ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

Their core work

ZF Friedrichshafen is one of Europe's largest Tier 1 automotive suppliers, specializing in driveline and chassis technology, active safety systems, and vehicle electronics. In H2020 projects, they contribute deep automotive engineering expertise — from hybrid and electric powertrain development to automated driving architectures, truck platooning, and AI-powered safety systems. They also bring manufacturing know-how to circular economy efforts, particularly in rare earth magnet recovery and reuse for electric vehicle motors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ZF's early H2020 involvement (2015–2018) centered on traditional automotive strengths: hybrid powertrain competitiveness (ECOCHAMPS), automated driving hardware architectures (AutoDrive), and early AI platform development (Bonseyes). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward connected and cooperative mobility, trustworthy AI for vehicles, proactive road safety, and — notably — circular economy concerns like rare earth magnet recycling for EV motors. This trajectory mirrors the broader automotive industry pivot from combustion-era engineering toward electrification, software-defined vehicles, and sustainability.

ZF is moving from hardware-centric vehicle engineering toward software, AI, and sustainability — expect future interest in trustworthy automotive AI, circular supply chains for EV components, and cooperative mobility platforms.

How they like to work

ZF exclusively participates as a partner or third party — never as coordinator — which is typical for large industrial companies that contribute domain expertise and real-world testing capacity rather than managing research consortia. With 382 unique partners across 31 countries, they operate as a hub organization embedded in very large consortia (many of these are ECSEL/IPCEI-scale projects with dozens of partners). This makes them an accessible partner: they are used to working within complex multi-partner structures and bring industrial validation capability.

ZF has collaborated with 382 distinct organizations across 31 countries, giving them one of the broadest partner networks among automotive Tier 1 suppliers in H2020. Their consortia are heavily European with strong ties to Germany, France, Netherlands, and the Nordic countries through automotive and electronics partnerships.

What sets them apart

ZF brings something rare to EU research consortia: they are a global automotive Tier 1 supplier with direct manufacturing scale and vehicle integration capability, meaning research results can be validated in production-relevant environments. Unlike pure research partners, ZF can test automated driving algorithms in real vehicle platforms, trial recycled rare earth magnets in actual EV motors, and deploy AI components in series-production electronic architectures. For any consortium needing an industrial end-user who can demonstrate real-world applicability, ZF is a strong candidate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENSEMBLE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 700K) — multi-brand truck platooning across Europe, addressing one of the most commercially promising near-term applications of automated driving.
• SUSMAGPRO
  Represents ZF's entry into circular economy and critical raw materials — unusual for an automotive supplier and signals strategic concern about EV supply chain resilience.
• TAILOR
  A flagship ICT-48 network of excellence for trustworthy AI foundations — ZF's involvement signals serious commitment to AI beyond just automotive applications.