SCANLAB

Their core work

SCANLAB develops and supplies advanced laser scanning systems — including polygon scanners and high-speed scan heads — designed for ultra-short pulse laser processing in industrial environments. In EU research consortia, they contribute precision scanning hardware and process expertise, enabling high-throughput laser structuring at scales relevant to mass manufacturing. Their two H2020 projects show a clear focus on pushing laser processing beyond laboratory speeds into real production lines — first in roll-to-roll formats, then in multiscale surface patterning for functional applications. They operate as a technology enabler: the company that makes other teams' laser processes fast enough and precise enough to work at industrial scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SCANLAB's first H2020 project (PoLaRoll, 2016) left no subject-level keywords in the data — the focus was implicitly on scanner hardware integration into a specific manufacturing process. By their second project (LAMPAS, 2019), a richer application vocabulary emerged: hierarchical surface patterns, surface functionalization, antibacterial properties, anti-fingerprint, decorative finishes. This signals a shift from pure process engineering toward outcomes-oriented surface science, where the laser system is no longer just a tool but a means to engineered material properties. The trajectory points toward collaborations where functional surface performance — not just processing speed — is the deliverable.

SCANLAB is moving from supplying laser scanning hardware into co-developing application-specific surface solutions, making them increasingly relevant to sectors like medical devices, consumer electronics, and advanced packaging where functional surfaces command premium value.

How they like to work

SCANLAB participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have not coordinated any H2020 project — which is consistent with their role as a specialized technology supplier that joins consortia led by research institutes or system integrators. With 12 unique partners across just 2 projects, their network is reasonably broad for a company of this profile, suggesting they are comfortable working in mid-sized consortia with diverse partners. This pattern indicates they are brought in for a specific capability (scan systems, laser processing know-how) rather than for project management or consortium leadership.

SCANLAB has collaborated with 12 unique partners across 5 countries through two projects, a solid network breadth for a two-project participant. Their geographic spread suggests European-level consortium experience, though the data is too limited to identify any dominant partner country or recurring collaborators.

What sets them apart

SCANLAB occupies a rare position as an industrial laser scanning hardware company that actively participates in applied EU research rather than simply selling equipment to project partners — this gives them direct insight into emerging processing requirements before they become commercial demands. Their combination of polygon scanner expertise (high-throughput, continuous processing) and ultrashort pulse capability addresses a genuine bottleneck in industrial laser adoption: making femtosecond and picosecond lasers fast enough for production lines. For consortium builders, they bring validated industrial hardware alongside research participation, which de-risks the scale-up step that many laser processing projects fail at.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LAMPAS
  The largest of SCANLAB's two projects (EUR 600,003) targets a technically ambitious combination — multiscale periodic surface patterns with simultaneous antibacterial, anti-fingerprint, and decorative properties — positioning SCANLAB at the frontier of functional surface engineering with clear commercial application paths.
• PoLaRoll
  PoLaRoll represents SCANLAB's earliest EU research involvement, tackling the industrially significant challenge of integrating polygon scanners into roll-to-roll manufacturing — a continuous-format process used in films, foils, and flexible electronics where laser precision at web speed is extremely difficult to achieve.