Partners

The University of Manchester is the largest university by student enrolment number in the United Kingdom (~40.000 students). It is among world’s top 30 universities. Research is at the heart of the University; no fewer than 20 former staff and students have gone on to be Nobel laureates, and the university currently has 4 Nobel prize winners as members of the academic staff. The Department of Chemical Engineering is the largest of its kind by student numbers (about 1000 undergraduate and postgraduate students) and it has more than 50 faculty members. It has been confirmed as one of the research power houses in chemical engineering in the UK during the 2023 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The Department's Industrial Hub for Sustainable Engineering with its unique pilot plant is the home to an impressive range of world-class laboratories, dedicated computer suites and a pilot area containing a range of large-scale industrial processing equipment which allows upscaling technologies from laboratory to pre-commercial technology readiness levels. Role in the project: The University of Manchester is the Coordinator of COUPLED project. Also, it is among key contributors to the design and engineering of the pilot plant to be constructed within the project. It also leads the work on process component testing and process design engineering for case studies.

ZEFIRA B.V. is a European deep-tech company on a mission to transform CO₂ into fuels. We combine advanced membranes and plasma technologies to build the next generation of compact, efficient, and modular systems for CO₂ valorization. Our proprietary membranes enable high-performance separations and reactive processes for CO₂ capture and valorization into methanol, DME and sustainable aviation fuel. Plasma modules open new pathways for direct CO₂-to-CO conversion and dry reforming, creating unique synergies with membranes in integrated fuel production systems. By merging these technologies, ZEFIRA redefines what is possible: turning industrial emissions and biogenic residues into valuable fuels and chemicals, reducing energy intensity compared to conventional routes. Our solutions target the hardest-to-abate sectors, e.g. shipping, aviation, and heavy industry, where scalable, sustainable fuels are urgently needed. With roots in European research excellence and strong industrial partnerships, ZEFIRA is advancing technologies that will accelerate the circular carbon economy. Role in the project: CO2 separation unit design, the layout and selection of key components for the balance of plant. Membrane fabrication recipe development for multichannel carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSM). Basic membrane characterization to optimize the fabrication of the membranes. If CMSM is selected, membrane module manufacturing. Integration of a membrane module with the skid. Process design engineering for industrial case studies.

TECNALIA is the largest centre of applied research and technological development in Spain, a benchmark in Europe and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance. It collaborates with companies and institutions to improve their competitiveness, people's quality of life and achieve sustainable growth, thanks to a team of more than 1,500 people committed to building a better world through technological research and innovation. Its main scopes of action are: smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, health and food, urban ecosystem and circular economy. Its mission is to transform technological research into prosperity, and its vision is to anticipate the future as the leading agent of transformation in companies and society, adapting them to an ever faster evolving world. In the latest awareness and positioning study carried out by the European Research Survey ERS in 2022, TECNALIA occupies the first position in R+D+i brand awareness. Role in the project: Membrane fabrication recipe development for hollow fiber membranes for CO2 separation unit. Basic membrane characterization to optimize the fabrication of the membranes. If hollow fiber membrane is selected, membrane module manufacturing. Mechanical design and costing for industrial case studies.

Helical Enterprises specialises in designing and manufacturing advanced engineering solutions that drive innovation and sustainability for the global market. Today’s energy-intensive industries face mounting pressure to decarbonize and operate more efficiently, while emerging technologies often struggle to scale due to lack of infrastructure and expertise. We partner with start-ups, university spin-offs, and established industrial operators who share a vision for cleaner, smarter energy systems. For innovators, we provide the critical infrastructure to bridge the gap between laboratory concepts and market-ready technologies, accelerating their journey from TRL3 or TRL4 to TRL8. By providing pilot-scale demonstration skids, we help innovators prove their concepts, attract investment, and accelerate deployment. Role in the project: Helical Enterprises will handle the design and fabrication of the HE supplied COUPLED Pilot Plant. This would entail: skid based construction housing all equipment, tubing, electrics, controls system, MCC etc. to ease installation and limit integration works on site; delivery of the plant to site; installation of the HE supplied plant; commissioning of the HE supplied plant.

