Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity

What Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity does

ICAS S.r.l. (Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity) is an Italian private limited company founded in September 2010, headquartered at the ENEA Frascati Research Centre, that designs, industrializes, and manufactures specialized superconducting conductors and related components for large scientific infrastructure projects. The company's product portfolio centers on Low Tc conductors (NbTi, Nb3Sn) and High Temperature Superconductors (MgB2, REBCO/YBCO), produced as Cable-In-Conduit Conductors (CICC), current leads, mineral-insulated high-power cables, and Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems, with a proprietary rectangular CICC geometry that has demonstrated 81.7 kA at 13 T and ~7 K. Manufacturing is executed through a vertically-integrated Italian supply chain: cabling at TRATOS Cavi S.p.A. in Pieve Santo Stefano (five dedicated lines for Nb3Sn/NbTi cabling, YBCO cables, MgB2 cables, insulation coating, and non-destructive testing) and jacketing/winding at CRIOTEC Impianti S.r.l. in Chivasso (three lines of 1,000 m, 300 m, and 150 m), while R&D and design sit alongside ENEA's superconductivity team at Frascati.

ICAS generates revenue primarily through project-based custom manufacturing contracts awarded by international fusion and particle-physics organizations (ITER, JT-60SA, DTT, CERN HL-LHC, ASIPP, QST, Max Planck IPP for ASDEX Upgrade, Korean ITER), supplemented by R&D and engineering services such as 3D FEM analyses, coil manufacturing (winding, heat treatment, impregnation), cryogenic testing at SULTAN/EDIPO-class facilities, and industrialization consulting. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with go-to-market executed via direct tender and contract awards; the company is a private limited (S.r.l.) S.r.l. with no external investors, with profits reinvested in high-technology development.

Customer concentration is structurally high: ICAS serves a narrow set of government-backed research programs and consortia, and has progressively widened from a single anchor mandate (ITER/JT-60SA conductors completed 2010–2018) into parallel programs (CERN MgB2 links completed October 2025, DTT CIC conductors 2021–2025, Gauss Fusion Phase 2 initiated June 2025). The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications from TÜV Italia, is GDPR-compliant, and received the 2024 Fusion Technology Transfer Award from the European Commission, EUROfusion, and Fusion for Energy in May 2025.

Name

Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity

Legal name

ICAS S.r.l.

Website

https://icasweb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICAS S.r.l., an Italian ENEA-affiliated firm founded 2010, designs and manufactures superconducting conductors (NbTi, Nb3Sn, MgB2, REBCO) and coils for international fusion (ITER, JT-60SA, DTT), particle physics (CERN HL-LHC), and power-grid projects, serving government research programs via direct tender contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frascati

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Custom Superconducting Conductor Manufacturing: Design and production of custom superconducting conductors (CIC conductors, MgB2 cables, REBCO cables) under supply contracts for major international fusion and scientific research projects. Revenue generated through project-based contracts and tender awards.
2. R&D and Engineering Services: Technical consulting, design and 3D FEM analyses, coil manufacturing, cryogenic testing services, and industrialization support for superconducting devices.
3. Cryogenic Testing Services: Testing of superconducting devices (HTS tapes, conductors, coils, current leads) in relevant operative conditions including SULTAN facility tests.
4. Mineral Insulated High-Power Cables: Production of mineral insulated cables for specialized applications including ITER In-Vessel Coils.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ICAS designs and produces superconducting conductors (Low Tc NbTi/Nb3Sn and High Temperature Superconductors including REBCO and MgB2), Cable-In-Conduit Conductors (CICC), HTS current leads, mineral-insulated high-power cables, SMES systems, coils, and cryogenic systems. The company also provides engineering design/3D FEM analyses, coil manufacturing (winding, heat treatment, impregnation), grit blasting and priming, cryogenic testing services, and industrialization support, serving international fusion and particle physics research programs.

