MAZARO NV

Their core work

Mazaro is a Belgian technology SME that develops innovative mechanical transmission systems for road transport vehicles. Their flagship technology, the Reversible Variable Transmission (RVT), is a proprietary drivetrain concept designed to deliver significant fuel savings, CO2 reductions, and cost improvements compared to conventional gearboxes. They progressed from a feasibility-stage concept in 2015 to a full commercial development program by 2017, targeting measurable efficiency gains in both combustion and electric/hybrid powertrains. Their work sits at the intersection of precision mechanical engineering and transport decarbonization.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Mazaro's trajectory is a textbook SME Instrument scaling story: in 2015 they used Phase 1 funding to validate the Reversible Variable Transmission concept at a high level, focusing on technical and market feasibility. By 2017 they secured Phase 2 funding at over 40 times the initial amount, shifting from concept validation to full product development and market preparation. The TRUFUS project also broadened the technology's value proposition from pure combustion-engine efficiency to include electric drivetrains, reflecting the industry's pivot toward electrification during that period.

Mazaro appears to be on a commercialization trajectory with a mature proprietary technology — a potential licensing or supply-chain partner for vehicle manufacturers or Tier-1 suppliers rather than a research collaborator seeking further R&D grants.

How they like to work

Mazaro has acted exclusively as coordinator across both H2020 projects and shows no recorded consortium partners, which is consistent with the SME Instrument funding model where grants are awarded to individual companies rather than multi-partner consortia. This suggests they operate as a self-contained technology developer rather than a network-building research partner. A collaborator should expect to engage with them as a technology provider or licensing candidate, not as a co-investigator.

Available data shows no recorded consortium partners across either project, which reflects the solo-company structure of SME Instrument grants rather than an absence of industry connections. Their geographic footprint in H2020 is limited to Belgium, though their transport market ambitions imply European commercial reach.

What sets them apart

Mazaro is one of the very few SMEs in Belgium that developed a proprietary variable transmission architecture from scratch and successfully secured both phases of the EU SME Instrument for it — a highly competitive program with a low success rate. Their RVT technology is not an incremental improvement on existing gearboxes but a structurally different mechanical concept, which differentiates them from suppliers competing on manufacturing cost alone. For a vehicle OEM or drivetrain integrator, they represent access to a protected, EU-validated transmission technology with quantified efficiency claims.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRUFUS
  The largest project by far at €2.08M, representing a full commercial development push for the RVT technology targeting both fuel and electricity savings — the core of Mazaro's commercial proposition.
• RVT
  The Phase 1 feasibility grant that launched Mazaro's EU funding journey, notable as the origin point of a technology concept that went on to attract over €2M in follow-on EU support.