Johnson Matthey is a speciality chemicals company focused on its core skills in catalysis,  fine chemicals and process technology. The company employs around 2,000 people worldwide in over 30 countries; around 10% of those work in an R&D function. Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies's principal activities are the manufacture of  catalysts and technologies for chemical processes, fine chemicals, and chemical catalysts . More than half of Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies’s products have a direct environmental benefit, a figure that is set to increase as a key part of the company’s growth strategy is to focus on emerging environmental opportunities. JMDT provides a range of catalysts and process technologies for process catalysis. Role in the project: Process Component Continuous Development

1. Develop and validate process modelling for chemical looping processes
2. Synthesize, test and characterize 2nd generation Fe-based OC materials
3. Synthesize, test and optimize tandem Fe/zeolite catalyst

 

PNO INNOVATION, established in 1984, is a European group, made up of a pool of more than 500 professionals across 10 Member States. Every year, PNO supports more than 3.000 clients in their R&D processes, realizing original data-driven and expert-driven analysis and creating over 300 cutting-edge R&D projects – changing the world for the better. PNO INNOVATION has drafted and successfully executed dissemination and exploitation plans of a great number of European projects in various sectors. In this project, PNO INNOVATION is represented by the Italian branch, specialized in R&D Advisory, Innovation Management and funding procurement, providing consultancy services to private and public organizations. Role in the project: PNO INNOVATION Italia is the leader of Work Package 9, 11 and 12, to support market studies and the business replication potential of the project, ensuring the dissemination and communication of the COUPLED results, as well as the project social acceptance.

Snam is a leading European operator in natural gas infrastructure, focusing on three main business areas: transportation, where it ranks first with a network extending over 38,000 km in Italy and abroad; storage, with one-sixth of the entire capacity of the European Union; and regasification, where it is currently the third-largest European player, with an annual managed (or co-managed) capacity of 28 billion cubic meters. Snam ensures Italy's security of supply through its infrastructure system, enables energy integration between different sources, and promotes decarbonization projects that support competitiveness and development of businesses and communities. With over 80 years of experience in the construction and management of gas infrastructure, Snam is among the leading Italian listed companies by market capitalization, and is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, and Net Zero on all emissions - including indirect emissions of associates and suppliers - by 2050. Role in the project: In the project Snam is responsible for validating the COUPLED concept by providing key testing services, particularly through the demonstration of the technology at their biogas plant in Legnano, Italy. Snam will facilitate the site preparation, supply utilities, and oversee the installation and operation of the demonstration plant, which is designed to test the COUPLED process using biogas and CO₂ (BIO-COUPLED) as well as hydrogen and CO₂ (GREEN-COUPLED). Their involvement ensures that the technology is tested under real industrial conditions, supporting the transition from pilot to industrial demonstration. Additionally, Snam contributes to defining feedstock specifications, supports the techno-economic and sustainability assessments, and is actively involved in the exploitation and potential market deployment of the COUPLED technology.

FINOCAS focuses on society’s needs: energy, durability and environment. The unique ecosystem powered by FINOCAS Group subsidiaries allows to combine competences on topics such as renewable power generation, green mobility, lifetime prediction and extension, environmentally friendly coatings, and provide a multi-disciplinary service offer for a world in transition. Whereby materials’ selection is underpinned with performance testing. FINOCAS supports the transition towards a carbon neutral society by its CO2 competence centre. FINOCAS contributes to converting the ambition of the steel industry to reduce its CO2 footprint (following the 2030 and 2050 climate targets set by the EU) into reality.  This includes partnerships with technology providers and coupling projects to other industries and relevant players, including identifying and incorporating technically and economically feasible solutions. Role in the project: potential end-user of the technology within steel industry applications.

IMI plc is a leading British engineering company, headquartered in Birmingham and listed on the London Stock Exchange as part of the FTSE 100 Index. IMI specializes in advanced fluid and motion control technologies, serving industries such as automotive, aerospace, industrial, and commercial sectors. The company operates through two main divisions—Automation and Life Technology—and employs over 10,000 people in more than 50 countries, with products sold in over 100 countries worldwide. Remosa S.r.l. is an Italian manufacturer renowned for high-performance valves and control systems, particularly for the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process in oil refining. Founded in 1955 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Remosa became a wholly owned subsidiary of IMI plc in 2012. Role in the project: IMI Remosa will support the project by selecting commercial valves suitable for the specified process conditions and developing their thermal and mechanical engineering. Additionally, it will perform an economic assessment and define the costs associated with replacement, operation, and maintenance.

INNSIGHT Srl is an Italian engineering, R&D and consulting company based in Milan, specialising in sustainability assessment, advanced materials engineering and AI-based decision-support for industrial innovation. The company supports SMEs, large industries and public institutions in developing compliant, data-driven and future-proof solutions across manufacturing, energy and environmental sectors. INNSIGHT integrates Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040/44), ESG frameworks, and proprietary QFD-based methodologies with artificial intelligence to analyse baseline versus innovation scenarios. With extensive experience in EU-funded collaborative projects (FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe), INNSIGHT provides robust methodologies to support sustainable transition, industrial competitiveness and evidence-based decision making. Role in the project: INNSIGHT is Leader of WP10 – Sustainability Impact Analysis.  The company develops the methodological framework to assess the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts of COUPLED technologies compared to industrial baselines.  Key responsibilities include AI-based sustainability mapping, definition and validation of sustainability indicators , integration of Life Cycle Assessment results, and development of visual tools such as Sustainability Value Curves to support dissemination and exploitation.

