SELTA SPA

Their core work

SELTA SPA is an Italian engineering company specializing in protection, automation, and control systems for electricity distribution networks. Their H2020 work reveals a deep focus on the operational layer of smart grids — specifically how distribution grids detect faults, protect against islanding, and respond autonomously to disturbances. In SmartNet, they contributed to TSO-DSO coordination architectures and ICT solutions for ancillary services; in FLEXIGRID, they moved further into field-level automation, grid flexibility, and distribution protection. They are an industrial technology provider that brings deployable, field-ready solutions rather than academic research to consortium projects.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SELTA's early H2020 work (SmartNet, 2016–2019) was oriented toward system-level coordination — the interfaces between transmission and distribution operators, market mechanisms, and ICT architectures for flexibility. Their later project (FLEXIGRID, 2019–2023) shifted decisively toward field-level technical systems: protection relays, automation logic, fault location, and islanding control. This trajectory suggests a move from contributing to system design discussions toward providing the actual hardware and software that implements grid intelligence at the distribution level.

SELTA is moving deeper into operational distribution grid technology — protection, automation, and fault management — which positions them well for post-2020 smart grid deployment projects, especially those involving distribution network operators and flexibility aggregators.

How they like to work

SELTA participates exclusively as a consortium partner and has never taken a coordinating role across their two H2020 projects. They work within large, multi-country consortia (43 partners across 12 countries), which is consistent with industrial companies that contribute a specific technical component rather than driving the research agenda. This suggests they are reliable, focused partners who deliver on a defined technical work package rather than broad project leadership.

SELTA has built connections with 43 unique partners across 12 countries through just two projects, indicating they engage in large, diverse consortia typical of EU energy infrastructure research. Their Italian base and European project mix suggests a primarily pan-European industrial network.

What sets them apart

SELTA fills a relatively rare role in H2020 energy consortia: an industrial manufacturer with direct expertise in distribution grid protection and automation hardware, rather than a research institute or consultancy. This means they can translate research outcomes into deployable products and pilot demonstrations — a concrete asset for any consortium that needs to show real-world implementation. For businesses or DSOs looking for partners who understand both the standards and the physical systems, SELTA offers grounded, field-tested industrial knowledge.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SmartNet
  SELTA's largest H2020 project (EUR 777,766), addressing the critical coordination problem between transmission and distribution operators — a foundational challenge for Europe's energy transition.
• FLEXIGRID
  Demonstrates SELTA's pivot to hands-on distribution grid flexibility, covering automation, protection, and fault detection in a single project — a technically dense scope for an industrial participant.