DOW CHEMICAL IBERICA SL

Their core work

Dow Chemical Ibérica is the Spanish subsidiary of Dow, one of the world's largest chemical and materials science companies. Within H2020, they contribute industrial-scale chemical process expertise to collaborative R&D projects — from advanced process control and sensor-based manufacturing optimization to CO2 conversion and lignin-based materials. Their role is typically that of a large industrial end-user validating and demonstrating research outputs in real production environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early participation (2015–2017) centered on smart manufacturing — distributed sensors, machine learning for process control, and industrial optimization (DISIRE). From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward green chemistry and sustainability, with projects on solar-driven CO2 reduction (SunCoChem) and bio-based materials (LigniOx). This mirrors the broader chemical industry pivot from process efficiency toward decarbonization and circular economy.

Dow Ibérica is moving from traditional process optimization toward sustainable chemistry — future partners should pitch decarbonization, bio-based feedstocks, or carbon capture applications.

How they like to work

Dow Ibérica consistently participates as a partner or third party rather than leading consortia — zero coordinator roles across all four projects. With 57 unique partners across 14 countries, they spread their involvement broadly rather than deepening ties with a small group. This is typical of a large multinational that joins projects to test and validate emerging technologies at industrial scale, contributing facilities, domain knowledge, and real-world use cases.

Collaborated with 57 unique partners across 14 countries, indicating a wide European network despite only four projects. This breadth comes from joining large, multi-partner consortia rather than leading focused collaborations.

What sets them apart

As a subsidiary of a global chemical giant, Dow Ibérica brings something most consortium partners cannot: immediate access to large-scale industrial production environments for testing and demonstration. Their participation signals serious industrial relevance — if Dow joins a project, the technology has potential commercial traction in the chemical sector. For academic partners, Dow offers a direct path from lab-scale results to industrial validation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DISIRE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 291,875) and showcases Dow's core strength in industrial process control with machine learning integration.
• SunCoChem
  Represents Dow's strategic shift into green chemistry — artificial photosynthesis and CO2-to-chemicals conversion, a high-growth research area.