RECENDT

What RECENDT does

RECENDT (Research Center for Non-Destructive Testing GmbH) is a Linz, Austria-based non-university research center founded in 2009 that specializes in non-destructive testing (NDT) and process analytical technologies (PAT). It is 80%-owned by Upper Austrian Research GmbH (itself wholly owned by Business Upper Austria – OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH) and 20%-owned by Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, placing it firmly within the public-funded Upper Austrian research ecosystem. The firm runs an interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, mechatronics engineers, and development engineers and operates eight specialized research areas: Laser-Ultrasonics, Physical & Computational Acoustics, Photoacoustics, Infrared & Raman Spectroscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography, Terahertz Technology, Quantum Sensing, and Thermography. Across these areas it has packaged 17 distinct technology offerings — including mid-IR QCL ellipsometry, THz computer tomography, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, mid-IR OCT for high-scattering objects, contactless moisture measurement, laser-ultrasound case hardening depth determination, and AI-enhanced quantum sensing.

The company's commercial offering spans the full R&D chain from application-oriented fundamental research to industrial technology transfer and licensing, sold directly to enterprise customers across 15+ verticals including aeronautics, automotive, biomedical, chemical, composites, railroad, food & packaging, semiconductors, plastics, metals, surfaces & coatings, pharmaceutical, safety/security/forensics, joining techniques, and energy efficiency. Revenue is generated through three streams: (i) fee-based R&D services and technology transfer to industrial clients, (ii) recurring project funding from public bodies including the Province of Upper Austria, FFG, and the European Union's EFRE program, and (iii) intellectual property exploitation via licensing of patented measurement methods. Distribution is sales-led, anchored in the UAR Innovation Network, and supplemented by conference presence (DGZfP, SPIE, ICU) and peer-reviewed publication activity in Nature, Science, IEEE, and Elsevier venues. Customers are not disclosed by name; named industrial partners include voestalpine Stahl in the H2Lytics hydrogen-for-steel project and CBmed in the microONE microplastics-health project.

Name

RECENDT

Legal name

Research Center for Non-Destructive Testing GmbH

Website

https://recendt.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RECENDT is a Linz-based non-university research center founded in 2009 that delivers customized non-destructive testing and process analytical technologies across laser-ultrasonics, terahertz, quantum sensing, spectroscopy, and OCT for industrial clients in aerospace, automotive, metals, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and composites sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Destructive Testing and Process Analytical R&D Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) & Inspection Services (IMAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) for Aircraft (EDAOAFAI), NDT/Inspection & Testing Services (Aviation) (IMABALAJ), NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Non-destructive testing
• Material characterization
• Process analytical technologies
• Laser ultrasonics
• Terahertz imaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Linz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Services: R&D services and technology transfer to industrial clients across various sectors including material characterization and non-destructive testing
2. Research Project Funding: Funding from Province of Upper Austria, European Union (EFRE), FFG, and other research funding bodies. Participation in national and EU research projects.
3. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Development and distribution of own products, exploitation of intellectual property, granting of property rights including technology licensing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RECENDT provides customized R&D services and technology solutions across the full non-destructive testing (NDT) and process analytical technologies (PAT) value chain. The center delivers application-oriented fundamental research, development of state-of-the-art measurement methods, and direct industrial application for material characterization and quality control, covering Laser-Ultrasonics, spectroscopy, OCT, terahertz technology, quantum sensing, photoacoustics, and thermography.

