Czech manufacturer of Francis and Kaplan hydraulic turbines with deep expertise in computational design optimization and turbine structural integrity.
MAVEL AS is a Czech manufacturer of hydraulic turbines and fluid energy machinery, with core products including Francis turbines, Kaplan turbines, and twin screw machines used in small hydropower and industrial applications. In their H2020 participation, they brought industrial manufacturing expertise into research consortia working on computational design and structural analysis of fluid machinery — serving as the real-world industrial anchor in otherwise academic teams. Their value to research projects is grounded in the fact that they actually build and sell the machines being studied: they can validate simulations against real manufacturing constraints and operational performance. This makes them a rare bridge between advanced computational methods and deployable turbomachinery products.
Both MOTOR and EXPERTISE directly address turbine design and performance — Francis and Kaplan turbines appear explicitly in MOTOR keywords, and EXPERTISE targets turbine mechanical integrity, both core to MAVEL's product line.
MOTOR (2015-2018) focused specifically on automated multi-objective design optimization of fluid energy machines using isogeometric analysis and CAD/CAE tools.
EXPERTISE (2017-2021) addressed turbine mechanical integrity and structural dynamics using high-performance computing and physical experiments.
Twin screw machines appear in MOTOR keywords alongside turbines, indicating MAVEL's expertise extends to rotary positive-displacement fluid machinery beyond hydraulic turbines.
MOTOR explicitly lists CAD, CAE, and visualization as keyword areas, suggesting MAVEL engages with advanced digital design toolchains, not only physical manufacturing.
MAVEL's two projects span 2015 to 2021 and reflect a coherent but evolving technical trajectory. Their first project (MOTOR, 2015-2018) was squarely focused on the design phase — automated optimization, isogeometric analysis, and CAD/CAE visualization across a wide range of fluid machines including aircraft engines, ship propellers, and hydraulic turbines. Their second project (EXPERTISE, 2017-2021) shifted the focus downstream: away from design generation and toward structural integrity, mechanical reliability, and high-performance simulation of turbines already in operation. This suggests a maturation from "how do we design better machines" toward "how do we ensure those machines don't fail" — a logical industrial progression from design optimization to lifecycle assurance.
MAVEL appears to be moving toward simulation-driven reliability and durability analysis for turbines, which positions them as a natural industrial partner for future projects in digital twin technology, structural health monitoring, or predictive maintenance for hydraulic and rotary machinery.
MAVEL has participated exclusively as a consortium partner — never as coordinator — across both projects, indicating they prefer contributing domain expertise rather than managing research programs. Despite this supporting role, they engaged with 21 distinct partners across 11 countries in just two projects, suggesting they are placed inside large, multi-partner European consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This profile points to an organization that is a reliable industrial reference partner: they provide access to real machines, real manufacturing knowledge, and real operational data, which research-heavy teams need to ground their work.
Through only two projects, MAVEL connected with 21 unique partners across 11 countries — an unusually broad network for such a limited project portfolio, reflecting the large consortium structures typical of MSCA-ITN and RIA funding schemes. Their network spans much of Europe, consistent with the international character of turbomachinery and hydropower research communities.
MAVEL occupies a niche that few Czech companies can fill: they are an actual producer of Francis and Kaplan hydraulic turbines and twin screw machines, not a simulation lab or research spinoff — which means their input to research consortia is grounded in real manufacturing tolerances, real operational environments, and real market constraints. For consortium builders in hydropower, turbomachinery, or fluid energy systems, MAVEL offers the industrial credibility that turns peer-reviewed results into products that can be sold and installed. Their non-SME status and multi-decade manufacturing history also suggest organizational stability — a lower-risk industrial partner than a startup or spinout.
