MR COILS BV

Their core work

MR Coils BV is a Dutch SME specializing in the design and manufacture of radiofrequency (RF) coils and antenna systems for MRI scanners, particularly for ultra-high field applications. Their hardware enables advanced magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy research, serving as a critical technology supplier to academic medical centers and research institutions. They contribute specialized MRI coil engineering to European research consortia focused on metabolic imaging, non-invasive chemistry mapping, and multimodal diagnostic techniques.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

MR Coils BV entered H2020 in 2017 with a strong hardware focus on metamaterial antennas for ultra-high field MRI (M-CUBE) and then expanded into enabling non-invasive chemistry imaging and metabolomics applications (NICI). By 2019, their projects shifted toward multimodal imaging integration — combining MR spectroscopy with PET and incorporating machine learning for signal processing (INSPiRE-MED, BodyDMI). The trajectory shows a move from pure MRI coil hardware toward enabling increasingly sophisticated diagnostic imaging pipelines.

MR Coils is moving from standalone MRI coil manufacturing toward integrated hardware solutions that support spectroscopy, metabolic imaging, and AI-assisted diagnostics — positioning them for the next generation of clinical imaging research.

How they like to work

MR Coils consistently participates as a specialized partner rather than leading consortia, which is typical for a technology SME providing critical hardware components to research-driven projects. With 40 unique partners across 13 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia — indicating they are a trusted equipment supplier that multiple research groups want in their team. Their role is that of an enabling technology provider: they don't set the research agenda but make ambitious imaging research physically possible.

Despite only 4 projects, MR Coils has built a broad network of 40 partners across 13 countries, reflecting their participation in large research consortia typical of FET and MSCA training networks. Their network is heavily oriented toward European academic medical centers and MRI research groups.

What sets them apart

MR Coils occupies a rare niche as a specialized SME manufacturing custom RF coils for advanced MRI research — a field dominated by large medical device companies (Siemens, Philips, GE) that focus on clinical products rather than research-grade experimental hardware. Their small size allows them to develop bespoke coil designs for ultra-high field and experimental imaging protocols that major manufacturers won't produce. For any consortium needing custom MRI receive/transmit hardware for non-standard imaging research, MR Coils is one of very few European SMEs with this specific capability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• M-CUBE
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 233K), focused on metamaterials antenna design for ultra-high field MRI — directly aligned with their core product offering.
• NICI
  Non-Invasive Chemistry Imaging of the whole human body — an ambitious project combining MRI with metabolomics and 3D organoid research for gastrointestinal cancer detection.
• INSPiRE-MED
  A training network integrating MR spectroscopy with PET and machine learning, signaling MR Coils' expansion into multimodal and AI-enhanced imaging.