ΕΤΑΜ S.A., founded in 1993 and based in Heraklion, Greece, is a development planning and business consulting company employing a multidisciplinary team of 23 highly qualified professionals. With more than 1200 projects completed, ETAM specializes in market analysis, business planning, communication and dissemination, cross-border cooperation, regional development, rural development, environmental management, feasibility studies and field research. For over 30 years, it has delivered high-quality consulting services to companies, agencies and organizations. Thanks to its long market presence, scientific expertise and skilled workforce, ETAM has become one of the largest consulting firms in the Hellenic periphery, offering comprehensive support for business ventures and R&D initiatives. Role in the project: ETAM will develop and implement the social acceptance framework, take on networking and public awareness-raising activities, and link technical and commercial activities with their methodology for socio-economic assessment and societal acceptance to maximize the impact of new technologies.

CONTARINA is a large enterprise responsible for the waste management from 49 municipalities in the Province of Treviso, (Veneto region, Italy), serving in total around 556,000 inhabitants. CONTARINA’s ambition is to reduce the amount of produced waste (especially the non recyclable waste), increase the percentage of separate collection, raise the quality of the collected recyclable material, and improve the offered service, optimising the cost-benefit ratio. Thanks to the extensive work done in this direction, CONTARINA has gained a reputation of a ‘waste management champion’ in Europe, reaching levels of separate collection of up to 90% and generating only 41 kg of residual waste per inhabitant per year (data of 2023). Beyond these outstanding achievements, the company has now a serious commitment to continuously improve its performance by developing new projects and initiatives following the Circular Economy principles. Role in the project: provision of data and specifications on biowaste-derived gases for experimentation (input for BIO-COUPLED). Involvement in industrial case studies (WP6 and WP7). Contribution to economic and sustainability analyses (WP8, WP9, WP10). Support for dissemination, social acceptance, and stakeholder engagement (WP11–13).

Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering, delivering critical solutions across energy and materials markets. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in 60 countries, employing around 35,000 people. Role in the project: Wood will participate in the EU COUPLED project, contributing engineering expertise for the integration and pilot-scale demonstration of CO₂-to-fuel technologies. The company will support system design, safety, and scalability of chemical looping and Fischer–Tropsch processes. Wood will lead the cost estimate of the unit, ensuring accurate budgeting for deployment.  

Founded in 1992, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) operates across the full oil and gas value chain, including exploration, production, refining, distribution, and the international marketing of crude oil and petrochemical products. The company maintains a strong global presence through representative offices in 13 countries, trading companies in Singapore, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Switzerland, and strategic investments across several European and regional markets. SOCAR Türkiye is the largest integrated industrial group in Türkiye, structured around Petkim, STAR Refinery, SOCAR Storage, SOCAR Energy Trading, SOCAR Terminal, TANAP, and SOCAR R&D. STAR Refinery’s production portfolio is mainly focused on diesel, jet fuel, and naphtha. Diesel represents nearly half of total output with an annual capacity of 4.8 million tons, followed by 1.6 million tons of jet fuel primarily serving the aviation sector, and around 1 million tons of naphtha, a key feedstock for petrochemical integration. Within its sustainability strategy, SOCAR prioritizes addressing environmental challenges and advancing low-carbon energy solutions. Role in the project: SOCAR Türkiye R&D participates in the COUPLED project as an industrial partner, contributing refinery expertise through the provision of products and detailed data on refinery-derived feedstock specifications, with a focus on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and methanol purity. This contribution supports the industrial validation and market relevance of CO₂-based fuel pathways developed within the project.

Techfem S.p.A., founded in 1984, is an Italian engineering and consulting firm specialising in process engineering, energy systems, and infrastructure for the energy transition. The company provides advanced services in process modelling, feasibility studies and detailed engineering for complex industrial plants. Techfem has strong expertise in gas processing, hydrogen, CCUS, waste-to-energy, and renewable fuels, combining simulation-driven design with practical industrial know-how. Its activities span from concept development to techno-economic optimisation and support for industrial deployment. The company is also active in national and EU-funded R&D projects, contributing to innovation, scale-up, and market-oriented solutions for decarbonisation. Role in the project: Techfem S.p.A. contributes to COUPLED as the lead partner for process modelling, digitalisation and system optimisation. Its main role is the development of an advanced digital twin of the COUPLED plant, integrating process simulation, mass and energy balances, and operational data to support design, testing, and scale-up activities. Techfem supports the consortium in process integration, performance optimisation and risk reduction during the TRL7 demonstration phase. In addition, Techfem contributes to techno-economic evaluations, scalability and replicability analyses, ensuring industrial feasibility of the COUPLED concept. The company also supports regulatory and certification aspects, including the assessment of RFNBO compliance, helping align the project outcomes with EU sustainability frameworks and market requirements