European Commission (EC) Funded Projects

Title: Commercial & Research Opportunity for Cysteinyl Leukotriene Signalling in Ocular & CNS Dysfunction, Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease

Start Date: 2021-01-01
End Date: 2024-12-31
Project Number: 101007931
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Total Budget: € 887,800
INL Budget: € 23,000

Title: Brain-on-a-chip as a preclinical model tool for the screening of theragnostic nanoformulations for neurodegenerative diseases

Project Description: 
BrainChip4MED addresses the main two challenges in the neuroscience field, (1) the inefficiency of FDA-approved drugs for targeting and bypassing the BBB, by developing and studying new added-value theranostic NFs, and (2) the lack of robust preclinical tools for screening and monitoring the efficacy of those NFs to cross the BBB and target diseased neurological cells.

Start Date: 2022-03-01
End Date: 2024-02-28
Project Number: 101032481
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Total Budget: € 156,540
INL Budget: € 156,540

Title: High Energy Density Asymmetric hybrid supercapacitors for applications in consumer goods and electrification

Project Description: 

Supercapacitors are considered important energy storage devices that can complement batteries for various applications. While currently the electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) still dominate the market, their low energy density cannot satisfy the ever-increasing demand. The HEDAsupercap project aims at developing high energy density asymmetric hybrid supercapacitors consisting of two dissimilar EDLC-type and battery-type electrodes. The improvement of energy density will be accomplished through the asymmetric cell design and developing novel materials and components, including electrode materials, ionic liquid electrolytes and current collectors. Sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective synthetic approaches will be employed to ensure the elimination of critical raw materials (CRMs) usage and the minimisation of environmental impact during the components production. Supercapacitor cells and modules comprised of newly developed compoents, along with innovative management system, will be developed and demonstrated in electric scooters for last-mile mobility as well as in hand warming gloves for sport & leisure. Comprehensive techno-economic and value chain analyses will be carried out, and a business case and exploitation strategy will be developed by the end of the project to roadmap future commercialisation of the HEDAsupercap technology.
The HEDAsupercap consortium comprises three research & technology organisations, two universities, and three leading companies in the automotive, energy and engineering sectors. This will allow the developed technology to be quickly taken up and adopted in the market. The HEDAsupercap project will promote widespread deployment of high energy density hybrid supercapacitors in mobility and consumer goods sectors. The project results will be disseminated to different stakeholders, raising their awareness of the latest development of this new technology.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
• Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet
• Technologiczny W Szczecinie
• Lulea Tekniska Universitet
• Centro Ricerche Fiat Scpa
• Gemmate Technologies Srl
• Yunasko-Ukraine Llc
• Rina Consulting Spa
• Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch
• Onderzoek N.V.

Start Date: 2023-01-01
End Date: 2026-12-31
Project Number: 101092189
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Total Budget: € 5,519,470
INL Budget: € 1,098,250

Title: Data driven implementation of adaptive hybrid solutions for preventing and managing diffuse pollution from urban water runoff

Project Description: 

D4RUNOFF overall goal is to create a novel framework for preventing and managing diffuse pollution from urban water runoff through the data driven design of hybrid nature-based solutions (NBS) adapted to the current and future risk scenarios solutions. This innovative approach will support water utilities, urban planners and policy makers in defining urban runoff and storm water management plans to enhance the quality of the water discharged to water bodies, considering the Climate Change.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
• ITG – Instituto Tecnológico de Galicia
• Københavns Universitet
• Universidad de Cantabria
• VandCenter Syd As
• Odense Kommune

Start Date: 2022-09-01
End Date: 2026-02-28
Project Number: 101060638
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Total Budget: € 3,344,325
INL Budget: € 286,000

  

Title: Gastrointestinal Tract on Chip

Project Description: 

An automated microfluidics-based modular device for complete simulation of the processes of digestion and absorption of orally ingested bioactive compounds.

Start Date: 2020-10-16
End Date: 2022-10-15
Project Number: 884918
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Total Budget: € 159,815.04
INL Budget: € 159,815.04

 

Title: Forum for Emerging Enabling Technologies in Support to the Digital and Green Transitions through Value Sensitive Innovations

Project Description: 

Technological breakthroughs empowered by enabling technologies hold a transformation potential that can be funnelled to address industrial and societal grand challenges, like greening and digitalisation. To exploit this transformative potential, the innovation journey that leads new emerging technologies to their market-uptake shall embed since its early value-sensitive considerations, such as environmental and societal implications.
With FORGING we propose a new methodology based on a value-sensitive innovation journey that breaks linear innovation trajectories to stimulate new technological visions and pathways attentive to the environment and society, and human-centred in alignment with Industry 5.0. technological frameworks. The value-sensitive innovation journey will be deployed in three phases: the technological uncovering with tech experts from academia and industry to detect early signals of emerging technologies; the societal confluence exploring the desirability and societal impact, and implications of novel technologies; the full-fledged co-creation opening to the broader community to develop concrete use cases for tech uptake. We will develop 6 Technological Pathways to transfer ideas and help industry navigate through issues related to the absorption and deployment of the use cases.
FORGING methodology will be implemented by catalysing stakeholders’ community with 600 active members, from academia to industry, to CSS, to policy makers and to the broader society. We aim to organise 24 co-creation sessions, consultations with 20 policy bodies, 6 scenario workshops and Tech. and Innovation campaigns to drive tech. adoption. The FORGING Playbook and Toolbox will gather a set of facilitation guidance and materials for exploration, reflection, co-creation and evaluation of emerging technologies. These assets, jointly with the FORGING community, will sustain FORGING as a new flagship initiative on emerging enabling technologies.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
• GAC Group
• STAM Tech
• I2CAT – FUNDACIO PRIVADA I2CAT, INTERNET I INNOVACIO DIGITAL A CATALUNYA
• AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEA APRE
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Start Date: 2022-10-01
End Date: 2025-09-30
Project Number: 101070200
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
INL Role: Coordinator
Total Budget: € 2,494,093
INL Budget: € 660,125

 

Title: A FRONTrunner approacTransition to a circular & resilient future

Project Description: 

FRONTSH1P is a 48 month long European circular economy project that started on 1 November 2021. It is funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme. The project is centred in the Polish region of Łódzkie. A region that on the one hand, traditionally heavily relies on coal extraction, and on the other hand, has pioneered circular economy since the early 2000s.
FRONTSH1P will contribute to further the green transition of the region away from its current linear economic foundation, towards the region’s decarbonisation and territorial regeneration. It will do so by demonstrating four Circular Systemic Solutions (CSSs). Each CSS will be implemented in the region and targets an economic sector that is aiming towards decarbonisation: Wood Packaging, Food & Feed, Water & Nutrients, and Plastic & Rubber Waste.
Another major goal in the demonstration of the CSSs is their replicability. A feat that will be proven during the project by their implementation in four other European regions: Campania (Italy), Stereá Elláda (Greece), Região do Norte (Portugal), and Friesland (the Netherlands). Through the development of the circular systemic solutions, FRONTSH1P will create Circular Regional Clusters, which will involve a wide range of local, regional, and national stakeholders, both from the public and private sphere.
The project consists of 34 partners from 9 European countries. We are comprising public regional authorities, both large and small and medium enterprises, research institutions and technology centres, NGOs, and European associations. FRONTSH1P will furthermore apply a circular governance model and create circular regional clusters, which will involve a wide range of local, regional, and national stakeholders, both from the public and private sphere.

Partners:

• K-FLEX POLSKA SP ZOO
• Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia
• Centre for Promotion and Development Civil Initiatives
• Lodz University of Technology
• University of Łódzki
• Lodzkie Region
• Inter-Municipal Union BZURA
• Gmina Parzeczew
• KPMG Advisory Spółka
• Sirmax Polska Sp. z o.o.
• Leda Polymer
• Libera Università di Bolzano
• Sviluppo Tecnologie e Ricerca per l’Edilizia Sismicamente sicura ed ecoSostenibile Scarl
• Consorzio per la promozione della plastica
• Gruppo di Azione Locale Irpinia
• Novamont S.p.A.
• Stam srl
• Carmasciando Società Agricola Srl
• National Technical University of Athens
• Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis
• Perifereia Stereas Elladas
• Municipality of Levadia
• Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geolo
• Laboratorio Iberico Internacional de Nanotecnologia
• Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte
• Fundación CARTIF
• Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
• Vereniging Circulair Friesland
• Province of Friesland
• Waste4ME BV
• European Association of Development Agencies
• VELTHA ivzw
• Promix Solutions AG
• Burkhardt GmbH

Start Date: 2021-11-01
End Date: 2025-10-31
Type: H2020 – IA
Contract Number: 101037031
Funding Agency European Commission
Funding Programme: H2020-EU.3.5. – SOCIETAL CHALLENGES – Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials
INL Role: partner (Participant contact: Nuria Barros )
URL https://frontsh1p.eu/
Total Budget: € 16,118,418.01
INL Budget: € 395,561.25

    

Title: REusable MAsk Patterning

Project Description: 

