FLUBETECH S.L.

Their core work

FLUBETECH is a Spanish technology SME specializing in advanced surface engineering and industrial coating solutions. Their early work centered on applying HIPIMS (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering), a physical vapor deposition technique, to coat plastic injection moulds — a highly specific industrial tooling application. By 2020 they had broadened into the nano-enabled surface technology space, contributing manufacturing scale-up expertise to a major European open innovation consortium working on nano-coatings for low friction, surface protection, and controlled permeability. They operate at the intersection of materials science and industrial manufacturing, translating advanced surface science into production-ready processes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2014-2015), FLUBETECH focused tightly on HIPIMS coating applied to a single industrial use case — protecting and optimizing plastic injection moulds — with no recorded keywords suggesting broader scope. By 2020-2024 their documented work had shifted substantially: keywords now include nano-enabled surfaces and membranes, open innovation test beds, continuous and mass production processes, low friction, permeability, and surface protection — a much wider application landscape. The direction is clear: from niche tool-coating specialists toward versatile contributors to the industrial adoption of nano-surface technologies across multiple end-use sectors.

FLUBETECH is moving from narrow PVD coating applications toward the broader nano-enabled surface technology market, building experience in open innovation ecosystems that bridge nano R&D and industrial production.

How they like to work

FLUBETECH has played both sides of the consortium table: they independently led a focused SME Instrument project (HIPINDMOULD) and later joined a large-scale Innovation Action with 37 partners across 12 countries (NewSkin). This dual experience suggests they can drive targeted technical projects autonomously while also contributing specialist manufacturing expertise within large, complex consortia. As a small company, they likely bring a production-oriented perspective that larger research partners value for grounding nanotechnology work in industrial reality.

FLUBETECH has worked with 37 unique consortium partners across 12 countries, almost entirely through their participation in NewSkin — a broad pan-European Innovation Action. Their network is EU-wide in reach but was built through a single large project rather than repeated collaborations across multiple consortia.

What sets them apart

FLUBETECH occupies a specific niche as a Spanish manufacturing SME that bridges physical vapor deposition know-how with emerging nano-surface technologies — a combination that is rare among pure research organizations or large industrial suppliers. Their SME Instrument coordination record signals demonstrated ability to define and execute an industrial R&D agenda independently, not just follow a larger partner's lead. For consortium builders needing a manufacturing-ready SME to validate scale-up feasibility of nano-coating processes, FLUBETECH offers both technical depth and entrepreneurial accountability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HIPINDMOULD
  FLUBETECH coordinated this SME Instrument Phase 1 project independently, demonstrating self-directed R&D leadership on a focused industrial coating challenge with direct commercial application.
• NewSkin
  Participation in this 37-partner Innovation Action signals recognition of FLUBETECH's manufacturing process expertise by a major European nano-technology consortium, and exposes them to a broad multi-country network.