ROBOZE and SUPSI launch R&D initiative targeting Carbon–Carbon and Ceramic Matrix Composites
The collaboration pairs ROBOZE's additive manufacturing systems with SUPSI's thermal conversion and materials characterization capabilities, with hypersonic and nuclear fusion among the target application areas
ROBOZE and SUPSI, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, through its Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (MEMTi), formed a joint research and development initiative to advance Carbon–Carbon (C–C) and Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) materials for extreme-environment applications. The partnership was formalized on May 26, 2026, in Bari, Italy.
The collaboration brings together ROBOZE’s work in high-performance polymer and composite additive manufacturing with SUPSI’s research capabilities in thermal conversion processes, materials science, and material characterization. C–C and CMC materials are valued in aerospace and energy applications for their resistance to ultra-high temperatures, thermal shock, and chemically aggressive operating conditions—properties that conventional manufacturing struggles to achieve at the design complexity enabled by additive processes.
Bridging AM with thermal conversion
A central technical focus of the initiative is the integration of additive manufacturing with advanced material transformation techniques, specifically the thermal conversion processes required to produce C–C and CMC components from precursor materials. The combination is intended to improve design flexibility and shorten development timelines for components that currently require lengthy and expensive conventional fabrication routes.
“By combining our expertise in high-performance production technologies with SUPSI’s advanced thermal conversion capabilities, we are enabling a new generation of additively manufactured C–C and CMC materials capable of performing in extreme conditions, from ultra-high temperatures to highly demanding industrial environments,” said Simone Cuscito, Chief R&D and Product Officer at ROBOZE.
Targeting hypersonic and fusion applications
Among the future applications under evaluation are hypersonic systems and next-generation nuclear fusion technologies—two sectors where material performance at extreme temperatures is a hard constraint and where additive manufacturing’s ability to produce complex near-net-shape geometries offers potential advantages over traditional ceramic and carbon-composite fabrication.
Prof. Alberto Ortona, Head of the Hybrid Materials Laboratory at SUPSI, described the work as an effort to produce C–C and CMC materials with tailored properties rather than fixed-specification equivalents. “Together, we are creating new opportunities to engineer carbon–carbon and CMC materials with tailored properties, opening the door to applications where performance, reliability, and resistance to extreme conditions are critical,” he said.
