SuSoS AG

Their core work

SuSoS AG is a Swiss surface science SME whose core competency is engineering how materials behave at interfaces — controlling what sticks, what repels, and how surfaces interact with biological or physical environments. In nanomedicine, they design polymer-lipid coatings for nanoparticles that evade immune detection and target antigen-presenting cells for tumor therapy. In aeronautics, they apply the same surface physics logic to develop ice-repellent coatings that reduce ice adhesion and protect aircraft surfaces. Both applications share a single technical foundation: precise, functional surface design backed by materials science and thermodynamics.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only two projects running nearly simultaneously (2020–2024 and 2021–2025), this is less a temporal evolution and more a reveal of two distinct application domains built on a single underlying capability. The first project (DIRNANO) placed them squarely in nanomedicine — designing nanoparticle shells at the molecular scale to interact with biological immune systems. The second project (SURFICE) shifted the application domain to macroscopic engineering surfaces in aeronautics, targeting ice behaviour and adhesion physics. The consistent thread across both is surface and interface science: SuSoS applies the same material design logic at different scales and for different end markets.

SuSoS appears to be expanding its surface science expertise into aeronautics applications, suggesting they may seek future opportunities where functional coatings intersect with safety-critical transport or energy (e.g., wind turbine icing) rather than deepening purely in biomedical directions.

How they like to work

SuSoS has participated in both H2020 projects exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — which is consistent with an industrial SME contributing specialist technical expertise to research-led training consortia. Their participation in two MSCA Innovative Training Networks suggests they serve as industry hosts or applied-science partners for doctoral researchers, offering real-world experimental infrastructure and domain knowledge. With 21 unique partners across 11 countries from just two projects, they operate in large, internationally diverse networks rather than tight bilateral partnerships.

SuSoS has built connections with 21 distinct consortium partners across 11 countries through just two projects — a relatively broad reach for a two-project portfolio, reflecting the large multi-partner structure typical of MSCA-ITN networks. No geographic concentration is identifiable from the data, though their Swiss base places them naturally within Central European research clusters.

What sets them apart

SuSoS is unusual in being a small Swiss industrial company that contributes applied surface science expertise across two genuinely different domains — biomedical nanotechnology and aeronautical ice protection — within the same EU funding period. This cross-domain competency in functional coatings is rare at SME scale and makes them a valuable industrial anchor for consortia that need experimental surface characterization or coating development without engaging a large institute. For a consortium builder, they represent credible SME participation with real technical depth rather than nominal industry presence.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DIRNANO
  Tackles one of nanomedicine's hardest problems — immune evasion and precise immune targeting — making it scientifically ambitious and commercially relevant for cancer immunotherapy.
• SURFICE
  Addresses aircraft icing, a safety-critical aeronautics challenge with direct industrial application, demonstrating SuSoS's ability to operate in regulated, high-stakes engineering domains.