HELIATEK GMBH

Their core work

Heliatek is a Dresden-based SME that develops and manufactures organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar films — ultra-thin, flexible solar energy surfaces that can be integrated directly into building envelopes, facades, and other surfaces. Their H2020 work spans the full value chain from fundamental organic semiconductor research (spin physics in organic molecules) through advanced manufacturing processes (laser ablation barrier films) to real-world deployment in near-zero-energy buildings. They bring deep expertise in organic electronics materials and thin-film production to EU consortia, acting as the industrial partner that bridges lab-scale science and commercial building-integrated photovoltaics.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Heliatek's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from fundamental materials science toward applied building-energy solutions. Their early projects (2015–2017) focused on underlying technology: barrier films for organic electronics (ALABO) and spin physics in organic photovoltaic molecules (SEPOMO). By 2021, their focus moved decisively toward deployment — MEZeroE places their technology in the context of building envelopes, pilot verification lines, and an open innovation marketplace for near-zero-energy buildings. This arc reflects a company maturing from R&D contributor to market-ready product provider.

Heliatek is moving from component-level R&D toward full building-energy system integration and commercialization, making them an increasingly relevant partner for construction, energy efficiency, and smart building projects.

How they like to work

Heliatek consistently participates as a partner rather than leading consortia, which is typical for a specialized technology SME contributing domain expertise to larger research efforts. With 44 unique partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia — suggesting comfort in complex multi-partner environments. Their role pattern indicates they are sought after as an industrial validation partner who can provide real manufacturing and product perspectives to research-driven projects.

Despite only three projects, Heliatek has built a broad network of 44 partners across 12 countries, reflecting participation in large European consortia. Their Dresden base and German industrial ecosystem anchor them, but their reach is distinctly pan-European.

What sets them apart

Heliatek is one of very few companies worldwide that manufactures organic photovoltaic films at industrial scale, giving them a rare position as both a research partner and a real product company in organic solar technology. Their ability to contribute actual pilot production lines and commercial products — not just lab prototypes — makes them exceptionally valuable for projects that need to demonstrate real-world deployment. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to find: a specialized SME that can take organic electronics from molecule-level science all the way to building-integrated energy products.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ALABO
  Largest single EC contribution (€829K) and focused on a critical manufacturing bottleneck — barrier films that protect organic devices from degradation.
• MEZeroE
  Most recent and forward-looking project, placing Heliatek's OPV technology into the near-zero-energy buildings ecosystem with pilot verification and an open innovation marketplace.
• SEPOMO
  A Marie Skłodowska-Curie training network, showing Heliatek's commitment to training the next generation of organic photovoltaics researchers alongside their commercial work.