Product overview

ICAS (Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity) is a specialized technology company offering superconducting conductors and related engineering services for nuclear fusion and scientific research applications. The core portfolio includes Low Tc (NbTi, Nb3Sn) and HTS (REBCO, MgB2) superconducting conductors manufactured as Cable-In-Conduit Conductors (CICC) and cable assemblies. Services encompass the full product lifecycle from design and 3D FEM analysis, through coil manufacturing (winding, heat treatment, impregnation), to cryogenic testing. Additional offerings include grit blasting and priming services, HTS current leads, mineral insulated cables, SMES systems, and cryogenic system design. The company operates through partnerships with TRATOS Cavi (cabling activities) and CRIOTEC Impianti (jacketing and winding) at facilities in Italy, serving major international fusion projects including ITER, JT-60SA, DTT, and EU-DEMO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Low Tc Superconducting Conductors (NbTi, Nb3Sn) Design and production of NbTi and Nb3Sn-based superconducting conductors for fusion reactor applications, including toroidal and poloidal field coils, supplied under contract to programs such as ITER, JT-60SA, and DTT.
• HTS Superconducting Conductors (REBCO/YBCO) Design and manufacturing of High Temperature Superconducting conductors based on REBCO/YBCO tapes twisted into aluminum slotted core cables, for power transmission/distribution (>300 MVA), high-field magnet applications, and superconducting generators.
• MgB2 Cable Assemblies for Superconducting Links Industrialized production of magnesium diboride (MgB2) complex cables for superconducting links, developed for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) at CERN and applicable to other cryogenic link/magnet applications.
• Cable-In-Conduit Conductors (CICC) Superconducting Cable-In-Conduit Conductors, including a proprietary rectangular geometry with long twist pitch and low void fraction, designed and manufactured for fusion reactor magnetic systems with record performance of 81.7 kA at 13 T and ~7 K.
• HTS Current Leads Design and manufacturing of High Temperature Superconductor current leads for operating conditions up to 20 kA, including dual 10 kA/20 kA units developed with EPFL CRPP using YBCO tapes and double cryogen cooling.
• Mineral Insulated High-Power Cables Mineral insulated copper conductors produced for specialized high-power applications including ITER In-Vessel Coils and other nuclear fusion uses, manufactured on dedicated production lines at TRATOS Cavi and CRIOTEC.
• Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) Systems Design and manufacturing of Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage systems for energy storage applications requiring high cyclic performance and rapid discharge capability.
• Cryogenic Systems Design and manufacturing of cryogenic systems supporting the operation of superconducting devices in research and industrial environments.
• Coil Manufacturing Services Small- to medium-size superconducting and copper-based coil manufacturing including winding, heat treatment, and impregnation, delivered as a service for fusion, accelerator, and research programs.
• Design and 3D FEM Analyses Finite Element Method (FEM) design and analysis services for superconducting conductors and magnets, supporting client development programs and ICAS's own R&D.
• Cryogenic Testing Services Testing of superconducting devices (HTS tapes, conductors, coils, current leads, Low Tc strands and coils) in relevant operative cryogenic conditions, including SULTAN and EDIPO facility tests for qualification.
• Grit Blasting and Priming Services Surface preparation services using cyanate ester based primer to improve adhesion of epoxy resin insulation to copper conductors, including de-spooling and re-spooling for nuclear fusion applications.
• Industrialization Services for Superconducting Devices Industrialization support services that bring superconducting devices from development to commercial production, leveraging ICAS's manufacturing partners and production lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81.7 kA current capacity at 13 T magnetic field and ~7 K temperature - record performance for rectangular Nb3Sn CICC
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ENEA (Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization and founding consortium member. ENEA Frascati Research Centre houses ICAS headquarters and R&D activities. ENEA SC team collaborates closely with ICAS on design activities and development of high technology devices for power applications of superconductors. The partnership provides access to decades of superconducting expertise and testing infrastructure.
