ELEMENT SIX LIMITED

Their core work

Element Six is a large private manufacturer of synthetic diamond and superhard materials, based in Shannon, Ireland. Their H2020 participation reflects two distinct but related product lines: diamond as an optical and laser-processing material, demonstrated in HIPERDIAS where they contributed fiber beam delivery and grating compressor expertise for high-throughput laser machining of diamond and silicon; and superhard non-CRM materials for industrial tooling, addressed in Flintstone2020 which targeted sustainable replacements for tungsten carbide and cemented carbide cutting tools. In European research consortia, they function as a specialist industrial materials supplier and real-world validation partner rather than a fundamental research institution. Companies and researchers working in precision manufacturing, laser-based processing, or sustainable industrial tooling will find them a technically grounded industrial anchor with direct access to commercial-scale superhard material production.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects launched in 2016, but their application focus diverged by completion. HIPERDIAS (2016–2019) was oriented toward laser process technology — specifically ultrafast laser machining of diamond and silicon using advanced beam delivery and grating compressor systems — reflecting diamond's role as both the workpiece material and a precision optical component. Flintstone2020 (2016–2020), by contrast, centred on materials supply chain resilience: developing superhard alternatives to CRM-dependent tungsten carbide and cemented carbide for cutting tools. The keyword shift from laser optics toward CRM substitution signals that Element Six's EU research engagement broadened from process technology applications toward industrial sustainability and materials sovereignty — a direction that aligns closely with EU Green Deal priorities for reducing dependence on critical raw materials.

Element Six is tracking two complementary growth areas — advanced laser materials for precision manufacturing and sustainable substitutes for CRM-dependent cutting tools — both of which sit at the centre of European industrial and green transition policy through 2030.

How they like to work

Element Six has never taken the coordinator role across its H2020 projects, joining consortia as a participant or third party. Despite this follower profile, their 21 unique partners across 9 countries in just 2 projects indicates they consistently join large, geographically diverse consortia. This pattern is typical of major industrial companies that engage in EU research to access frontier process knowledge and contribute proprietary materials, without committing to project management overhead — they are high-value contributors, not research drivers.

Element Six has worked with 21 unique consortium partners across 9 countries through just 2 projects, pointing to participation in large, multi-partner RIA consortia rather than bilateral or small-team collaborations. Their network is European in scope with no indication of geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

Element Six occupies an exceptionally narrow industrial niche — large-scale manufactured synthetic diamond and superhard materials — where very few companies globally operate at commercial scale. Their value to a research consortium is concrete: proprietary materials supply, real production environment testing, and a direct pathway from laboratory prototype to industrial-scale manufacturing. For any project requiring superhard material expertise, laser diamond processing capability, or credible CRM substitution validation, they represent an industrial anchor that most academic-led consortia cannot replicate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HIPERDIAS
  The sole funded project (EUR 132,250) and Element Six's most active H2020 role as a participant, contributing laser optics and diamond processing expertise to a high-throughput precision manufacturing initiative spanning digital manufacturing applications.
• Flintstone2020
  Directly addresses a strategic European industrial priority — reducing CRM dependence in cutting tool supply chains — placing Element Six at the intersection of industrial competitiveness and sustainable materials policy.