Materia Nova
Belgian non-profit research and technology transfer center specializing in advanced materials, sustainable chemistry, and surface engineering, serving industrial clients including Airbus, Safran, and Thales Alenia Space through applied research and scale-up services.
- CEO / Founder
- Luc Langer
- Team Size
- 51-200
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- $542K
- Latest Round
- Grant
- Key Investors
- European Union (Horizon Europe)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Customized R&D and product development (materials, coatings, surface treatments); Technology transfer and scale-up support; Industrial process characterization and analysis; Life cycle assessment and circular economy consulting; Training and skills acquisition; Operational subsidiaries IONICS (surface treatment) and ESIX (sol-gels)
Technological Advantage
Deep expertise in sustainable chemistry, surface treatment (IONICS subsidiary), and sol-gel technologies (ESIX subsidiary); access to advanced characterization equipment; affiliation with University of Mons providing academic depth; Greendeal membership for sustainability-focused industrial projects; presence in both Belgium and Germany (Esslingen)
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Bridges the gap between fundamental materials research and industrial production through customized R&D services, scale-up support, and technology transfer — enabling companies to develop and validate new advanced materials including AM-compatible formulations without building in-house research infrastructure.
How They Differentiate
Non-profit structure eliminates IP conflicts with industrial partners, enabling confidential bespoke R&D not possible with commercial labs; operational subsidiaries IONICS and ESIX allow pilot-scale production validation under real industrial conditions; Walloon Region backing provides stable long-term funding stability not available to commercial competitors
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Industrial companies in aerospace, energy, automotive, and advanced manufacturing seeking to develop new materials or surface technologies; companies needing pre-industrial validation before committing to full production scale
Industry Verticals
Aerospace & Defense; Energy & Decarbonization; Automotive; Electronics; Advanced Manufacturing; Circular Economy
Competitors
CRM Group (Belgium materials research); CEA (France); Fraunhofer institutes (Germany); Sirris (Belgian technology center)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Participated in Change Now trade fair in Paris in March 2026 and launched the first European hub on micro- and nanoplastics with UMONS in March 2026.
Major Milestones
Founded 2010 in Mons, Belgium; established IONICS (surface treatment) and ESIX (sol-gel) as operational subsidiaries; expanded to Esslingen Germany; joined Greendeal network; built client base of 25+ industrial companies including major aerospace players (Airbus, Safran, Thales); multiple Horizon Europe and Interreg projects
Notable Customers
Airbus; Safran; AGC; Thales Alenia Space; SABIC; Nexans; EDF; 25+ industrial clients