• TRATOS Cavi S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding ICAS consortium partner providing all cabling activities at their factory in Pieve Santo Stefano, Italy. Operates five dedicated production lines for Nb3Sn/NbTi cabling, HTS YBCO cables, MgB2 cables, insulation coating, and non-destructive testing of copper tubes for mineral insulated conductors.
• CRIOTEC Impianti S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding ICAS consortium partner providing all conductor jacketing and magnet winding activities at their factory in Chivasso, Italy. Operates three main jacketing lines including 1000m, 300m, and 150m production capabilities. Also contributes to SEA ALP Consortium for complete winding line supply.
• Gauss FusionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhase 2 collaboration initiated June 2025 to engineer HTS and LTS superconducting cables for fusion reactors. Project targets technical and economic viability within 20 years. Major strategic partnership for next-generation fusion reactor cable development.
• CERNflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor supplier of MgB2 Cable Assemblies for HL-LHC Superconducting Links. First Series Production unit delivered January 2021. Completion of all 10 MgB2 links celebrated October 2025 in Geneva. Strategic partner for particle accelerator superconducting technology.
• CONECTUS (CONsortium of European Companies determined To Use Superconductivity)minorOthersJoined March 2017 as member of the consortium of European companies determined to use superconductivity. Industry association membership for superconducting technology companies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hyper Tech Research: U.S.-based manufacturer of NbTi and Nb3Sn superconducting strands and cables for fusion (ITER, SPARC) and accelerator magnets. Direct competitor in the LTS wire/cable market ICAS serves.
• SuNam Co., Ltd. South Korean MgB2 wire and HTS conductor manufacturer serving fusion, medical imaging, and power applications. Comparable MgB2 industrialization capability to ICAS, with overlap on CERN and Asian fusion programs.
• ASG Superconductors (Malta/Columbus group): Italian superconducting magnet and cable manufacturer that supplies NbTi, Nb3Sn conductors and complete magnets for fusion, accelerator, and medical applications. Closely comparable to ICAS as another European LTS conductor specialist.
• Fujikura (SuperPower / HTS Wire): Fujikura, through its 2G HTS wire business, is a leading REBCO/Coated Conductor manufacturer used in fusion magnets and HTS cables. Comparable to ICAS's REBCO HTS cable development for power and magnet applications.
• Columbus Superconductors: Italian-headquartered manufacturer of MgB2 superconducting wires and tapes, serving research labs and emerging energy applications. Direct peer in the MgB2 cable/assembly segment where ICAS has also industrialized production for CERN.
• Luvata (Superconductors): Luvata's Superconductors division is a long-standing NbTi and Nb3Sn wire and cable supplier for fusion and accelerator magnets (incl. ITER contributions). Closely comparable to ICAS's LTS conductor manufacturing for ITER/JT-60SA.

Emerging players

• THEVA ProLine GmbH: Germany-based manufacturer of 2G HTS REBCO coated conductors for power transmission, fault-current limiters, and high-field magnets. Emerging peer with overlapping HTS-cable technology to ICAS's REBCO cable work.
• SuperOx: Russian developer of 2G HTS REBCO tapes and HTS cable systems, with focus on power transmission and fusion. Comparable technology stack to ICAS's HTS cable development for power grid applications.

Others

• Tokamak Energy: Private spherical tokamak fusion developer building HTS magnet systems. While a fusion customer/end-user rather than a wire manufacturer, it is highly relevant to ICAS's forward commercial opportunity as a buyer of HTS conductors for commercial fusion reactors.

Broad incumbents

• Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies (BEST): Bruker's BEST division is a major global supplier of Nb3Sn and NbTi superconducting wires used in NMR, MRI, and fusion magnets. Directly comparable to ICAS's Low-Tc conductor business and a far larger incumbent in the same fusion-magnet wire market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icas-superconductors

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Innovation and Consulting on Applied Superconductivity