SPIKE RENEWABLES SRL

Their core work

SPIKE Renewables is a Florence-based SME specializing in thermal energy engineering — specifically heat exchangers, heat pipes, and thermal storage systems for industrial and geothermal applications. They design and develop components for waste heat recovery and geothermal power generation, including Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems and advanced heat exchange surfaces. Their work bridges materials science (surface engineering, molten salt handling) with practical thermal system integration, making them a hands-on technology provider rather than a pure research outfit.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SPIKE started in 2016 with industrial waste heat recovery, working on heat pipes, molten salt thermal storage, and heat exchangers for the aluminium sector (Smartrec). By 2019, their focus shifted decisively toward geothermal energy, with two concurrent projects (GeoSmart, GeoHex) exploring ORC systems, advanced surface treatments for boiling and condensation, and scaling mitigation. The move from industrial heat recovery to geothermal represents a strategic pivot toward renewable energy sources while building on the same core thermal engineering competencies.

SPIKE is moving from general thermal engineering toward specialized geothermal components, with growing expertise in surface science for heat transfer enhancement — positioning them for next-generation geothermal and ORC applications.

How they like to work

SPIKE operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating — consistent with a specialist SME that contributes focused technical components rather than managing large consortia. With 32 unique partners across 12 countries in just 3 projects, they work in sizeable European consortia and appear comfortable integrating into diverse international teams. Their role pattern suggests they are brought in for specific thermal engineering expertise rather than project leadership.

Despite only 3 projects, SPIKE has built a broad network of 32 partners across 12 countries, indicating they consistently join large, pan-European consortia. Their Italian base and energy focus likely connect them to Southern European geothermal and industrial partners.

What sets them apart

SPIKE occupies a niche at the intersection of thermal component engineering and renewable energy systems — they are not a research lab publishing papers, but an SME that designs and builds heat exchangers, thermal storage units, and ORC components. Their combination of surface engineering know-how with practical geothermal system experience is uncommon among Italian SMEs. For a consortium needing a partner who can take a heat transfer concept from design to hardware, SPIKE offers hands-on engineering capability with proven EU project experience.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GeoSmart
  Largest single funding (EUR 427,779) and focused on making geothermal power plants flexible and competitive — a commercially relevant challenge for the energy transition.
• GeoHex
  Combines materials science (surface engineering, surface chemistry) with thermal engineering for geothermal — shows SPIKE expanding into advanced manufacturing of heat exchange surfaces.