Surface patterning is crucial for the progress of key enabling technologies (KETs) such as advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, nano/biotechnology and photonics. The current paradigm in surface patterning is optical projection lithography (OPL), a paradigm designed for high-resolution. However, emerging green technologies like micropatterned photovoltaics (PV) require high quality patterning at scale/throughput that is hardly attainable by OPL economically and sustainably. Importantly, half-pitch resolutions on the tens of μm-scale are totally acceptable for such applications, which does not justify the use of high-end OPL. In these cases, OPL is unsuited, because it relies on disposable masks with extremely high embodied energy. While the key asset of OPL is the mask, it is the component that currently makes it low-throughput and energy/material inefficient. Extensive efforts have been directed to develop maskless strategies, but most fall short when it comes to throughput and design flexibility. REMAP envisions a radically new and green surface patterning technique based on the spontaneous formation of reusable magnetic masks. Such masks are possible using fully adjustable and reversible interactions of “magnetorheological electrolytes” (MRE) on a substrate and microstructured magnetic fields generated by a permanent array of electromagnets below the substrate. By selectively activating each micro-electromagnet, it is possible to modulate the intensity and shape of the magnetic field (hence the mask) over space and time. This way, REMAP enables high-throughput area-selective additive and subtractive patterning on a surface at room temperature and pressure. Furthermore, the newly devised MREs and the tuneable magnetic array developed within REMAP will pave the way to a plethora of future applications from labon-a-chip biomedicine, NMR analysis and smart fluids for robotic space exploration.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
• University of Genova
• CNRS – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• National Center for Scientific Research DEMOKRITOS
• SOLVIONIC
• University of Luxembourg
• Rina Consulting SpA

Start Date: 2022-03-01
End Date: 2026-02-28
Project Number: 101046909
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
INL Role: partner
Total Budget: € 3,925,044
INL Budget: € 728,367

Title: Transparency solutions for transforming the food system

Project Description: 

The drive for greater transparency raises many questions. How can transparency be best used to allow the consumer to make more informed food choices? How can the challenges to increase the uptake of transparency solutions among food system actors as connectivity, interoperability, privacy, cost-efficiency, and low consumer confidence in the technologies, be overcome? How can the latest technology developments be used to enhance transparency? How can such technology be made available and affordable to small businesses? There is a need to address these questions, to showcase best practices, latest business innovations and technologies, and inform policy within a demand-driven business environment.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory PT
• ILSI – INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE EUROPEAN BRANCH AISBL
• EFFoST – STICHTING EFFOST
• UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE
• FOCOS
• FSH – FOODSCALE HUB GREECE ASSOCIATION FOR ENTREPREUNERSHIP AND INNOVATION ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA
• FSH Serbia – FOODSCALE HUB ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION ASSOCIATION
• AGRICOLUS SRL
• AGRI MP LDA – AgriMarketplace
• IOTIC – IOTIC SOLUTIONS SL
• UTNF – THE NEW FORK BV
• MiB – MICROBION SRL
• Technical University Delft
• AGROKNOW IKE
• CONSENTIO PLATFORM S.L.
• FUNDACION AZTI
• TOTALCTRL AS
• Wageningen University
• INRAE – INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L’AGRICULTURE, L’ALIMENTATION ET L’ENVIRONNEMENT
• SYM – SYMBEEOSIS EY ZHN ANONYMOS ETAIRIA
• University of Helsinki
• UWA – UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
• SAKANA CONSULTANTS SAS
• 4BMC Sagl
• THE QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST
• University Cardiff
• DEVENISH NUTRITION LTD

Start Date: 2022-09-01
End Date:2026-08-31
Project Number: 101060739
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
INL Role: partner
Total Budget: € 11,053,903
INL Budget: € 314.375,00

Title: Foundations of quantum computational advantage

Project Description: 

In FoQaCiA, we will expand the theoretical basis for the design of quantum algorithms. Our view is that the future success of quantum computing critically depends on advances at the most fundamental level, and that large-scale investments in quantum implementations will only pay off if they can draw on additional foundational insights and ideas. While several powerful quantum algorithms are known, the basic techniques they employ are few and far between. Largely, it still remains to be discovered how to systematically harness the quantum for computation. We study four areas of quantum phenomenology: (i) Quantum contextuality, non-classicality, and quantum advantage, (ii) Complexity of classical simulation of quantum computation, (iii) Arithmetic of quantum circuits, and (iv) Efficiency of fault-tolerant quantum computation. These fields are chosen for two reasons. First, their progress is of great importance for the physical realisation and the broad applicability of quantum computation. Regarding (i), one of the simplest proofs of quantum contextuality, Mermin’s star, has recently been employed to prove (Bravyi, Gosset, König) that bounded-depth quantum circuits are more powerful than their classical analogues. We seek to expand this result beyond bounded depth. In (ii), we study the quantum speedup by shaving off the redundant part – the efficiently classically simulable. In (iii), we aim to provide more efficient techniques for gate and circuit synthesis, utilising the number-theoretic underpinnings of the problem. Regarding (iv), given the celebrated threshold theorem, and the fact that the error threshold is now known to be within reach of experiment, we will tackle the remaining challenge of reducing the cost of fault tolerance. The second reason for selecting the above work areas is to mine them for foundational quantum mechanical structures and find related quantum algorithmic uses.

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory PT
• Stockholms Universitet SE
• Universidad De Sevilla ES
• Universidad De Granada ES
• Bilkent Universitesi Vakif TR
• Uniwersytet Gdanski PL
• University Of British Columbia CA
• Simon Fraser University CA
• University Of Ottawa CA
• University Of Waterloo CA
• University College London UK

Start Date: 2022-10-01
End Date: 2025-09-30
Project Number: 101075626
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01
Topic: HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-23
Type of action: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
INL Role: leader
Total Budget: € 1.513.752,00
INL Budget: € 331.118,00

Title: SITA – Stable Inorganic TAndem solar cell with superior device efficiency and increased durability

Project Description: 

To face the grand challenge of transforming the energy system to include at least 42 % photovoltaic energy in 2050 (as forecasted in a scenario by IRENA), our proposed project, SITA, aims to explore innovative concepts for tandem solar cells based on two technologies with strong competence base in Europe: Silicon Heterojunction (SHJ) and high bandgap Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS). A novel tandem concept with a 2-terminal (2T) approach requiring no additional cables or electronics will be developed, enabled by recent and further development in wide gap CIGS devices leading to high efficiency (>18%). SITA will demonstrate the durability of the new modules under realistic outdoor conditions delivering the next generation of stable inorganic tandem solar modules with superior device efficiency (>30%). SITA’s technology will build on and increase the efficiency of SHJ modules by a factor of 1.5 with marginal increase in the use of the costliest raw materials. This in turn leads to a considerable reduction in area related system costs of up to 25 % per installed power and a corresponding reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Tandem-junction efficiencies have recently approached or even surpassed the single-junction Shockley-Queisser limit for prototype devices. SITA will address the remaining limitations in terms of stability, scaling and manufacturing costs, as well as environmental impact.

Partners:

• Uppsala Universitet (Se)
• Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg (De)
• Universite Du Luxembourg (Lu)
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Fur Materialien Und Energie Gmbh (De)
• Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum (Be)
• Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique Cnrs (Fr)
• Universite De Nantes (Fr)
• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Pt)
• Eidgenossische Materialprufungs- Und Forschungsanstalt (Ch)
• Zentrum Fur Sonnenenergie- Und Wasserstoff-Forschung Badenwurttemberg (De)
• Sunplugged – Solare Energiesysteme Gmbh (At)
• Meyer Burger (Germany) Gmbh (De)
• Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (Be)
• Roltec Sp. Z O. O. (Pl)

Start Date: 2022-09-01
End Date: 2025-08-31
Project Number: 101075626
Call: HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-02
Topic: HORIZON-CL5-2021-D3-02-04
Type of action: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
Granting authority: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
INL Role: partner
Total Budget: € 4.987.482,00
INL Budget: € 378.571,00

Title: AdIrCAT – Atomically dispersed iridium catalysts for efficient and durable proton exchange membrane water electrolysis

Project Description: The “green hydrogen” produced by water electrolysis using renewable energy as power input will play a vital role in the decarbonization of various sectors, particularly the heavy industry and freight road transport where electrification is impossible or too costly. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a very promising low-temperature technology, and has a number of advantages over the conventional alkaline water electrolysis. However, the usage of precious and scarce noble metal iridium (Ir) to catalyze the thermodynamically and kinetically demanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is indispensable to achieve decent electrolysis performance. To enable widespread deployment of PEM electrolyzers and make electrolyzed hydrogen fuel economically competitive, the utilization of Ir in electrolyzers must be reduced without comprising the catalytic performance for the OER. The AdIrCAT project aims at developing the emerging atomically dispersed Ir catalysts, which will maximize the utilization of Ir and meanwhile improve the mass activity of Ir catalysts by a factor of at least 5. Moreover, a method will be developed that potentially allows for upscale production of atomically dispersed Ir catalysts. The catalysts will be accessed not only in the half-cell configuration but also in membrane electrode assemblies under industry-relevant conditions in collaboration with a company where the applicant will have her secondment. The applicant and host group have complementary expertise that can be transferred to each other. The host institution will offer the applicant a range of training to enhance her competences and skills in terms of proposal preparation, project management, leadership, and science communications. Successful implementation of this project will help the applicant reach her professional maturity and remarkably enhance her future career prospects as a female scientist, leading her to find a tenure-track position after the Fellowship.

