SILIXA LTD

Their core work

Silixa is a UK-based SME specializing in distributed fiber optic sensing technology for subsurface and environmental monitoring. They provide advanced sensor systems — including distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and distributed temperature sensing (DTS) — that enable real-time, high-resolution monitoring of underground processes such as CO2 storage, groundwater dynamics, and geological characterization. In H2020 projects, they serve as the technology provider bringing commercial sensing hardware and expertise to research consortia studying subsurface environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Silixa's early H2020 involvement (2015-2016) centered on CO2 geological storage monitoring and subsurface field experiments, reflecting demand for their sensing technology in energy and climate applications. Their later projects (2016-2017) shifted toward high-frequency environmental sensor networks and broader subsurface imaging, suggesting a move from single-application deployments toward general-purpose environmental monitoring platforms. The thread connecting all work is distributed sensing in challenging underground and water environments — the applications broadened while the core technology remained consistent.

Silixa is expanding from energy-sector subsurface monitoring toward broader environmental and hydrological sensing applications, making them relevant to a wider range of earth science and climate projects.

How they like to work

Silixa never coordinates — they join as a participant or third-party contributor, consistently playing a specialist technology provider role. Despite being a small company, they have connected with 78 unique partners across 26 countries, indicating they are widely sought after for their niche sensing capabilities. Their participation in MSCA training networks (HypoTRAIN, ENIGMA) alongside research-intensive actions shows they are comfortable in both academic training environments and applied research consortia.

Remarkably broad network for an SME: 78 unique partners across 26 countries, largely through participation in large MSCA training networks and multi-partner research consortia. Their geographic reach spans most of Europe with no single dominant partner country.

What sets them apart

Silixa occupies a rare niche as a commercial SME that manufactures distributed fiber optic sensing systems and actively participates in EU research. Most sensing technology providers either sell equipment or do research — Silixa does both, embedding directly in consortia to deploy and test their technology in real field conditions. For consortium builders, they bring ready-to-deploy commercial sensing hardware plus deep knowledge of subsurface monitoring challenges, bridging the gap between laboratory research and field-scale deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENOS
  Largest funded project (EUR 198,619) focused on enabling CO2 storage in Europe — directly relevant to carbon capture and climate mitigation.
• HiFreq
  Deployed smart high-frequency environmental sensor networks for hydrological monitoring, showcasing Silixa's technology in a non-energy environmental application.