FREUDENBERG PERFORMANCE MATERIALS SE & CO KG

Their core work

Freudenberg Performance Materials is a large German manufacturer of technical nonwovens and performance materials, headquartered in Weinheim. Within H2020, they contribute materials expertise to hydrogen fuel cell development — specifically gas diffusion layers and membrane electrode assemblies for PEM fuel cells used in automotive applications. Their role is that of an industrial materials supplier bringing manufacturing know-how and advanced material characterization capabilities to fuel cell research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects spanning 2017–2019, the evolution is narrow but shows a clear deepening. Early involvement (DIGIMAN, 2017) focused on materials characterization and automated assembly processes. By 2019, their work had shifted toward higher-value fuel cell components — specifically next-generation automotive membrane electrode assemblies in GAIA, their largest project. This progression suggests a move from supporting roles in characterization toward more central contributions in fuel cell component manufacturing.

Freudenberg is moving deeper into automotive hydrogen fuel cell component supply chains, positioning as a materials manufacturer for series production of membrane electrode assemblies.

How they like to work

Freudenberg participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with a large industrial company contributing specific materials expertise rather than leading research agendas. With 21 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in medium-to-large consortia (averaging 7+ partners per project). Their involvement in FCH2 Joint Undertaking projects indicates they operate within the established European fuel cell research community.

They have collaborated with 21 distinct partners across 6 countries through fuel cell research consortia, indicating solid integration into the European hydrogen and fuel cell research network centered around FCH2 Joint Undertaking projects.

What sets them apart

Freudenberg brings industrial-scale nonwoven and performance materials manufacturing capability to fuel cell R&D — a combination few academic or research partners can offer. They bridge the gap between laboratory fuel cell research and series production, which is critical for projects aiming at commercialization. For consortium builders, they represent a credible route to manufacturing scale-up of fuel cell components.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GAIA
  Largest funding (EUR 550,000) and focused on next-generation automotive membrane electrode assemblies — directly tied to commercial hydrogen vehicle supply chains.
• ID-FAST
  Addresses a critical bottleneck in fuel cell commercialization: defining accelerated degradation testing protocols that can validate component durability without years of real-world testing.