Start Date: 2022-02-01
End Date: 2024-01-31
Type: Widening Fellowship
Grant agreement ID: 101023915
Funding Agency: Horizon Europe | European Commission
Funding Programme: Horizon 2020 – Excellence Science – Widening Fellowships
INL Role: Host organisation
Budget Total: € 159,815.04
Budget INL: € 159,815.04

Title: SPINCAT | Spin-polarized Catalysts for Energy-Efficient AEM Water Electrolysis

Project Description

For Europe to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, H2 has been identified as one of the priority areas for clean, affordable and secure energy to replace oil and gas, in accordance with the European Green Deal. Water electrolysis using renewable energy is the leading energy storage contender as a clean H2 source to establish a sustainable H2 economy. However, the necessity of using rare and expensive platinum groups metals (PGMs) to catalyse the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) hinders the wide implementation of water electrolysis. Therefore, the development of efficient PGM-free catalysts is of utmost importance for Europe to reach its decarbonization objectives. SpinCat addresses this need by realizing a new class of magnetic earth-abundant catalysts that, through spin polarization, will boost catalytic activity towards OER by a factor of three as compared to state-of-the-art catalysts. Further enhancements to catalytic activity will be obtained through the use of external magnetic field during catalysis. Through an interplay of experiment and theory, we will design and prepare catalyst materials featuring optimal spin polarization effects, gain fundamental knowledge on the parameters affecting the OER activity of magnetic materials, and develop a general theoretical model for the overall description of the influence of the electron spin in electrocatalysis. The technology will be demonstrated in a magnetically enhanced anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser prototype, which merges the benefits of both internal and external magnetic effects. The long-term vision of SpinCat is to establish cost-effective H2 production via reducing the cost of membrane-based electrolyser technology by omitting the need of PGMs. This project will contribute to establishing Europe as the world leader in electrolyser technology for renewable H2 production.

URL: www.spincat.eu

Start Date: 01 June 2021

End Date: 31 May 2025

Type: H2020 | Research and Innovation Action

Grant agreement ID: 964972

Funding Agency: H2020 | European Commission

Funding Programme: FET Open

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Yury Kolenko)

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (IO/Portugal)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISE (Germany)
• Eindhoven University of Technology (Tu/e) (Germany)
• Hydrolite (Israel)
• Magnetocat (Spain)

Budget Total: € 3,358,238.75

Budget INL: € 744,375.00

Title: MAREWIND | MAterials solutions for cost Reduction and Extended service life on WIND off-shore facilities

Project Description

MAREWIND addresses the main aspects related with materials durability and maintenance in offshore structures which consequently suppose failures, misfunctioning, loss of efficiency in energy generation and which have a major repercussion in O&M costs and capital costs.

MAREWIND cover a set of ambitious targets focused on: (1) enhancing corrosion protection systems and durability, (2) effective and durable antifouling solutions without using biocides, (3) erosion protection and mechanical reinforcement in
wind blades, (4) predictive modelling and monitoring and (5) increasing recyclability.

These objectives will be developed considering three main pillars addressing all those aspects related with (a) Scalable manufacturing technologies, (b) Saferby- design materials avoiding environmental concerns and (c) standardisation aspects for effective European deployment of marketable and usable technologies.

URL: TBD

Start Date: 01 December 2020

End Date: 30 November 2024

Type: H2020 | Innovation Action

Grant agreement ID: 952960

Funding Agency: H2020 | European Commission

Funding Programme: H2020-LC-NMBP-31-2020 – Materials for off shore energy

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Yury Kolenko)

Partners:

• L’UREDERRA, FUNDACION PARA EL DESARROLLO TECNOLOGICO Y SOCIAL
• TWI LIMITED
• CENTRO DI RICERCHE EUROPEO DI TECNOLOGIE DESIGN E MATERIALI
• INEGI – INSTITUTO DE CIENCIA E INOVACAO EM ENGENHARIA MECANICA E ENGENHARIA INDUSTRIAL
• IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AGRUPACION DE INTERES ECONOMICO
• TECNOLOGIA NAVARRA DE NANOPRODUCTOS SL
• EIRECOMPOSITES TEORANTA
• NAVARRA DE TÉCNICAS DE SOLDADURA Y FIJACIÓN S.L.
• ACCIONA CONSTRUCCION SA
• NAVAL ENERGIES
• ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE
• Koshkil Systems S.L.
• RINA CONSULTING SPA
• PNO INNOVATION
• EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR WELDING JOINING AND CUTTING

Budget Total: € 6,706,969.63

Budget INL: € 354,375.00

Title: Inno4Cov-19 | Boosting Innovation for COVID-19 Diagnostic, Prevention and Surveillance

Project Description

The novel corona virus causing COVID-19 overwhelmed Europe and the world in just a few weeks’ time. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and other business are put at very high risk by the slowdown or shutdown of economic life in their countries – exactly those companies who ensure the development of innovative solutions urgently required for counteracting the impacts of COVID-19 and for helping to control possible future outbreaks alike. In view of this situation, accelerated uptake of innovative technologies to tackle COVID-19 is most needed. On the other hand, we need to ensure that urgency does not cause a situation where standards, norms and regulation are left behind, leading to the market uptake of defective, or even, dangerous products. In order to give an efficient and fast answer to this challenging situation, INNO4COV-19 proposes building an Innovation Hub for the addressed technologies.

INNO4COV-19 aims to create a “lab-to-fab” platform and a collaboration resource where companies and reference laboratories will find the tools for developing and implementing innovative technologies to tackle COVID-19 and future pandemics – from idea assessment to market exploitation. This work will be carried out as part the European Union Coronavirus initiative and in strong collaboration with all the funded projects where to accelerate the time to market for any promising product.

INNO4COV-19 is set to assist at least 30 test cases and applications for combatting COVID-19 from several areas spanning from innovative diagnostic and screening systems, environmental surveillance, sensors & devices for telemedicine and telepresence and protective equipment for People and safer Public.

URL: http://www.inno4cov19.eu/

Start Date: 01 October 2020

End Date: 30 September 2022

Type: IA – Innovation Actions

Grant agreement ID: 101016203

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Mariana Fernandes)

Partners:

• INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Coordinator)- Portugal
• Biokeralty Research AIE – Spain
• iMM – Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes – Portugal
• BIOEF – Fundación Vasca de Innovación e Investigación Sanitarias – Spain
• Leitat – Leitat Technological Center – Spain
• UNIBO – Università di Bologna – Italy
• JOA – Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH – Austria
• Fraunhofer-FEP – Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP – Germany
• Trinity College Dublin – Ireland
• VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research – Belgium
• Obelis – Belgium

Budget Total: € 6.188.612,50

Budget INL:€ 3.507.875,00

Title: TrustEat | Building a trusty future food system by using blockchain tech

Project Description

The TrustEat project is a Twinning action between the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL, Portugal), Wageningen University & Research (WUR, Netherlands), and IBM Research (Switzerland) in the field of food blockchain. The essence of the partnership is to strengthen the research area of food blockchain, focusing on improving INL´s research profile and capturing future opportunities of joint research. With these objectives, partners will develop a R&D Strategic Roadmap, will conduct training for senior and junior researchers, benchmark activities in research management and develop different activities with stakeholders to make the project sustainable, facilitating the transfer of knowledge.

Activities include staff exchanges, expert visits, on-site/virtual training, workshops, conference, joint summer schools and activities to increase the ecosystem awareness.

Food safety is a basis for effective functioning of markets with trust and transparency. Food safety risks occur along the food chain from a number of contaminants. In addition, malpractices or fraudulent practices could also lead to increased food safety risks. It is of major importance for the public health to develop integrated approaches along the entire food chain for detecting, assessing, and mitigating pathogens and contaminant hazards. The food blockchain technology would allow to ensure the food value chain integrity to consumers, that is, safety, traceability and authenticity. By using blockchain all the stakeholders in the food value chain will know where their food comes in real-time data, which can really increase trust and confidence about food production from start to finish.

By establishing a link between two of the best leading institutions in food integrity and blockchain, INL will improve the quality and the innovative nature of the developed research, will strengthen the interaction of partners, taking the research to the next level.

URL: https://www.trusteat.eu/

Start Date: 01 October 2020

End Date: 30 September 2023

Type: CSA – Coordination and Support Action

Grant agreement ID: 952600

Funding Agency: European Commission

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Nuria Barros)

Partners:

• INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Coordinator)
• IBM Research – Zurich
• Wageningen University and Research – WUR

Budget Total: € 894.362,63

Budget INL:€ 482.555,00

Title: Phoqusing| Photonics Quantum Sampling Machins

Project Description

Randomness is a resource that enables applications such as efficient probabilistic algorithms, numerical integration, simulation, and optimization. PHOQUSING aims to implement PHOtonic Quantum SamplING machines based on large, reconfigurable interferometers with active feedback, and state-of-the-art photon sources based both on quantum dots and parametric down-conversion. The project will overview the different architectures enabling the generation of these hard-to-sample distributions using integrated photonics, optimizing the designs and studying the tolerance to errors. It will build two quantum sampling machines with different technologies, as a way to do cross-checks while exploiting all advantages of each platform. These machines will establish a new state-of-the-art in photonic reconfigurability, system complexity, and integration. Finally, it plans to perform first, proof-of-principle demonstrations of Hybrid Quantum Computation applications in optimization, machine learning, and graph theory.

This project will help establish photonics as a leading new quantum computational technology in Europe, addressing the science-to-technology transition towards a new industrial sector with a large foreseeable economic impact.

