RISE ACREO AB

Their core work

RISE Acreo is a Swedish applied research institute specializing in electronics, photonics, and sensor technologies, operating as part of the RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) group. They develop advanced materials and devices — from piezoelectric energy harvesters and fibre optic sensors to organic biosensors and printed electronics — bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial application. They also run innovation support services for SMEs through the Enterprise Europe Network, helping companies adopt new technologies. Their work spans hardware development (MEMS, nanoelectronics, optical systems) and IoT-related system integration for sectors like energy, agriculture, and healthcare.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2016), RISE Acreo balanced two distinct activities: hardware-focused research in MEMS energy harvesting, optical communications, and advanced materials alongside SME innovation management services through the Enterprise Europe Network. From 2017 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward sensing and biosensing — fibre optic sensor systems, organic electronic biosensors, nanocellulose-based platforms, and printed electronics — while also engaging more with applied domains like smart energy, clean production, and precision farming. The innovation management work continued but became a smaller share of their portfolio as the deep-tech sensor work grew.

RISE Acreo is converging toward bio-electronic sensing platforms built on organic and printed electronics — a strong fit for future health, environmental monitoring, and food safety collaborations.

How they like to work

RISE Acreo has participated exclusively as a consortium partner across all 16 projects, never as coordinator — suggesting they position themselves as a specialist contributor bringing specific technical capabilities rather than driving project management. With 218 unique partners across 26 countries, they have an exceptionally broad network for their project count, indicating they join diverse consortia rather than working with repeated partner clusters. This makes them easy to integrate into new consortia as a reliable technical partner without competing for the coordination role.

With 218 unique consortium partners across 26 countries from just 16 projects, RISE Acreo has one of the broadest per-project partner networks, reflecting their participation in large, pan-European consortia. Their connections span nearly all EU member states, with no narrow geographic bias.

What sets them apart

RISE Acreo combines deep hardware capabilities in photonics, MEMS, and organic electronics with hands-on experience in SME innovation support — a rare dual profile that lets them both develop advanced sensor technologies and help companies adopt them. As part of the RISE group (Sweden's national research institute network), they offer access to shared infrastructure and testing facilities that independent labs cannot match. Their move into bio-electronic sensing on flexible and printed substrates positions them at the intersection of electronics manufacturing and life sciences — valuable for consortia that need a partner who can fabricate prototype sensor devices.

Highlights from their portfolio

• smart-MEMPHIS
  Their largest project (EUR 618K) developing piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesters with integrated supercapacitors — core to their advanced electronics identity.
• BORGES
  Represents their strategic shift into organic electronics for biosensing, combining flexible/wearable electronics with immunosensor development — their most forward-looking research line.
• FINESSE
  Fibre optic distributed sensing systems — demonstrates their photonics depth and connects their optical expertise to industrial monitoring applications.