DEEP CONCEPT

Their core work

DEEP CONCEPT is a French SME based in Pau that develops high-voltage power electronics components for aerospace and aviation applications. Their core technical work involves designing solid-state protection circuits — specifically Solid State Power Controllers (SSPCs) — which replace conventional mechanical circuit breakers in aircraft electrical networks with lighter, faster-switching, and more reliable electronic equivalents. Both of their H2020 projects sit inside the Clean Sky 2 program, the EU's flagship aeronautics research initiative, positioning DEEP CONCEPT firmly within the European aerospace supply chain as a specialist component developer. Their work directly serves the "more electric aircraft" trend, where growing onboard electrical loads demand smarter, lighter, and more compact power management solutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both projects were launched within a year of each other (PHiVe in 2018, H2LSPC in 2019), so the timeline is short — but the direction is readable. PHiVe addressed high-voltage power electronics broadly, without a specific product focus, while H2LSPC zeroed in on a single, commercially meaningful product category: the SSPC for avionic applications. This suggests DEEP CONCEPT used early Clean Sky 2 participation to establish foundational technology competence, then moved toward a more targeted product development path. The keyword trail — empty on PHiVe, highly specific on H2LSPC — supports this reading: they went from technology exploration to application-specific component engineering.

DEEP CONCEPT is converging on SSPC product development for aircraft electrical systems — a segment that will expand significantly as aviation electrification progresses toward hybrid and fully electric propulsion architectures.

How they like to work

DEEP CONCEPT has only ever joined consortia as a participant, never as a coordinator, which is consistent with a specialist SME that contributes a specific technical component rather than managing a broad research program. Across two projects they worked with 8 distinct partners in 4 countries — a reasonable consortium size for Clean Sky 2 work, where OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers typically lead and invite specialist SMEs for specific workpackages. There is no evidence of repeated partnerships, suggesting their network is still forming rather than anchored around a fixed inner circle.

DEEP CONCEPT has connected with 8 unique partners across 4 countries, entirely through Clean Sky 2 consortia, which reflects the pan-European nature of the aerospace supply chain. Their geographic footprint is European but relatively shallow for a 2-project history — consistent with an early-stage participant still building its collaboration network.

What sets them apart

DEEP CONCEPT occupies a narrow but increasingly valuable niche: high-voltage solid-state protection electronics for aircraft electrical systems. As modern aircraft shift from hydraulic and pneumatic systems to electrical architectures, SSPCs become critical infrastructure — and few SMEs combine the power electronics depth with the aerospace certification awareness that this market requires. Their direct Clean Sky 2 track record gives them verified credibility with European aerospace primes, which is a meaningful entry barrier for competitors trying to enter this space without that program history.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PHiVe
  DEEP CONCEPT's entry point into Clean Sky 2, with the largest single funding award (EUR 172,375), establishing their foundational role in high-voltage power electronics for aviation.
• H2LSPC
  The most technically specific project in their portfolio, targeting a commercially relevant product category — lightweight avionic SSPCs — that directly maps to the growing demand for electrical load management in next-generation aircraft.