URL: https://www.phoqusing.eu/

Start Date: 01 September 2020

End Date: 31 August 2024

Type: H2020 | Research and Innovation Action (RIA)

Grant agreement ID: 899544

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 – FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking/p>

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Ernesto Galvão)

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, INL (Coordinator) – Portugal
• NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK, TNO – The Netherlands
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
• CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
• QUANDELA
• QuiX BV
• SORBONNE UNIVERSITE

Budget Total: € 3,305,955.00

Budget INL: € 285,000.00

Title: Ascent+ – Access to European Infrastructure for Nanoelectronics

Project Description

Advancing and broadening the first ASCENT programme, ASCENT+ will integrate additional key European infrastructures to address emerging research challenges in Nanoelectronics and enable a smooth consistent transition of the European industry to a new era. Through the Single Entry Point and a user-focussed Access Interface, ASCENT + integrates a unique research infrastructure of more than €2.5bn investment to offer access to state-of-the-art processing, modelling/data sets, metrology/characterisation, and devices/test structures for Nanoelectronics to its users.

ASCENT+ includes academic partners and also an extended network of over 3,700 members through partner research and industry cluster organisations. This will allow to serve a much wider user base and foster innovation by linking new scientific knowledge in Nanoelectronics with challenge-driven research to achieve: (i) quantum advantage using solid-state platforms; (ii) low-power, energy-efficient, highperformance computing based on disruptive devices; and (iii) increased functionality through advanced integration of a diverse range of materials and innovative technologies.

URL: https://www.ascent.network/

Start Date: 01 September 2020

End Date: 31 August 2024

Type: H2020 | Research and Innovation Action (RIA)

Grant agreement ID: 871130

Funding Agency: H2020 | European Commission

Funding Programme:INFRAIA-01-2018-2019: Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Dmitri Petrovykh)

Partners:

• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
• INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM
• COMMISSARIAT A L’ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
• INSTITUT SINANO ASSOCIATION
• MIDAS IRELAND LTD
• DSP VALLEY VZW
• MINALOGIC PARTENAIRES
• Silicon Saxony e. V.
• UNIVERSITAT LINZ
• UNIVERSITEIT GENT
• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA

Budget Total: € 9,853,570.00

Budget INL: € 856,407.50

Title: QU-BOSS – Quantum advantage via non-linear Boson Sampling

Project Description

The aim of QU-BOSS is to experimentally push towards the quantum advantage regime with integrated photonic technology. The key innovative ingredient is the introduction of non-linearities acting at the single photon level embedded within the Boson Sampling interferometer. QU-BOSS is planned to provide an experimental research breakthrough along three main directions, including both “hardware” and “software” components. First, we will use complementary approaches to map out how the addition of nonlinearity boosts the device ́s complexity, making it harder to simulate classically. Different approaches will be adopted, based on hybrid integrated quantum photonics, a versatile and flexible route to manipulate high-dimensional quantum photonic states. Finally, the developed technology will be adopted to implement different architectures demonstrating quantum machine learning. QU-BOSS aims to position integrated photonics into the NISQ (noisy, intermediate-scale quantum) era, opening up new scientific horizons at the frontier of quantum information, quantum control, machine learning and integrated photonics.

URL: https://www.quantumlab.it/qu-boss/

Start Date: 01 August 2020

End Date: 31 July 2025

Type: ERC Advanced Grant

Grant agreement ID: 884676

Funding Agency: European Research Council

Funding Programme:ERC-2019-ADG: ERC Advanced Grant 2019

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Ernesto Galvão)

Partners:

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA (Fabio Sciarrino: Principal Investigator)
• CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (Roberto Osellame)

Budget Total: € 2,875,000.00

Budget INL: € 190,000.00

Title: PITCCH | Pan-European Open Innovation Network for Corporate Challenges in Advanced Technologies

Project Description

Advanced technologies are key drivers towards transformation and efficiency of industry. Today behind every innovation is a complex and high-tech supply chain where SMEs have an important role to foster invention. Their role of drivers of innovation mainly happen through collaborations with large enterprises (LEs). However, getting SMEs engaged with LEs and vice versa still encounters some barriers. Major challenges are related with finding interesting innovations and connecting them through trustful and beneficial collaborations.

The PITCCH project aims to build a pan-European open innovation network to support the establishment of structured collaborations between innovative SMEs and LEs to take up their advanced technologies-based solutions, by intermediating the connection between needs and cutting-edge offers. The PITCCH consortium intends to build a well-reputed network ecosystem gathering technology centres, LEs and SMEs. Actors will be attracted from partners’ networks and from other existing European initiatives, such as the EEN, the DIH catalogues, the KET observatory, the SME Instrument Hub.

To create a critical mass of partnerships, selected LEs will launch 15 Corporate Challenges to call for SMEs. After a selection, best SMEs will be supported by the PITCCH support schemes to develop their projects.

A Digital Open Innovation Platform will be developed to serve as the central brokerage service point, enabling an efficient functioning of the network. The platform will support the members of the network in scouting potential partners and in managing the requests for brokerage services. A brokerage services portfolio will be set up based on the competences of TCs and the needs of companies. To achieve the final objective of long-term sustainability of the network, three different business models as support schemes to Open Innovation partnerships will be tested. By the end, the most sustainable will be chosen as base to build a PITCCH Sustainability Plan.

URL: https://pitcch.eu/

Start Date: 01 May 2020

End Date: 30 Apri 2023

Type: H2020 | CSA Coordination and support action

Grant agreement ID: 882463

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Michela Mattaloni and Francisco Guimarães)

Partners:

• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, INL (Coordinator) – Portugal
• NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK, TNO – The Netherlands
• RINA Consulting SPA – Italy
• STEINBEIS 2I GMBH – Germany
• AVITAMINADOS Lda – Portugal

Budget Total: € 1, 498, 995.00

Budget INL:€ 625, 125.00

Title: FlexFunction2Sustain | Innovation for nano-functionalised flexible plastic surfaces

Project Description

Today, a wide range of products, including packaging, consumer electronic devices and even car windows, use plastic and paper-based flexible materials and films based on nano-enabled functionalisation of the surfaces. The sector is facing a major challenge consisting of overcoming plastic waste pollution by following the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy and adopting digitalisation and products ready to be integrated into smart frameworks. The EU-funded FlexFunction2Sustain project is the first European initiative aiming to support the industry with a sustainable open innovation ecosystem that will enhance innovation for nano-functionalised flexible plastic and paper surfaces and films. The services will be offered to EU SMEs through an independent single entry point legal institution.

URL: https://flexfunction2sustain.eu/

Start Date: 01 April 2020

End Date: 31 March 2024

Type: IA – Innovation Action

Grant agreement ID: 862156

Funding Agency: Europen Commission

Funding Programme: Horizon2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Marina Dias)

Partners:

• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. (Coordinator), Germany
• JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH, Austria
• AUTH – ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS, Greece
• COATEMA COATING MACHINERY GMBH, Germany
• GEMIFO GESELLSCHAFT FUR MITTELSTANDSFORDERUNG MBH, Germany
• ORGANIC ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE COMPANY IKE, Greece
• 24 IP LAW GROUP FRANCE, France
• BL NANOBIOMEDy, Greece
• CENTRE TECHNIQUE INDUSTRIEL DE LA PLASTURGIE ET DES COMPOSITES, France
• ELLINIKO SOMATEIO GIA IA ORGANIKA KAI EETIPOMENA ILEKTRONIKA, Greece
• I3 MEMBRANE GMBH, Germany
• HUECK FOLIEN GESELLSCHAFT M.B.H., Austria
• CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPA, Italy
• SONAE MC – SERVICOS PARTILHADOS, SA, Portugal
• CAPRI SUN GMBH, Germany
• AMIRES SRO, Czechia

Budget Total: € 16, 163, 107. 50

EU Contribution: € 14, 231, 400 .00

Budget INL: € 1, 364, 875 .00

Title: Sbd4Nano | Computing infrastructure for the definition, performance testing and implementation of safe-by-design approaches in nanotechnology supply chains

Project Description

A major challenge for the global nanotechnology sector is the development of safe and functional engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and nano-enabled products (NEPs). In this context, the application of the Safe-by-Design (SbD) concept has been adopted recently by the nanosafety community as a means to dampen human health and environmental risks, applying preventive safety measures during the design stage of a facility, process, material or product. However and despite its importance, SbD prescriptions are still in their infancy, and are hampered among other things by the lack of comprehensive data about the performance, hazard and release potential of the great variety of NEPs in use.

Sbd4Nano addresses that problem creating a comprehensive new e-infrastructure to foster dialogue and collaboration between all actors in the supply chain for a knowledge-driven definition of SbD setups that optimize hazard, technical performance and economic costs. Our project developes a validated rapid hazard profiling module, coupled to a new exposure-driven modelling framework to reduce toxicity. This safe-born material also undergoes a cost-benefit analysis algorithm to find the best compromise between safety and a industrially convenient technical performance. Finally, a new software interface where product information can be exchanged between the supply chain participants is the tool that wraps up, finishing the collaborative spirit of Sbd4Nano between regulators, researchers and industry. Coherently with its goals, our Sbd4Nano project is international and open-scienced in essence, with the clear aim of impacting the EU policies as well as directly and clearly benefiting the citizen.

