Objective: To deliver advanced solutions for spacecraft, satellites, payloads, and onboard electronics, starting with the European and North American markets.
Vittorio Veneto (Italy) / Enköping (Sweden), October 1 2026 — IRCA – Zoppas Industries and the Swedish deep-tech company APR Technologies AB have signed a Framework Agreement establishing a strategic collaboration for the development, industrialisation, and commercialisation of advanced thermal management solutions for the Aerospace market.
The agreement marks the transition from the evaluation phase initiated by the two companies in May 2026 to a structured industrial and commercial partnership.
APR Technologies has developed Rheion®, a proprietary electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technology designed for high reliability and efficiency, capable of controlling and moving dielectric fluids using electric fields without relying on traditional mechanical pumps. As part of the collaboration, APR Technologies licenses its Rheion® technology and supplies proprietary Rheion® components and fluids, together with know-how, and technical and qualification support. Meanwhile, ZIHET will handle product integration, assembly, and testing, coordinate industrialisation, and act as the main commercial contact and system integrator for customers.
The partnership will initially focus on the European and North American markets, with any future expansion into additional geographic regions subject to a separate agreement between the parties.
The agreement was created to provide increasingly advanced and efficient solutions to complex thermal management needs for spacecraft, satellites, payloads, onboard electronics, and other high-performance aerospace and space systems—areas where traditional thermal architectures are continually challenged by rising power densities, increasingly stringent space and mass constraints, and exceptionally high reliability requirements.
The combination of APR Technologies’ expertise in active fluid control and cooling with IRCA – Zoppas Industries’ established experience in heating and thermal control systems lays the foundation for a broader portfolio of integrated thermal management solutions capable of covering both heat generation and dissipation.
The two companies plan to execute joint customer strategies, collaborating on technological development and qualification pathways, including opportunities arising from European and national space programs.
“With this collaboration,” states Gianfranco Zoppas, President of Zoppas Industries, “we aim to expand Zoppas Industries’ contribution to thermal management in the markets where we operate, integrating our heating expertise with APR’s cooling technologies.”
“Our goal,” adds Federico Zoppas, Managing Director of Zoppas Industries, “is to make this technology space-grade and transform this complementarity into industrializable and qualifiable solutions capable of meeting customer needs by leveraging our integration capabilities and our international industrial footprint.”
About IRCA – Zoppas Industries
IRCA S.p.A. – Zoppas Industries Heating Element Technologies (ZIHET), operating since 1963, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of heating systems and elements. Today, it serves over 200 application sectors—ranging from small household appliances to complex industrial systems, satellites, medical devices, and automotive applications. With over 8,000 employees and 15 manufacturing sites worldwide across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, ZIHET plays a crucial role in diverse areas that permeate daily life. From coffee machines to electric vehicles and satellites, its applied systems are an integral part of both domestic and industrial environments.
About APR Technologies
APR Technologies AB is a deep-tech company founded in 2011, headquartered in Enköping, Sweden. The company develops advanced thermal management technologies based on its proprietary electrohydrodynamic technology, Rheion®. APR’s technology enables precise control of dielectric coolant fluids without the use of traditional mechanical pumps and has been refined through development work with Airbus and the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as a technology supply to the NASA Glenn Research Center. APR targets its offerings at applications in the Space & Defense, high-performance computing, data center, telecommunications, and energy systems sectors. The company has also been selected for NATO’s DIANA program.