HITACHI ENERGY SWEDEN AB

Their core work

Hitachi Energy Sweden AB (formerly part of ABB's power grids division) is a major industrial player in power transmission, electrical systems, and advanced manufacturing. In H2020, they contributed industrial-grade expertise in HVDC transmission networks, power electronics, robotics, and process optimization. They bring real-world deployment capability to research consortia, serving as the bridge between laboratory results and industrial-scale implementation across energy, manufacturing, and digital domains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2017), Hitachi Energy focused on core industrial strengths: HVDC power transmission, process control with in-situ sensors, and robotic assembly — areas tightly connected to their power grid and factory automation heritage. From 2018 onward, the portfolio diversified significantly toward advanced materials (graphene across three flagship phases), additive manufacturing, 5G-enabled smart factories, and even environmental monitoring. This shift signals a deliberate move from traditional heavy electrical engineering toward digitalized, materials-driven industrial innovation.

Hitachi Energy is evolving from a pure power transmission company toward a digitalized industrial technology provider, with growing investments in graphene, additive manufacturing, and AI-driven process control.

How they like to work

Hitachi Energy overwhelmingly operates as a consortium partner (15 of 16 projects), contributing industrial infrastructure and domain expertise rather than leading research agendas. Their single coordination role (SARAFun) was in robotics, suggesting they lead only when the topic directly aligns with their product lines. With 425 unique partners across 32 countries, they function as a well-connected industrial hub — valuable for any consortium needing a large-company validation and deployment partner.

With 425 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, Hitachi Energy has one of the broadest collaboration networks among Swedish industrial companies in H2020. Their partnerships span all of Europe with no single geographic concentration, reflecting their multinational operational footprint.

What sets them apart

Hitachi Energy brings something rare to consortia: a global-scale industrial company with actual production facilities willing to serve as demonstration and validation sites. Unlike universities or research institutes, they can test technologies under real factory and grid conditions. Their combination of power systems expertise with emerging digital manufacturing capabilities makes them an ideal end-user partner for projects that need to prove industrial viability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PROMOTION
  Their largest project (EUR 3.17M) advancing meshed HVDC offshore networks — directly tied to Europe's offshore wind energy strategy and their core business.
• SARAFun
  Their only coordinated project (EUR 1.05M), developing smart assembly robots with advanced functionalities — shows where they take technical leadership.
• GrapheneCore2
  Part of the EU's flagship graphene initiative across three phases, signaling a long-term strategic bet on advanced materials for energy and electronics applications.