URL: https://www.sbd4nano.eu

Start Date: 01 April 2020

End Date: 31 March 2024

Type: RIA – Research and Innovation actions

Grant agreement ID: 862195

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Begoña Espiña)

Partners:

• ITENE – INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA (Coordinator), Spain
• TNO – NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK, Netherlands
• SABANCI UNIVERSITESI NANOTEKNOLOJI ARASTIRMA VE UYGULAMA MERKEZI SUNUM , Turkey
• CEA – COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, France
• THINKWORKS BV, Netherlands
• INL – INTERNATIONAL IBERIAN NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY, Portugal
• ART-ER-SOCIETA CONSORTILE PER AZIONI, Italy
• BIONANONET FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH, Austria
• YORDAS GMBH, Germany
• GRUPO ANTOLIN-INGENIERIA SA, Spain
• AVANZARE INNOVACION TECNOLOGICA SL, Spain
• HIQ-NANO SRL, Italy
• NANOVECTOR SRL, Italy
• APPLYNANO SOLUTIONS S.L., Spains
• ACZON SRL, Italy
• IDEACONSULT LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Bulgaria
• CREATIVE NANO PC, Greece
• UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI, Spain
• AMBROSIALAB SRL, Italy
• LAURENTIA TECHNOLOGIES SLL, Spain
• CONTROLNANO TECHNOLOGIES SL, Spain
• UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT, Netherlands
• INSTITUTE OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE, UK

Budget Total: € 5, 979, 609.99

Budget INL:€ 122, 250.00

Title: 3DNANOFOOD |Advancing frontiers in personalised foods for seniors through nanotechnology and 3D printing aiming enhanced nutrition and superior flavor

Project Description

Healthy aging requires healthy eating habits, but older adults are vulnerable to malnutrition. This is mainly due to decreased appetite, dental problems, psychosocial issues and chronic disease. Early detection of malnutrition allows for a timely intervention. The EU-funded 3D-NANOFOOD project will assist by manufacturing personalised foods with superior nutrition. To do so, it will exploit 3D printing for fast food manufacturing and flexibility. The project will use nanostructured delivery systems for protecting and enhancing the performance of functional compounds. It will evaluate the quality and functionality of the new foods, as well as create an industrial protocol for printed foods manufacturing.

URL: TBD

Start Date: 02 March 2020

End Date: 29 February 2024

Type: WF-01-2018 – Widening Fellowships

Grant agreement ID: 867472

Funding Agency: H2020

Funding Programme: H2020-EU.4. – SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Miguel Cerqueira)

Budget Total: € 147, 815.04

Budget INL:€ 147, 815.04

Title: SUSNANOFAB | Integrated EU strategy, services and international coordination activities for the promotion of competitive and sustainable nanofabrication industry

Project Description

Nanofabrication has the potential to make a significant impact in a multitude of diverse areas and to tackle major socio-economic challenges for an ever-improving yet affordable health care, higher standards of living and quality consumer goods, cleaner energy and transport.

Given the above-mentioned potential of nanofabrication, the present project SUSNANOFAB tackles all nanofabrication technological and non-technological issues of the nanofabrication value chain, facilitating interactions among stakeholders. The global target of SUSNANOFAB project is to put in place an integrated concerted action on nanofabrication sustainable in the long term.

At a strategic level, the project will find a common strategy to enable all pre-competitive conditions for the successful market uptake of nanofabricated products and solutions. This will be reached using a structured roadmapping methodology and involving external experts in Coordination Groups. At operational and end-users’ level, the project will provide affordable services and easy access point to infrastructures and knowledge to EU stakeholders, and in particular to SMEs. This will be reached using different integrated methodologies such as the organisation of a large set of training and brokerage workshops and services and the development of a Digital Platform, which will perform in an interoperable manner with ongoing platforms and initiatives (e.g. the European Network for Pilot Production Facilities and Innovation Hubs, the European Material Modelling Council etc.).

To promote international cooperation SUSNANOFAB Consortium includes 3 US partners not requesting EU funding. To involve a high number of key actors, the project has already achieved the support of several companies, research and education establishments, European Technology Platforms, clusters and industrial associations, national, regional and international nanofabrication related entities.

URL: https://susnanofab.eu/

Start Date: 01 March 2020

End Date: 28 February 2023

Type: H2020 | CSA Coordination and support action

Grant agreement ID: 882506

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Paula Galvão)

Partners:

• RINA Consulting SPA (Coordinator) – Italy
• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, INL – Portugal
• Fundación TECNALIA Research & Innovation, TECNALIA – Spain
• University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork, TYNDALL – Ireland
• Commissariat a l energie atomique et aux energies alternatives, CEA – France
• Nanotechnology Industries Association, NIA – Belgium
• Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites, IPC – France
• ONVEGA – Sweden
• Technische Universitaet Wien, TUW – Austria
• Fundacion IDONIAL – Spain
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation – USA
• Brown University – USA
• Baylor University – USA

Budget Total: € 1, 999, 918.75

Budget INL:€ 210, 125.00

Title: COVIACOAT | Antiviral edible coating for fresh food

Project Description

COVICOAT will impact in food safety, consumer trust and environment. The antiviral coating proposed will provide an extra layer of safety for raw products such as fruits and vegetables that will contribute to enhancing the EFSA hygiene guidelines regarding COVID-19. Due to other recent foodborne outbreaks, consumers are sensitive to the consumption of fresh food. Consumers need additional guarantees of food safety now more than ever: origin, traceability and certifications will need to be highlighted. That will affect countries such as Spain and Portugal where COVID-19 incidence was high, that are traditional exporters of fresh vegetables to the north of Europe. The commercialisation of coated fruits and vegetables with an anti-COVID solution will bring trust, having a positive impact on the exports of these countries. Regarding EIT Food objectives COVICOAT will contribute to overcome low consumer trust and to create consumer valued food for healthier nutrition.

URL: https://www.covicoat.eu/

Start Date: 01 January 2020

End Date: 31 December 2020

Type: Innovation Project

Grant agreement ID: 20400

Funding Agency: EIT Food

Funding Programme: EIT Food Covid-19 Rapid Response – Innovation

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Lorenzo Pastrana)

Partners:

• EROSKI
• 2BNanoFood

Budget Total: € 523,373.00

Budget INL: € 262,623.00

Title: ICONSS| Innovative Consumer OrieNted Safe Solutions

Project Description

The ICONSS proposal aims to develop, in the timeframe of the project, an integrated solution targeting consumers and food operators. This integrated solution will be made up of two modules: the first one, an app that will look at nutritional aspects for vulnerable population groups and create a food box from retailers ready to pick up or for home delivery, to minimize exposure in indoor environments particularly for vulnerable people. The second module, also connected to this unique app, will be a miniaturized device for fast, reliable and easy to use testing of workers and surfaces to ensure the safety in food-related environments, with special emphasis on retailers. This miniaturized kit and device will include sampling, a simplified RNA extraction and isothermal amplification and detection, ready to be used on decentralized settings with minimum interaction from users, and giving a simple and easy to read answer.

URL: https://www.iconss.eu/

Start Date: 01 January 2020

End Date: 31 December 2020

Type: Innovation Project

Grant agreement ID: 20431

Funding Agency: EIT Food

Funding Programme: Business Plan 2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Marta Prado)

Partners:

• Milcoop
• SGS Portugal, S.A.
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
• Focos

Budget Total: € 883,375.00

Budget INL: € 367,125.00

Title: SiNfONiA | Safety in Nanomaterials & Nanotechnology

Project Description

The potential of nanomaterials and nanotechnology to improve the quality of life, to address society’s grand challenges and to contribute to economic growth and to sharpen the competitiveness of the industry is now widely recognized, not only in Europe but globally. Nanomaterials and nanotechnology offer substantial possibilities for improving the competitive position of the EU and for responding to key societal challenges. However, there is a need to ensure the safe development and application of nanomaterial and nanotechnologies and for finding reliable ways to predict the potential risks to health, food and environment of these materials and technologies. Due to the widespread use of nanomaterials, it is critical to identify any potential risks they may pose to human health or the environment. These current uncertainties surrounding nanomaterial risk mean that research is required into nanomaterial safety. Addressing these knowledge gaps will help to ensure that innovation in the rapidly developing area of Nanotechnology is not stifled by concern, but instead by determining risks associated with nanomaterials we can promote the safe, sustainable and responsible use of this technology.

SiNfONiA aims at attracting and maintaining a high profile researcher (ERA Chair) and respective research team with excellent research capabilities in the nanosafety research domain. SiNfONiA will play as a catalyst to fully maximize the impact of the ERA Chair on the scientific excellence and research performance of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL).

URL: https://www.sinfoniaproject.com/

Start Date: 01 June 2019

End Date: 31 March 2023

Type: H2020 | CSA Coordination and support action

Grant agreement ID: 857253

Funding Agency: Horizon 2020

Funding Programme: H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-04

INL Role: Coordinator (Point of Contact: Marina Brito)

Budget Total: € 2, 498, 581.25

Budget INL:€ 2, 498, 581.25

Title: SAFE-n-MEDTECH | Safety Testing in the life cycle of nanotechnology-enable Medical Technologies for Health

Project Description

Society and clinical practice pose a growing demand on novel biomaterials, ICT, micro and nanotechnologies for innovative medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics (Medical Technologies-MTs). In addition to the challenge of time, the new technologies are subjected to other pressing factors such as qualification, regulation, cost, biocompatibility and the need to be applicable worldwide. In the most recent years, it is obvious that nano-enabled MTs can be applied in nearly every medical area, with a major presence and increased importance in cancer, regenerative medicine, advanced therapies, neurology, cardiology, orthopaedics, and dentistry.

SAFE-N-MEDTECH will build an innovative open-access platform to offer to companies and reference laboratories, the capabilities, know-how, networks and services required for the development, testing, assessment, upscaling and market exploitation of nanotechnology-based Medical and Diagnosis Devices.

