FRICKE UND MALLAH MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY GMBH

Their core work

Fricke und Mallah is a German SME specializing in industrial microwave heating systems and microwave-based processing technology. They design and build high-power microwave equipment used for applications ranging from plastic recycling and polymer depolymerization to advanced ceramic composite manufacturing. Their core technical contribution across EU projects is applying microwave energy as a precise, efficient alternative to conventional thermal processing in industrial settings.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015-2017) focused on building the core microwave heating platform itself (CLEAN-HEAT), then immediately applied it to plastic waste recycling — PET depolymerization and circular economy applications (DEMETO, 2017). In the later period (2018-2024), they broadened into more diverse industrial applications: multi-polymer recycling for the chemical and steel industries (POLYNSPIRE), and a significant pivot into advanced materials with ceramic matrix composites and AI-assisted process modelling (CEM-WAVE). The trajectory shows a clear move from developing microwave hardware toward applying it across increasingly sophisticated industrial processes.

They are expanding from polymer recycling into high-performance materials manufacturing (ceramics, composites), suggesting future collaborations will likely involve microwave processing for advanced industrial applications beyond waste management.

How they like to work

They coordinated one project (CLEAN-HEAT, their SME Instrument phase 2) and participated in three larger Innovation Action and Research consortia. With 56 unique partners across 14 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, multi-national consortia where they serve as the microwave technology specialist. This pattern indicates they are comfortable integrating their equipment and know-how into complex industrial demonstration projects led by others.

With 56 consortium partners spanning 14 countries, they have built a wide European network despite being a small company. Their projects connect them to chemical industry, automotive, steel, and advanced materials sectors across the EU.

What sets them apart

They occupy a rare niche: an SME that owns proprietary industrial microwave heating technology and can deploy it across multiple sectors. Most microwave equipment suppliers are either large conglomerates or academic labs — Fricke und Mallah bridges the gap as a focused, agile technology provider. For consortium builders, they bring a ready-made, demonstrated microwave processing capability that can be adapted to new materials and industrial contexts.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CLEAN-HEAT
  Their only coordinated project and likely the foundation of their core technology — a high-power solid-state microwave heating system funded through the SME Instrument.
• CEM-WAVE
  Represents their newest direction: applying microwave technology to ceramic matrix composites with AI-assisted modelling, signalling a move into aerospace and high-performance materials.
• POLYNSPIRE
  Their largest single EC contribution (EUR 617,750) in a cross-industry plastic recycling demonstration spanning chemical, steel, and automotive sectors.