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Their core work

UFP is a Spanish SME specializing in thermal energy storage and solar heating technologies for residential and small commercial buildings. They contribute engineering expertise in sorption-based heating systems, adsorption cooling, and waste heat recovery across European research consortia. Their work spans the full thermal comfort chain — from solar-driven space heating and hot water to cold storage and refrigeration — with a practical focus on compact, building-integrated solutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

UFP's early work (2015–2018) centered on broad thermal energy storage fundamentals and solar thermal upgrades for buildings, including PhD training networks and micro-scale solar heat-and-power systems. From 2018 onward, their focus sharpened toward advanced sorption materials — specifically selective-water-sorbent seasonal storage and compact solar heating units. Most recently (2021+), they pivoted into the cooling side of the thermal equation, working on adsorption-driven refrigeration and cold thermal energy storage powered by waste heat.

UFP is expanding from heating-only thermal storage toward thermally driven cooling and refrigeration — positioning them well for growing demand in sustainable cooling across Southern Europe.

How they like to work

UFP operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never as coordinator, which is typical for a specialized SME contributing focused technical expertise to larger teams. With 56 unique partners across 23 countries from just 4 projects, they consistently join broad, international consortia rather than small partnerships. This suggests they are comfortable working in complex multi-partner environments and are well-connected despite their small size.

Despite only 4 projects, UFP has built a surprisingly wide network of 56 partners across 23 countries, indicating participation in large European consortia. Their reach spans well beyond Iberia, covering a significant share of EU member states.

What sets them apart

UFP brings a rare combination of heating and cooling thermal storage expertise within a single SME — most organizations specialize in one or the other. Based in Spain's Lleida province (a region with strong solar research ties through the University of Lleida), they offer practical, building-scale thermal engineering that bridges academic research and real-world product development. For consortium builders, they fill the SME slot with genuine technical depth in sorption systems, not just administrative participation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SWS-HEATING
  Largest funding (EUR 196,875) and longest duration — developing a validated selective-water-sorbent seasonal storage heating system, representing UFP's core technical identity.
• CO-COOL
  Most recent project (2021-2026) marking UFP's strategic expansion into cooling technologies and waste heat recovery, signaling their future direction.
• INPATH-TES
  PhD training network that anchored UFP in the European thermal energy storage research community early on, building their academic network.