SAFE-N-MEDTECH will offer a multidisciplinary and market-oriented innovation approach to SME´s, Healthcare providers and Industries for the translation to the market of MTs, based on a deep understanding and knowledge of the material nanoproperties, their advance use and applications in MTs and other aspects involved in MTs safety (electric compatibility, electromagnetic properties, etc).

URL:

Start Date: 01 April 2019

End Date: 31 March 2023

Type: H2020 | IA Innovation action

Grant agreement ID: 814607

Funding Agency: Horizon 2020

Funding Programme: NMBP-02-2018: Open Innovation Test Beds for Safety Testing of Medical Technologies for Health (IA)

INL Role: Participant (Participant Contact: Marina Brito)

Coordinator:

• Tecnologia Navarra de Nanoproductos (TECNAN) SL

Partners:

• Vito, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Belgium
• University of Pavia, Italy
• CNRS, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
• Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland
• RCI, Resonant Circuits Limited, UK
• SINTEF, AS, Norway
• IMM, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Portugal
• Greendecision Srl, Italy
• EuroScan International Network e.V, Germany
• University of Liverpool, UK
• CEBR, Council of European BioRegions, Belgium
• Osteba, Basque Office for HTA & Ministry for Health Basque Country, Spain
• MARACA International bvba, Belgium
• Stryker Trauma GmbH, Germany
• Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
• Hubei Gedian Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China
• China Pharmaceutical University, China
• National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China
• BioKeralty Research Institute AIE, Spain
• CIBER, Consorcia Centro de Investigacion –biomedica En Red MP, Spain
• VHIR, Fundacio Hospital Universitari Vall D’Hebron – Institut de Recerca, Spain
• STAMI, National Institute of Occupational Health, Norway
• Keralty SAS, Colombia
• Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (TECNALIA), Spain
• Biopraxis Research AIE, Spain

Budget Total: € 18, 344, 674.10

Budget INL: € 669, 625.00

Title: ChipAI: Energy-efficient and high-bandwidth neuromorphic nanophotonic Chips for Artificial Intelligence systems

Project Description

The same way the internet revolutionized our society, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can learn without the need for explicit instructions is transforming our life. AI uses brain-inspired neural network algorithms powered by computers. However, these central processing units (CPU) are extremely energy inefficient at implementing these tasks. This represents a major bottleneck for energy-efficient, scalable and portable AI systems. Reducing the energy consumption of the massively dense interconnects in existing CPUs needed to emulate complex brain functions is a major challenge.

ChipAI aims at developing a nanoscale photonics-enabled technology capable of delivering compact, high-bandwidth and energy efficiency CPUs using optically interconnected spiking neuron-like sources and detectors. ChipAI will pursue its main goal through the exploitation of Resonant Tunnelling (RT) semiconductor nanostructures embedded in sub-wavelength metal cavities, with dimensions 100 times smaller over conventional devices, for efficient light confinement, emission and detection.

Key elements developed are non-linear RT nanoscale lasers, LEDs, detectors, and synaptic optical links on silicon substrates to make an economically viable technology. This platform will be able to fire and detect neuron-like light-spiking (pulsed) signals at rates 1 billion times faster than biological neurons (>10 GHz per spike rates) and requiring ultralow energy (<10 fJ). This radically new architecture will be tested for spike-encoding information processing towards validation for use in artificial neural networks. This will enable the development of real-time and offline portable AI and neuromorphic (brain-like) CPUs.

In perspective, ChipAI will not only lay the foundations of the new field of neuromorphic optical computing, as will enable new non-AI functional applications in biosensing, imaging and many other fields where masses of cheap miniaturized pulsed sources and detectors are needed.

URL: http://chipai.eu

Start Date: 01 March 2019

End Date: 28 February 2022

Type: H2020-EU.1.2.1. – FET Open

Grant agreement ID: 828841

Funding Agency: Horizon 2020

Funding Programme: FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 – FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Bruno Romeira and Nuria Barros)

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• University of Glasgow (UK)
• University of Strathclyde (UK)
• Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
• Faculty of Sciences (FCiencias.id) University of Lisbon (PT)
• University of the Balearic Islands (ES)
• IQE plc (UK),
• IBM Research Gmbh (CH)

Budget Total: € 3, 892, 005.00

Budget INL: € 653, 625.00

Title: i-Grape: Integrated, Low-Cost and Stand-Alone Micro-Optical System for Grape Maturation and Vine Hydric Stress Monitoring

Project Description

This project aims at the development of fully integrated, small, low-cost, standalone smart system used for grape maturation monitoring. It will consist of an optical detection head ( flexible strip or transparent canopy) connected to the grape bunch, including power, signal pre-processing, and wireless communications. The detection head will be optically based (UV-VIS-NIR) using an integration of LED sources and photodiode/interference filter arrays at wafer level or wafer package level. This project aims at the development of a fully integrated, small, low-cost, standalone device used for grape maturation and vine hydric stress monitoring. It will consist of an optical detection head connected to the top of the grape bunch, including power, signal preprocessing, and communications. Reflectance and fluorescence measurements will be used at various wavelengths to probe spectral signatures for phenols (for instance anthocyanins reflectance have a maximum absorption band at around 500-540nm, and flavonols-reflectance at 300-400 at about 370nm), for clorophile chlorophylls (fluorescence at 680-750nm) and other indexes. pH and Brix will be correlated with the optical reflectance and fluorescence measurements.

The project concept originated from conversations between Sogrape (a major wine producing company with estates in Portugal, Spain, Chile and Australia and the realization of the pressing need for the development of a standalone device for grape maturation and vine hydric stress control. Partners with the required know-how were then contacted to bring in and incorporate the various components required at wafer level, wafer package level, component level and system level necessary for the development of an electronic smart system. Furthermore, the consortium as a whole can carry developed systems into volume production.

URL: http://i-grape.eu/

Start Date: 01 December 2018

End Date: 30 November 2021

Type: INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP – Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Contract Number: 825521

Funding Agency: Horizon 2020

Funding Programme: H2020-EU.2.1.1. – INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: João Piteira and Nuria Barros)

Partners:

• INL | International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal)
• INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (Portugal)
• Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK University of Freiburg (Germany)
• DiSAA | Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy)
• Sogrape Vinhos, S.A. (Portugal)
• Automation, Advanced Lab Solutions (Italy)

Budget Total: € 2, 686, 966.25

Budget INL: € 757, 500.00

Title: FODIAC: Food for Diabetes and Cognition

Project Description

FODIAC aims to develop a dietary solution to tackle type 2 diabetes and cognitive dysfunction of the elderly. FODIAC will enhance the quality of R&I in Europe, promoting cooperation along the Food Value Chain. This is achieved through advanced international, intersectoral, cooperation between 7 academic and 8 industry partners. For this purpose, FODIAC assembles a European multi/interdisciplinary consortium, composed of partners in 5 countries that provide expertise in: extraction and purification of bioactive molecules, nanotechnology, nano/micro-encapsulation, toxicology, nutrition, biomarkers, clinical trial management.

Rationale: lack of knowledge sharing among academia and industry acts as a barrier for the development of functional foods for the elderly, who represent one of the fastest-growing population segments worldwide.

Approach and Outcomes: FODIAC coordinates the actions of individual partners, academic and industrial, using Exchange of Staff as a tool to capitalize on complementary competences to:

• conduct joint research;
• protect the Intellectual Property based on this research;
• foster the transference of the generated knowledge, skills, and technology to the industrial sector; and
• exploit research output to the benefit of society.

FODIAC’s outcomes will include:

• an increase in the R&I capacity among participating partners;
• boosting of knowledge transfer of emerging micro/nano-biotechnologies from academia to industry, to develop cost-effective processes;
• commercialization of new functional ingredients and functional foods containing antidiabetic and cognitive-enhancing bioactive molecules;
• acceleration of the development of dietary recommendations and interventions based on those products, to improve the quality of life of the elderly;
• a sustainable research network of academic and industrial partners; and
• the leveraging of career perspectives of individual researchers, both in and outside the academic institution.

URL: http://fodiac.eu/

Start Date: 01 April 2018

End Date: 31 March 2022

Type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

Contract Number: 778388

Funding Agency: Horizon 2020

Funding Programme: H2020 MSCA-RISE-2017

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Lorenzo Pastrana and Nuria Barros)

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• Universidade do Minho (Portugal)
• Lunds Universitet (Sweden)
• The University of Reading (United Kingdom)
• Sonae Center Serviços II S.A. (Portugal)
• Asociacion Nacional de Fabricantes de Conservas de Pescados y Mariscos – Centro Tecnico Nacional de Conservacion de Productos de la Pesca (Spain)
• A&R House (BCL) Ltd. (United Kingdom)
• Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy)
• Decorgel – Produtos Alimentares SA (Portugal)
• Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain)
• Bioinicia SL (Spain)
• E.V.R.A. S.r.l (Italy)
• Geriatros S.A. (Spain)
• Azienda Agricola Casa Emma di Lepri Fiorella (Italy)
• Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Portugal)

Budget Total: € 432,000.00

Budget INL: € 124,000.00

Title: NanoTRAINforGrowthII: INL Fellowship programme in nanotechnologies for nanomedicine, energy, ICT, food and environment applications

Project Description

NanoTRAINforGrowthII programme aims to provide an opportunity for experienced researchers (from all over the world and all nationalities) to sketch out a research project and work on their own research idea at INL´s facilities. It is set to be a 5 year programme and is the 2nd edition of INL´s fellowship programme. Its main objective is to attract talented researchers and provide opportunities for training and career development, at a one of a kind and state of the art research infrastructure. Selected fellows will have the opportunity to work at INL, through a two-year employment contract entirely focused in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. INL´s Post-doc fellowship programme is an individual-driven bottom-up approach that comprises the incoming mobility scheme.. Fellows will have access to a completely brand new set of state-of-the-art equipment and will have the opportunity to enhance their expertise via a research project, in a scientific topic of their choice, and that is well within INL´s strategic research and technological development areas.