Product overview

RECENDT (Research Center for Non-Destructive Testing GmbH) is a research organization providing a comprehensive portfolio of non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies and process analytical technologies (PAT). The portfolio includes multiple specialized technology offerings: Laser-Ultrasonics for metal microstructure analysis and case hardening depth determination; Terahertz Technology including imaging, spectroscopy, and computed tomography (THz-CT) for composite inspection; Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in mid-infrared for detecting hidden defects; Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy including SERS for trace analysis; Mid-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry; and various other NDT solutions. These technologies are organized as distinct service offerings (17 technology offers documented) targeting industrial applications across aeronautics, automotive, biomedical, chemicals, composites, semiconductors, plastics, metals, and other sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Non-Destructive Testing and Material Characterization Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% reduction in natural gas consumption and corresponding CO2 emission reduction of up to 17,600 tonnes per year achievable through optimized drying processes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Johannes Kepler Universität Linz (JKU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner20% shareholder and key research partner. JKU is a corporation under public law engaged in research and teaching. Provides academic collaboration and talent pipeline.
• UAR Innovation NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRECENDT is a member of the UAR Innovation Network, an association of research companies in Upper Austria that strengthens exchange, makes new contacts, and explores joint innovation opportunities.
• CBmedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMET module partner in microONE project focusing on health effects of micro- and nanoplastic particles on human health.
• Competence Center Holz GmbH (Wood K plus)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BIOCYCLE-UA project, a cooperation between Upper Austrian research institutions on circular economy topics.
• Competence Center CHASE GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BIOCYCLE-UA project and K-Zentrum CHASE (Chemical Systems Engineering) focusing on process industry innovations.
• AIT Austrian Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in GREEN Photonics project for laser-based surface structuring of large areas with optimized energy and material consumption.
• voestalpine StahlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner in H2Lytics project developing approaches for flexible hydrogen production for the steel industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mistras Group: Global NDT services and inspection technology provider offering ultrasonic, eddy-current, acoustic-emission testing across aerospace, energy, and industrial markets. Comparable as a much larger commercial NDT player whose asset-integrity and inspection services overlap with RECENDT's portfolio, especially in aerospace composites and energy infrastructure.
• Bruker Optics: Manufacturer of FTIR, Raman, and near-infrared spectroscopic instruments for analytical and process-monitoring applications in pharma, food, semiconductors, and materials research. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the IR/Raman spectroscopy segment that overlaps with RECENDT's spectroscopy-based NDT/PAT offerings.
• Applus+ IDIADA: Global testing, inspection, and certification firm providing NDT and materials engineering services to automotive, aerospace, and energy clients. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering scaled NDT services across many of RECENDT's verticals, particularly automotive surface-hardening and composite inspection.
• Olympus Industrial (Evident): Manufacturer of industrial ultrasonic, phased-array, eddy-current, and visual-inspection instruments used across the same aerospace, automotive, and metals verticals RECENDT serves. Comparable as a dominant NDT equipment incumbent that overlaps with the equipment side of RECENDT's LUS, THz, and acoustic offerings.

Direct peers

• TWI (The Welding Institute): UK-based independent R&D organization serving aerospace, automotive, and energy clients with NDT, materials characterization, and joining-technologies services. Strongly comparable in business model (industrial membership + fee-for-service + technology licensing) and customer segments (aerospace, composites, metals), making it RECENDT's closest UK analog.
• Sonatest: Specialist manufacturer of ultrasonic flaw detectors and phased-array NDT instruments for aerospace, automotive, and energy applications. Comparable as a focused NDT equipment peer in the ultrasonic segment, competing for the same industrial QA budget that RECENDT addresses via laser-ultrasonics services.
• Fraunhofer IZFP: German applied-research institute dedicated to non-destructive testing, with overlapping capability stack (ultrasonics, terahertz, spectroscopy) and a similar sales-led contract-research and technology-transfer model. Comparable as a public-purpose NDT R&D center competing for the same European industrial clients and EU funding streams.
• Eddyfi Technologies: Canadian specialist in advanced NDT inspection technologies (ultrasonic, eddy-current, phased array, intelligent Pig) for aerospace, energy, and mining clients. Comparable as a focused NDT technology peer competing in advanced ultrasonic and electromagnetic inspection, segments where RECENDT also positions Laser-Ultrasonics and THz solutions.
• BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung): German federal institute for materials research and testing, providing NDT, analytical, and characterization services to industry and government. Strongly comparable as a publicly-owned applied research and testing organization with a similar multi-modal NDT capability stack and a public-interest mandate.

Regional players

• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's state-owned applied research organization offering measurement, NDT, photonics, and materials engineering services to Nordic and European industrial clients. Comparable as a publicly-owned applied-research peer with overlapping photonics, spectroscopy, and ultrasonic NDT capabilities, serving a different primary geography than RECENDT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_d76ycwAxBONSSDCaE_8qQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recendt
• Instagraminstagram.com/recendt.gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RECENDT