MAN DIESEL & TURBO SCHWEIZ AG

Their core work

MAN Diesel & Turbo Schweiz AG is the Swiss subsidiary of MAN's industrial turbomachinery division, specializing in turbochargers, compressors, and high-performance rotating equipment. Based in Zurich, the company brings deep industrial engineering expertise in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics relevant to large-scale engines and turbines. In H2020, they engaged directly in applied research on riblet-based drag reduction surfaces for compressors and aircraft turbofan engines — technology that reduces turbulent skin friction and improves machine efficiency. Their participation reflects an industry player testing next-generation nano-functional surface coatings on real turbomachinery components.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only two projects and a narrow five-year window (2017–2022), a long-term evolution is hard to trace. Their earliest recorded involvement was in EASITrain, a superconductivity training network, where they appear as an industry partner with no attributed keywords — suggesting a peripheral or advisory role rather than a technical one. Their substantive technical engagement came through ReSiSTant, where all recorded keywords point firmly toward applied turbomachinery: riblets, drag reduction, CFD, and nano-functional coatings for compressors and turbofan engines. The shift is from passive industry participation in an emerging technology network to active funded research on a directly applicable surface engineering problem.

MDT-CH is moving toward applied nano-surface engineering for efficiency gains in rotating machinery — a direction well-aligned with decarbonization pressure on aviation and marine propulsion sectors.

How they like to work

MDT-CH has not led any H2020 project, always joining as a participant or third-party partner — consistent with a large industrial company that contributes application expertise and testing environments rather than driving research agendas. Their participation in consortia of up to 32 partners across 10 countries suggests comfort with large multinational projects where they occupy a clearly scoped industrial validation role. This pattern makes them a reliable but likely specialist contributor, not a project initiator.

MDT-CH has connected with 32 unique consortium partners across 10 countries through just two projects, indicating participation in well-networked, multi-partner consortia rather than small bilateral collaborations. Their geographic footprint is European, consistent with Swiss industry involvement in EU research programs.

What sets them apart

MDT-CH offers something rare in EU research consortia: a major industrial turbomachinery manufacturer willing to serve as an end-user validation partner for surface engineering and aerodynamic innovations. Companies that develop coatings, nano-materials, or drag-reduction technologies for rotating equipment have a credible industrial testbed in MDT-CH. Their Swiss base also makes them a useful bridge for non-EU technology partners entering European research networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReSiSTant
  Their only funded H2020 project, directly addressing the industrial problem of drag reduction on compressor and turbofan surfaces using nano-functional riblet coatings — a highly specific and commercially relevant application.
• EASITrain
  Participation in a superconductivity training network as an industry partner signals early-stage interest in superconducting drive or magnet technologies for future transport and propulsion systems.