URL: http://ntg.inl.int/

Start Date: 01 June 2016

End Date: 31 May 2021 (60 months)

Type: MSCA-COFUND-2015-FP – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND-FP)

Contract Number: 713640

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Paula Galvão)

Project Coordinator: International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory INL – Mono-beneficiary

Budget Total: € 3,398,400.00

Budget INL: € 3,398,400.00

Title: PANA: PROMOTING ACTIVE AGEING: FUNCTIONAL NANOSTRUCTURES FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AT ULTRA-EARLY STAGES

Project Description

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and loss of autonomy in the elderly, implying a progressive cognitive decline and limitation of social activities. The progressive ageing of the EU population will increase the magnitude of this problem in the next decades. Currently, there is not an effective method for the early diagnosis of AD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new effective early diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to help in delaying the appearance of the most adverse symptoms of this disease. PANA project focuses on developing theranostic nanostructures that specifically recognize very-early molecular markers of AD, and can be detected by means of non-invasive imaging methodologies and eventually provide a therapeutic action if needed. To achieve this goal, we propose a unique consortium which combines neuroscientists, nanotechnologists, molecular imaging experts, clinicians and Small/Medium/Large Enterprises in an effort to use smart nanoparticles engineered with multifunctional biomaterial to provide new very-early diagnostic tools for AD, a vital medical/social problem in EU.

URL: https://panaproject.eu/project

Start Date: 01 March 2016

End Date: 28 February 2021

Type: Research and Innovation Action

Contract Number: 686009

Funding Agency: European Commission

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Manuel Bañobre-López)

Partners:

• SERVIZO GALEGO DE SAUDE (SERGAS)
• INL
• UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
• REMYND NV
• STAB VIDA INVESTIGACAO E SERVICOS EM CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS LDA
• STICHTING VU-VUMC
• ITA-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO
• ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS, S.L.
• BIOTECHPHARMA
• FUNDACION INSTITUTO DE ESTUDIOS DE CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD DE CASTILLA Y LEON

Budget Total: € 7, 775, 972.50

Budget INL: € 317, 000.00

Title: KET4CleanProduction: Pan-European Access for manufacture SME on technology services for clean production through a Network of premier KET Technology Centres with one-stop-shop access including EEN and discourse with policymakers on RIS3.

Project Description

KET4CleanProduction aims to develop a sustainable platform and ecosystem by addressing the needs of SMEs by delivering a portfolio of KET available to be used creating win-win situations between manufacturing SMEs and technology service providers.

The main objective is to foster the use of advanced manufacturing technologies and related key enabling technologies by SME to upgrade their production processes towards resource- and energy efficiency and sustainability. This will be achieved by reaching out to manufacturing SME all over EU 28, raise their awareness on the potential of clean production innovation for increased product quality, productivity and environmental performance and finally increase in market shares and competitiveness. To reach this, KET4CleanProduction aims to create a one-stop-shop for pan-European and cross-border access to innovative services for SME through a network of superior KET technology centres in clean production.

Based on the challenges defined for SMEs in applying new technologies in advanced manufacturing in general and for clean production in detail, the project sets specific objectives:

• Awareness creation and stimulation of manufacturing SMEs throughout Europe to increase their understanding and interest in clean production and the potential in adopting KETs.
• Build the KET4CleanProduction platform for Europe with specific awareness measures on regions where KET access is still not satisfactory.
• Help SMEs benefit from multi-KET service know-how and infrastructure.
• Unlock the cross-border service potential of EU certified KET Technology Centres on clean production services.
• Creation of a sustainable ecosystem – A one-stop-shop acting as a single access point for EU manufacturing SMEs.
• Implement a micro-grant scheme boosting clean production in SMEs through KET applications.
• Escalate regional smart specialisation strategies to a European level and vice versa.

All technology centres throughout Europe are encouraged to join the platform, as long as they can show a minimum of SME services and infrastructures on TRL 4-8, relevant for clean production and are thus selected on quality criteria and capacity. The monitoring of quality services will be delivered by requesting feedback from manufacturing SMEs receiving services. The platform will unite all SME-service oriented KET Technology Centres with expertise on clean production.

KET4CleanProduction activities include:

• Facilitating further development of pilot production capabilities in Europe;
• Facilitating the development of business, through access to new customers and potential investors across borders;
• Providing advisory services and facilitate access for SME’s and start-ups;
• Setting the scene for the establishment of innovation hubs across the Member States and regions. Coordination on resources and actions;
• Mapping of the pilot line capabilities, existing ecosystems and relationships among the value chain;
• Organising and supporting networking and brokerage events at regional, national and European level in an organisation of such events.

Main Outcomes:

KET4CleanProduction has defined key performance indicators (KPIs) in order to measure the success and impact of the project across a broad range of metrics:

• • Creation of a self-sustainable KET4CleanProduction ecosystem gathering EU official labelled KET Technology Centres and Enterprise Europe Network organisations.
  • Gathering a minimum of 30 EU official labelled KET Technology Centres as members and 30 EEN organisations as KET4CleanProduction promoters throughout EU-28.
  • Memorandum of understanding signed with EU’s EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) for full exploitation of KET4CleanProduction by EEN network.
  • Providing access to technology services and facilities through a marketplace, with special focus on 8 countries where (multi-)KET access is still difficult with focus on their smart specialisation: Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
  • Attract more than 120 manufacturing SMEs for initial technology request.
  • Engagement of SMEs from more than 10 EU member states.
  • 60 cross-border multi-KET micro grant projects involving 60 SMEs and min. 120 official EU KET technology centres being members of the KET4CleanProduction platform.

URL: to be defined

Start Date: 01 January 2018

End Date: 30 December 2020

Type: INNOSUP-03-2017 – Technology services to accelerate the uptake of advanced manufacturing technologies for clean production by manufacturing SMEs

Contract Number: 777441

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Paula Galvão; Francisco Guimarães)

Partners:

• STEINBEIS 2I GMBH (Coordinator) (Germany)
• ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACION (Spain)
• THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK (UK)
• ACREO SWEDISH ICT AB (Sweden)
• HAHN-SCHICKARD-GESELLSCHAFT FUER ANGEWANDTE FORSCHUNG E.v. (Germany)
• JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH (Austria)
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK (Ireland)
• INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal)
• TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT Oy (Finland)
• COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES (France)
• BIO BASE EUROPE PILOT PLANT VZW (Belgium)
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. (Germany)
• BAY ZOLTAN ALKALMAZOTT KUTATASI KOZHASZNU NONPROFIT KFT. (Hungary)
• INSTITUT JOZEF STEFAN (Slovenia)
• GIS-TRANSFERCENTER FOUNDATION (Bulgaria)
• FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS (Greece)
• FONDEN VAEKSTHUS HOVEDSTADSREGIONEN (Denmark)
• LATVIJAS TEHNOLOGISKAIS CENTRS NODIBINAJUMS (Latvia)
• SLOVAK BUSINESS AGENCY (Slovakia)
• TERA TEHNOPOLIS DOO ZA PROMICANJE NOVIH TEHNOLOGIJA INOVACIJA I PODUZETNISTVA (Croatia)

Budget Total: € 4, 898, 510.00

Budget INL: € 125, 218.75

Title: YPack: High performance polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHB) based packaging to minimize food waste

Project Description

The main objective of YPACK is the pre-industrial scale-up and validation of two innovative food packaging solutions (thermoformed tray and flow pack bag) based on PHA, with active properties and passive barrier. The new packaging will use food industry by-products, and assure the biodegradability and recyclability, in the frame of the EU Circular Economy strategy.

YPACK will use a holistic approach and methodology involving different knowledge areas: Development of packaging solutions (Production of PHBV layers, compounding, prototyping, Industrial Validation), Product Validation (Quality / Shelf life), Social approach (Customer profiling, Dissemination, Policies & Regulatory) and Market Assessment (Business study and Risk assessment). YPACK is aligned with the EU Circular Economy strategy, including the use of raw bio-based food industry by-products, LCA studies, recyclability & biodegradability of packaging and trying to reduce Food Waste. The project is constructed in line with the Responsible Research and Innovation guidelines of the European Commission.

The project has a total duration of 36 months. Several processes related to the production of multilayered passive and active systems based on raw PHBV will be optimized and scaled up to pre-industrial size to validate the production of the proposed packaging solutions for extending the shelf life of selected food products. They consist of:

• a multilayer tray involving an inner active layer, and
• a multilayer flow pack with improved barrier properties. A consumer profiling and market study will be performed at the first stage of the project in order to identify consumers´ preferences, market needs and match them with the new EU regulations and packaging materials breakthroughs.

