II-VI GMBH

Their core work

II-VI GmbH is the German subsidiary of a major compound semiconductor and engineered materials company. Their H2020 work centers on two distinct but complementary materials domains: advanced silicon carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturing at industrial scale, and the recovery of critical raw materials — particularly scandium — from European metallurgical waste streams. In the REACTION project they contributed to establishing the first European 8-inch SiC pilot line, positioning themselves as a key industrial player in the power electronics supply chain. In SCALE they applied materials processing expertise to extract scandium compounds and aluminum-scandium alloys from bauxite residue and TiO2 acid waste, linking industrial by-product valorization to high-performance alloy production.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Between 2016 and 2018, II-VI GmbH's H2020 engagement began in the environmental and critical materials space — specifically scandium recovery from industrial waste, rare earth elements, and aluminum alloy production. By 2018 their focus shifted sharply toward compound semiconductor manufacturing, with participation in a flagship European SiC wafer pilot line project targeting digital and power electronics supply chain sovereignty. The trajectory moves from upstream materials recovery toward downstream precision semiconductor substrate manufacturing, suggesting the company's strategic priority is industrial-scale compound semiconductor production rather than waste valorization.

II-VI GmbH appears to be consolidating around compound semiconductor substrate manufacturing — particularly SiC — which positions them as a strategic partner for European power electronics, EV drivetrain, and wide-bandgap semiconductor supply chain projects.

How they like to work

II-VI GmbH has participated exclusively as a consortium partner across both projects, never taking on a coordination role. Despite this, they operate within large, geographically diverse consortia — 54 unique partners across 21 countries from just 2 projects suggests they are consistently embedded in broad multi-stakeholder industrial pilot programs. This profile is typical of large industrial companies that contribute specialized manufacturing infrastructure or process know-how rather than leading project management.

With 54 unique partners across 21 countries drawn from only two projects, II-VI GmbH has unusually wide European network exposure relative to their project volume. Their collaborations span both the environmental recovery sector and the semiconductor manufacturing sector, suggesting cross-industry network reach.

What sets them apart

II-VI GmbH is one of very few private industrial companies in Germany with documented H2020 experience spanning both critical raw material recovery and compound semiconductor substrate manufacturing — two areas that rarely overlap in a single organization's portfolio. Their involvement in the first European 8-inch SiC pilot line is a strong differentiator: large-diameter SiC wafer capability is scarce in Europe and strategically significant for the power electronics and EV sectors. Consortia building European semiconductor supply chains or seeking industrial-grade compound substrate expertise have few comparable German private sector partners to draw from.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REACTION
  The largest-funded project (EUR 1.3M to II-VI GmbH) and the only European 8-inch SiC wafer pilot line initiative — a strategically critical capability for power electronics and EV supply chain independence.
• SCALE
  An unusually cross-sectoral project linking environmental waste valorization (bauxite residue, TiO2 acid waste) to high-performance scandium-aluminum alloy production, demonstrating II-VI's materials versatility beyond semiconductors.