FONDERIE CERVATI S.R.L

Their core work

Fonderie Cervati is an Italian aluminium foundry based in Brescia, one of Europe's historic metalworking capitals, specialising in die casting components for the automotive sector. The company develops and manufactures aluminium die-cast parts, focusing on reducing production costs while maintaining structural integrity and dimensional precision required by automotive OEMs and tier suppliers. Their H2020 work centred on making aluminium die casting more economically competitive — a commercially driven effort to improve their process technology and scale it toward industrial deployment. As a Brescia-based SME, they operate within a dense regional supply chain of metal processors, tool makers, and automotive manufacturers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Fonderie Cervati's H2020 participation spans only 2015–2018 and consists of a single two-phase initiative, so there is no meaningful shift in focus to analyse — both projects address the same problem from feasibility through to development. The SME Instrument Phase 1 to Phase 2 progression reflects increasing technical and commercial maturity of the same die casting innovation, not a change in direction. Without later projects or keyword data, it is not possible to determine whether their research focus has evolved beyond automotive aluminium casting.

Their trajectory through SME Instrument Phases 1 and 2 suggests a company that successfully validated a process innovation and moved toward commercialisation, but there is no public H2020 record of further EU-funded activity beyond 2018.

How they like to work

Fonderie Cervati led both of their projects as sole coordinator, working with only one consortium partner in one country — an unusually narrow setup even by SME Instrument standards, where solo applications are common. This points to a company that innovates internally and is comfortable driving a project independently, rather than building broad research consortia. Prospective partners should expect to engage with a hands-on industrial SME that knows its process well and seeks targeted, practical collaboration rather than large network partnerships.

Fonderie Cervati has worked with only one unique H2020 partner across both projects, all within a single country. Their EU project network is minimal, reflecting the self-contained nature of the SME Instrument pathway they followed.

What sets them apart

Fonderie Cervati is one of relatively few Italian foundry SMEs to have successfully progressed through both phases of the SME Instrument, demonstrating that their die casting innovation cleared the European Commission's commercial viability assessment. Brescia's position as a European metalworking hub means the company sits close to automotive supply chains, tooling suppliers, and quality infrastructure. For a partner needing industrial validation of aluminium casting processes at a working foundry — rather than a lab — this SME offers direct manufacturing context.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FC21S (Phase 2)
  With nearly €1M in EC funding, this is a full development-scale SME Instrument grant, indicating the innovation passed rigorous commercial viability review and was funded for market-ready development.
• FC21S (Phase 1)
  The Phase 1 feasibility grant that launched the company's EU innovation pathway, demonstrating their ability to articulate a fundable commercial case for a manufacturing process improvement.