Manz Italy Srl

Their core work

Manz Italy is the Italian subsidiary of Manz AG, a German industrial automation group specializing in high-precision manufacturing equipment. Their H2020 work positions them as a production technology partner in battery manufacturing consortia — contributing know-how in scalable, industrial-grade processes for lithium-ion cells rather than fundamental chemistry research. In both EU projects they participated as an industrial partner, bringing factory-floor expertise to research teams developing next-generation battery technologies for electric vehicles. Their role bridges the gap between laboratory-stage battery science and commercially viable production lines.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first project (IMAGE, 2017–2021) addressed generic next-generation battery manufacturing routes in Europe, with no recorded keyword specificity — suggesting a broad industrial process role at that stage. By their second project (3beLiEVe, 2020–2023), the focus sharpened considerably: LNMO cathode chemistry, generation 3b Li-ion cells, sensors, BMS, and explicit targeting of the xEV (electric vehicle) market. The direction is clear: from general advanced manufacturing to application-specific battery production for electric mobility.

Manz Italy is moving toward deeper specialization in EV battery supply chains — particularly LNMO-based high-voltage cells — making them a relevant partner for consortia targeting post-2025 electric vehicle battery production at industrial scale.

How they like to work

Manz Italy has exclusively joined projects as a participant, never as coordinator — consistent with the role of an industrial equipment supplier that contributes specific manufacturing capacity rather than driving research agendas. Their consortia were large (up to 30 partners across 11 countries), typical of ambitious RIA projects where they serve as one of several industrial actors validating at scale. This suggests they work best in multi-partner settings where a research institution or larger coordinator sets direction and Manz provides production-side validation.

Manz Italy has accumulated 30 unique consortium partners across 11 countries through just two projects — an unusually broad network for a two-project participant, reflecting the large international consortia typical of EU battery research programs. Their Italian base combined with German parent-company ties gives them cross-border industrial reach within Europe.

What sets them apart

As part of Manz AG — a publicly listed automation group with dedicated battery manufacturing product lines — Manz Italy brings genuine industrial production credibility that most research-oriented H2020 participants cannot match. Where university partners contribute cell chemistry knowledge, Manz contributes the manufacturing engineering needed to actually build these cells at scale. For consortia targeting TRL 6–8 validation, that combination of group-level equipment expertise and Italian regional presence is a practical asset.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 3beLiEVe
  The largest of their two projects (EUR 626,562 received), targeting commercial-grade LNMO Li-ion cells for the 2025+ EV market — a high-stakes, application-driven challenge that required industrial manufacturing partners like Manz to validate cell production at relevant scale.
• IMAGE
  Their entry into EU battery research (2017), focused on next-generation manufacturing routes across Europe — establishing the industrial process foundation that their later LNMO work built upon.