LUXBRIGHT AB

Their core work

Luxbright AB is a Swedish deep-tech SME specializing in the development of cold cathode x-ray tube technology based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials. Their core product is a new generation of x-ray sources that replaces conventional hot cathode tubes with nanostructured field-emission cathodes, enabling smaller, lower-power, and more controllable x-ray devices. Their primary target market is security screening — airport baggage scanners, cargo inspection, and border control systems — where compact and reliable x-ray sources are in high demand. They operate as an inventor-led technology company, moving their own IP from feasibility through full product development rather than performing contract research for others.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Luxbright's H2020 trajectory follows a textbook deep-tech SME arc: a short Phase 1 feasibility study in 2015 (Nano-xfield-1000, €50K) validated the ZnO cold cathode concept, and by 2016 they secured a full Phase 2 development grant (ColdNano-X, €1.9M) to bring the product to market. The security screening application became explicitly central in the second project, suggesting the team sharpened their go-to-market focus during the feasibility phase. Since their H2020 activity ends in 2019, the picture post-2020 is not available from this data, but the Phase 2 completion points toward commercialization efforts rather than further basic research.

Luxbright was moving from proof-of-concept toward a commercial x-ray product for security screening by 2019; any future collaboration would likely involve integration testing, OEM partnerships, or application expansion into medical or industrial imaging.

How they like to work

Luxbright has acted exclusively as project coordinator in both H2020 grants, and the data shows zero registered consortium partners — consistent with solo SME Instrument projects where a single company drives the full scope. This indicates they are a self-contained technology developer rather than a consortium builder; they own their IP and manage execution independently. Working with them would mean licensing, co-development, or supply agreements rather than typical multi-partner research collaboration.

Based on available H2020 data, Luxbright operated without registered consortium partners in either project, suggesting a highly focused, solo innovation model. No cross-country collaboration is recorded, placing them as a nationally self-reliant technology developer rather than a networked European research actor.

What sets them apart

Luxbright occupies a narrow but defensible niche: they are building a physical x-ray tube product from proprietary ZnO nanostructure technology, not a software layer or systems integration play. Very few SMEs in Europe operate at this level of x-ray source hardware development, and their combination of nanomaterial science with security-market product engineering is a rare pairing. For a consortium or industry partner seeking a specialized x-ray source component for a scanning, inspection, or imaging system, Luxbright offers deep technology ownership rather than off-the-shelf sourcing.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ColdNano-X
  The flagship project — €1.9M SME Instrument Phase 2 grant to develop a full ZnO cold cathode x-ray tube for the security screening market, representing a rare case of EU funding for proprietary x-ray hardware from a Swedish deep-tech startup.
• Nano-xfield-1000
  The Phase 1 feasibility study that validated the core concept and unlocked the much larger Phase 2 grant, demonstrating a disciplined technology de-risking approach.