ZAAK TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

Their core work

ZAAK Technologies is a Berlin-based SME specializing in the valorization of industrial solid waste — turning byproducts from power generation, mining, and metal production into usable construction materials and recovered valuable elements. Their work sits at the intersection of circular economy engineering and industrial chemistry: they develop processes to transform materials like fly ash, bauxite residue (red mud), and spent pot lining into engineered sand, aggregates, or secondary raw materials. They have demonstrated capacity both to lead their own product development (as a coordinator under the SME Instrument) and to contribute technical expertise within large multi-partner research consortia. Their commercial focus means they are oriented toward market application, not just lab-scale research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ZAAK's earliest H2020 project (SMARTSAND, from 2016) focused on a single, commercially mature waste stream — coal fly ash — and was pursued independently under the SME Instrument, suggesting a product they were ready to take to market. By 2018, they joined the larger RemovAL consortium and shifted toward more chemically complex waste streams: bauxite residue, spent pot lining, and the recovery of critical metals like gallium and rare earth elements. This progression indicates a deliberate move from simpler construction-material applications toward higher-value secondary raw material recovery and more technically demanding industrial symbiosis challenges. The trajectory points toward the critical raw materials space, which is increasingly central to EU industrial policy.

ZAAK appears to be moving from single-waste construction material solutions toward multi-stream critical raw material recovery — a direction strongly aligned with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and the 2030 industrial strategy.

How they like to work

ZAAK has both led a project and participated as a partner, which is unusual for an SME of this size and signals genuine dual capability. As coordinator of SMARTSAND they managed their own commercial development agenda; as a participant in RemovAL they joined a 28-partner consortium, suggesting they can operate effectively within large, multi-institutional projects without needing to drive them. This flexibility — small-company independence combined with large-consortium experience — makes them a practical partner for consortium builders who need an SME voice with real technical depth.

ZAAK has built connections with 28 unique partners across 12 countries through just two projects, indicating they were embedded in substantive, broad European consortia rather than small bilateral arrangements. Their network spans both innovation-focused SME channels and large environmental research consortia, giving them exposure to industrial, academic, and policy-adjacent partners.

What sets them apart

ZAAK occupies a rare niche: an SME that works specifically on the hardest-to-treat industrial solid wastes — the ones other companies avoid because they are toxic, voluminous, or low-margin. Their combination of SME Instrument success (market validation) and participation in a major IA project (technical depth) gives them credibility with both investors and research partners. For a consortium needing a commercially-minded SME that understands both waste chemistry and the construction materials market, ZAAK is a well-positioned fit.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMARTSAND
  Coordinator role under the competitive SME Instrument Phase 2 — awarded only to SMEs with proven market traction — focused on converting coal fly ash into lightweight engineered sand, demonstrating both commercial readiness and independent project management.
• RemovAL
  Largest project by EC funding (€1,062,600) and the broadest technically, targeting simultaneous recovery of gallium, rare earth elements, iron-silicon alloys, and construction materials from aluminium industry waste in a 28-partner pan-European consortium.