PRECEYES BV

Their core work

PRECEYES BV is a Dutch medical robotics SME from Eindhoven that builds precision robotic systems for ophthalmic micro-surgery — robots that assist surgeons performing procedures on the human eye where human hand tremor is the limiting factor. Their first H2020 project (EurEyeCase) placed them directly in the application layer of European surgical robotics, contributing specialist industrial know-how to a clinical-use-case consortium. Their second project (STORM-BOTS) represents a deeper dive into the material science underpinning next-generation robots: soft actuators, responsive polymers, and additive manufacturing. Together, the two projects paint a company that started with a finished precision robot and is now investing in the fundamental building blocks — smart materials — that could define the next generation of surgical tools.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 period (2015–2018), PRECEYES was squarely in applied surgical robotics — contributing to a use-case consortium for robotic ophthalmologic surgery, with no recorded materials or manufacturing keywords. By their second project (2021–2025), the focus had shifted entirely toward the materials science of robotics: liquid crystal elastomers, responsive polymers, additive manufacturing, and soft actuators. This is a meaningful pivot — from deploying a finished robotic product in a clinical context to researching the programmable materials that could replace rigid mechanical components altogether. The trajectory suggests PRECEYES is preparing for a next-generation robotic platform, not merely refining the current one.

PRECEYES is moving upstream — from clinical robotic applications toward fundamental soft-materials research — which signals either a platform redesign or a deliberate capability-building phase ahead of a next product generation.

How they like to work

PRECEYES has exclusively been a consortium participant across both projects — never a coordinator — which is typical of a focused technology company that brings a specific industrial asset (a precision robotic platform) rather than managing multi-partner programmes. Their two projects span very different themes (surgical robotics and soft materials science), suggesting they join consortia selectively based on technology fit rather than staying in a fixed research community. With 16 unique partners across 9 countries from just 2 projects, they work in medium-to-large international consortia and bring a clear industrial perspective to otherwise research-heavy partnerships.

PRECEYES has built a surprisingly broad network for a two-project participant — 16 unique partners across 9 countries, spanning both ICT/digital and research-excellence pillars. Their geographic reach is fully European, with no indication of a particular country cluster.

What sets them apart

PRECEYES sits at an unusual intersection: they are a commercial-grade surgical robotics company that is actively investing in soft-materials research — a combination almost no pure research institute or pure medtech firm occupies simultaneously. For a consortium builder, they offer something rare: industrial validation capability (real surgical robot, real clinical context) paired with genuine openness to experimental material platforms. That makes them a credible bridge between academic materials research and eventual medical device application.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EurEyeCase
  This was PRECEYES's foundation EU project, placing their surgical robot at the centre of a European use-case programme for ophthalmic robotics — directly tied to their core commercial product.
• STORM-BOTS
  The largest-funded project for PRECEYES (EUR 265,620) and a significant thematic departure — an MSCA Innovative Training Network in soft materials and responsive polymers that signals a deliberate capability expansion beyond rigid surgical robotics.