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Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs funds the project with an innovation grant of 40,000 euros – Focus on efficiency, resilience, and future viability of energy and mobility systems.

Ingolstadt, 10.12.2025 – HDC Solutions GmbH is entering a research and development cooperation with Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Automotive Engineering Esslingen. The goal is to develop additively manufactured pre-chamber spark plugs that make the use of hydrogen engines technically and economically more attractive and expand their range of applications. The Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy is supporting the project with an innovation grant of 40,000 euros.

The joint work focuses on the "Development of additive manufacturing processes for production-optimized pre-chamber spark plugs to optimize thermal management and modular application in future-oriented engines." This technology can make the entire engine process more efficient by reducing knocking tendency and has the potential to improve operational stability. The new, flexible manufacturing process can perspectively reduce costs to a highly attractive level.

Pre-chamber ignition was originally developed for use in stationary internal combustion engines, particularly in combined heat and power (CHP) plants. HDC Solutions is now transferring this approach to a new generation, making the technology usable for hydrogen drives as well as for demanding energy and mobility applications. Thanks to its own additive manufacturing process, variants can be developed quickly, prototypes can be tested at short notice, and small to medium series can be implemented in a modular and customized manner.

Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, represented by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gregor Rottenkolber, Head of the Automotive Powertrains Laboratory at the Faculty of Mobility and Technology, is responsible for testing and validation tasks. Rottenkolber also heads the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Automotive Engineering Esslingen – the institute that prepared the funding basis. This ensures that the concept does not remain mere research but results in a robust technology.

“The pre-chamber spark plug is a technological building block on the path to highly efficient hydrogen engines. We are not developing a laboratory idea that fails in practical testing, but a technology that meets real-world requirements, from stationary systems to highly mobile applications.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gregor Rottenkolber

HDC Solutions is responsible for design, additive manufacturing, and the iterative further development of the system. Together with Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, combustion processes are being developed that can be operated efficiently with both conventional fuels and, for example, hydrogen. The in-house design and manufacturing process significantly shortens development times – an advantage in a market that moves faster than conventional manufacturing can supply.

The internal combustion engine remains – contrary to many debates – an important element of resilient energy systems. Particularly for critical infrastructures, military applications, and off-grid supply solutions, hydrogen-based engine concepts are a strategic stability anchor. The manufacturing process for HDC’s pre-chamber spark plug not only increases efficiency but also enhances availability, maintenance robustness, and supply security.

With the funding, the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy underscores the importance of technologies that combine efficiency, supply security, and sustainable mobility and energy structures. The HDC Solutions project is among those initiatives that further develop existing engine concepts for the use of climate-friendly energy sources, thereby opening new perspectives for energy and mobility applications.

Benefits of HDC Pre-Chamber Ignition

• Efficiency improvement through enhanced combustion stability and reduced knocking tendency

• Optimization of pre-chamber technology through free design of pre-chamber geometry

• Thanks to our additive manufacturing process, fast, modular, and customized implementation is possible.

• Broad application range in the operating map due to geometric freedom and combination of multiple materials.

• Modular application – from stationary combined heat and power (CHP) plants to mobile system platforms.

The grant was awarded on October 13, 2025. Development and validation work will begin immediately and are planned in several stages through 2026. Initial results, which will be publicly accessible, are expected in the second quarter of 2026.

HDC Solutions is already exploring expansions into additional energy segments and is in discussions with industry partners. Companies developing robust energy and mobility solutions are invited to engage in early dialogue.