PRIMA INDUSTRIE SPA

Their core work

Prima Industrie is a major Italian manufacturer of industrial laser systems and sheet metal processing machinery, headquartered near Turin. They develop advanced laser-based manufacturing equipment including additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) machines using processes like Selective Laser Melting, Directed Energy Deposition, and Electron Beam Melting. In H2020, they contributed production-grade laser and additive manufacturing expertise to projects spanning aerospace components, zero-defect manufacturing, and digital factory platforms. Their role is typically that of an equipment manufacturer bringing real industrial hardware and process know-how into research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2017), Prima Industrie focused on core additive manufacturing hardware — building flexible machines combining additive and subtractive processes (BOREALIS, Symbionica) and applying metal powder techniques (SLM, EBM, DLD) to aerospace components like tiltrotor housings (AMATHO). From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward digitalization and data-driven manufacturing: cybersecured pipelines for certified metal parts (INTEGRADDE), ultra-short pulse laser surface functionalization (PROMETHEUS), zero-defect digital platforms (QU4LITY), and blockchain-enabled distributed manufacturing (AVANGARD). The trajectory shows a company moving from "we build the machine" to "we build the intelligent, connected manufacturing system."

Prima Industrie is evolving from a laser machine builder into a provider of digitally integrated, data-driven manufacturing systems — expect future work at the intersection of additive manufacturing, AI-based quality control, and distributed production.

How they like to work

Prima Industrie balances leadership and participation well: they coordinated 3 of 12 projects (including their two largest by funding), showing they can lead consortia when the topic aligns with their core product development. With 209 unique partners across 22 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub rather than a closed-circle collaborator. Their participation pattern suggests they join projects as the industrial equipment provider who grounds research in production-ready hardware.

Extensive European network spanning 209 unique consortium partners across 22 countries, reflecting their position as a major equipment manufacturer that collaborates with research institutions, software developers, and end-user industries across multiple sectors. Their Italian base near Turin places them in one of Europe's strongest manufacturing and aerospace clusters.

What sets them apart

Prima Industrie brings something rare to consortia: they are not a research lab theorizing about manufacturing — they are an OEM that actually builds and sells industrial laser and additive manufacturing machines at scale. This means project results can move from prototype to commercial product through their existing production and distribution channels. For consortium builders, partnering with them provides a credible path to market for manufacturing innovations, particularly in metal additive processes and laser-based surface treatment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AVANGARD
  Their largest funded project (EUR 1.9M, coordinator role) combining robotized integration with blockchain for distributed manufacturing — signals their strategic direction.
• BOREALIS
  Coordinated development of a flexible machine combining additive and subtractive manufacturing in a single platform — core to their product line evolution.
• INTEGRADDE
  End-to-end intelligent pipeline from design to certified metal parts via Directed Energy Deposition — bridging their hardware expertise with data-driven quality assurance.