rather than leading academic programs. With 240 unique partners across 21 countries, they operate in very large consortia (especially the Graphene Flagship with hundreds of participants). This makes them accessible and experienced consortium members, comfortable working in complex multi-partner environments where they provide real-world automotive test cases.

Dallara has collaborated with 240 unique partners across 21 countries, largely through the massive Graphene Flagship consortia. Their network spans most of Europe, with particularly strong connections to advanced materials research groups and composites manufacturers.

What sets them apart

Dallara brings something rare to EU consortia: a world-class motorsport manufacturer that can test advanced materials under extreme performance demands. While many industrial partners offer generic validation, Dallara's racing car production provides one of the most demanding proving grounds for lightweight composites, carbon fiber structures, and graphene-enhanced materials. For any consortium needing an automotive end-user with genuine high-performance manufacturing capability, Dallara is a compelling choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GrapheneCore3
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 750,000) and part of the EU's flagship graphene initiative, signaling Dallara's recognized role as an industrial validation partner for 2D materials.
• DrapeBot
  Most distinctive project — combines carbon fiber manufacturing with multi-robot collaboration, directly addressing a major bottleneck in composite part production.
• SMARTFAN
  Focused on intelligent structural composite components with EUR 551,875 funding, bridging materials science with functional engineering design.