URL: to be defined

Start Date: 01 November 2017

End Date: 31 October 2020

Type: Innovation Action

Contract Number: 773872

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020-EU.3.2.2.3. – A sustainable and competitive agri-food industry

INL Role: Participant (Participant Contact: Lorenzo Pastrana)

Partners:

• CSIC – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) (Coordinator)
• Avecom N.V. (Belgium)
• Bioinicia SL (Spain)
• Biotrend – Inovação e Engenharia em Biotecnologia SA (Portugal)
• European Food Information Council (Belgium)
• Fundacion Gaiker (Spain)
• INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal)
• Intertek Italia SPA (Italy)
• KPAD LTD (United Kingdom)
• Laser Consult Muszaki-Tudomanyos es Gazdasagi Tanacsado Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag (Hungary)
• Linpac Packaging Pravia, SA (Spain)
• Melodea LTD (Israel)
• Migros Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (Turkey)
• Nova ID FCT – Associação para a Inovação e Desenvolvimento da FCT (Portugal)
• Company for Software Production, Trade and Services Prajm Apps LLC Skopje (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
• SONAE Center Serviços II SA (Portugal)
• Nuevas Tecnologias para el Desarrollo de Packaging y Productos Agroalimentarios con Componente Plastica SL (Spain)
• Tutti Pasta SA (Spain)
• Universidade do Minho (Portugal)
• Unio Corporacio Alimentaria, SCCL (Spain)
• Wageningen University (Netherlands)

Budget Total: € 7, 282, 046.25

Budget INL: € 344, 690.00

Title: EPPN – European Network for Pilot Production Projects and Innovation Hubs

Project Description

EPPN will establish a European Pilot Production Network acting as a coordination platform for the exploitation of European pilot lines and prototyping production facilities and their associated ecosystem in the area of nanotechnology and advanced materials. This initiative aims at leveraging technological research into product demonstration and further contribute to an enhanced innovation ecosystem and attractive business environments.
There is a gap between technology and manufacturing. Demonstrators, competitive manufacturing and product development are urgently needed. To address this gap, an investment in Pilot line projects and facilities that enable demonstration in an industrial environment has been made. These pilot facilities respond rapidly to scaling-up needs which are essential for SMEs and start-ups. Moreover, they can help the European industry to remain competitive and generate and potentially help create new markets, jobs and growth across Europe. Europe must exploit this potential by bridging complementary capabilities, resources and demand avoiding duplicated, disconnected and fragmented actions. Europe needs to have a global overview of the existing expertise and infrastructure available for pilot production that will facilitate collaborations and business and to look at value chains across borders.
EPPN will act as a sustainable digital hub for bridging pilot lines facilities allowing technology providers to engage with users, technology up-takers, policy makers, investors and other actors in the ecosystem, along industrial value-chains. The approach is not only about networking. It is about generating new added value to start-ups, SMEs and large corporations working on nanotechnologies and advanced materials by offering a dedicated infrastructure and services ecosystem.

EPPN activities include:

• Facilitating further development of pilot production capabilities in Europe
• Facilitating the development of business, through access to new customers and potential investors across borders
• Providing advisory services and facilitate access for SME’s and start-ups
• Setting the scene for the establishment of innovation hubs across the Member States and regions. Coordination on resources and actions
• Mapping of the pilot line capabilities, existing ecosystems and relationships among the value chain
• Organising and supporting networking and brokerage events at regional, national and European level in organisation of such events

Main Outcomes:

• One coordination “node” in Europe supporting the development of pilot production business and the access to new customers and potential investors
• One digital platform and a smart knowledge digital hub for bridging pilot lines facilities with SMEs, Startups, policy makers, investors and other possible actors in the ecosystem
• One EPPN app
• One Pilot Line’s best practices guide
• One helpdesk service acting as main contact point supporting all the pilot ecosystem
• Support establishing innovation hubs

The ENRICH consortium has been set up in order to have a project team with complementary experience and competence that can ensure a high impact of the project activity and results. The project will be led by INL which has already sound experience (at international level) for providing rapid prototyping service for the market introduction of knowledge-added intense high TRL-level products through the rapid deployment of knowledge, facilitated by rapid prototyping, in partnership with business users.

Start Date: 01 June 2017

End Date: 31 May 2020

Type: NMBP-38-2017: Support for the enhancement of the impact of PILOT projects

Contract Number: 768681

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Paula Galvão)

Partners:

• Cambridge Nanomaterials Technology (United Kingdom)
• NANOfutures (Belgium)
• Onvega (Sweden)

Budget Total: € 997, 625.00

Budget INL: € 300, 625.00

Title: I-MECH: Intelligent Motion Control Platform for Smart Mechatronic Systems

Project Description

The I-MECH target is to provide augmented intelligence for a wide range of cyber-physical systems having actively controlled moving elements, hence support development of smarter mechatronic systems. They face rapidly increasing requirements on size, motion speed, precision, adaptability, self-diagnostic, inter-connectivity, new smart and cognitive features, etc. Fulfilment of these requirements is essential for building smart, safe and reliable production System-of-Systems. This implies completely new demands also on bottom layers of employed motion control system which cannot be routinely handled by commercial automation products.

This motivates the main mission of this project, to bring novel intelligence to bridge the gap between the latest research results and industrial practice in the motion control-related engineering fields. I-MECH creates a synergic knowledge base with many parallels running RIA activities, as it focuses on the two bottom layers of complex mechatronic systems. It strives to provide a cutting edge reference platform for applications where the control speed, precision, robustness, optimal performance, easy reconfigurability and traceability are crucial.

This highly ambitious goal will be achieved by introducing an innovative approach based on the synergic focus on three specific objectives, namely:

• Employment of advanced model-based methods for the design of cyber-physical systems;
• utilization of additional smart instrumentation layer, e.g. by adding visual or sensory information provided by supplementary instrumentation installed on the moving parts of the controlled system which can enhance the achievable performance;
• development of modular, unified HW and SW building blocks implementing a service-oriented architecture paradigm and creating an open platform.

By its very definition, I-MECH is intended to be widely applicable, but as a minimum, it will deliver value for high-speed/large size CNC machining, micropositioning, advanced robotics as well as generic motion control tasks. The applicability of the project will be demonstrated through different pilots in above-mentioned sectors.

URL: https://www.i-mech.eu/

Start Date: 01 June 2017

End Date: 31 May 2020

Type: ECSEL Research and Innovation Action

Contract Number: 737453

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: H2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: João Gaspar)

Partners:

• CCM CENTRE FOR CONCEPTS IN MECHATRONICS BV (Coordinator) – Netherlands
• ZAPADOCESKA UNIVERZITA V PLZNI – Czech Republic
• ELEKTRONIKAS UN DATORZINATNU INSTITUTS – Latvia
• REDEN B.V. – Netherlands
• FUNDACION TEKNIKER – Spain
• VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V BRNE – Czech Republic
• ROVIMATICA S.L. – Spain
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN – Netherlands
• INGENIA-CAT S.L. – Spain
• TECHNOLUTION BV – Netherlands
• FAGOR AOTEK S. COOP – Spain
• GMV AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SA UNIPERSONAL – Spain
• ITML – Greece
• INL – INTERNATIONAL IBERIAN NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY – Portugal
• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NETHERLANDS BV – Netherlands
• TECO A.S. – Czech Republic
• CNET SVENSKA AB – Sweden
• OPEN ENGINEERING – Belgium
• GEFRAN SPA – Italy
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI BRESCIA – Italy
• ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY MCC BV – Netherlands
• NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO – Netherlands
• EDILASIO CARREIRA DA SILVA LDA – Portugal
• SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE SAS – France
• PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS NEDERLAND BV – Netherlands
• I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE SPA – Italy
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA – Italy
• EVIDENCE SRL – Italy
• IKERLAN SCL – Spain
• NICOLAS CORREA SA – Spain
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK – Ireland
• J&J VISTAKON – Ireland

Budget Total: € 17, 003, 102.16

Budget INL: € 300, 000.00

Title: 3D-NEONET: Drug Discovery and Delivery NEtwork for ONcology and Eye Therapeutics

Project Description

The overall goal of 3D-NEONET is the improvement of available treatments for cancer and ocular disease by enhancing drug discovery-development and delivery to targeted tissues, through advanced international co-operation between academic and non-academic partners. The interdisciplinary expertise provided by 18 partners in 7 countries encompasses among others: drug screens, ADME, toxicology, preclinical models, nanotechnology, biomaterials and clinical trials.

The 3 global objectives of 3D-NEONET are:

• Enhance the discovery and development of novel drugs, targets and biomarkers for ophthalmology and oncology.
• Improve the Delivery of Therapeutics for Oncology and Ophthalmology
• Enhancement of Research, Commercial and Clinical Trial Project Management Practices in these fields.

URL: https://www.3dneonet.org/

Start Date: 16 January 2017

End Date: 15 January 2020

Type: H2020-MSCA-RISE-2016: MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION STAFF EXCHANGE

Contract Number: 734907

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: WP2 Coordinator (Participant Contact: Lorenzo Pastrana)

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• University College Dublin (Ireland)
• Universidad de Valladolid (Spain)
• Linköping University (Sweden)
• Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
• National University of Ireland Galway (Ireland)
• Queens University Belfast (United Kingdom)
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain)
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany)
• ZeClinics (Spain)
• Lentimed Medical Devices (Spain)
• Experimental Pharmacology & Oncology Berlin-Buch (Germany)
• Xenopat (Spain)
• ECM Ingeniería Ambiental (Spain)
• ICON Clinical Research Limited-Firecrest (Ireland)
• Ocupharm Diagnostics (Spain)
• Vornia Biomaterials (Ireland)
• EyeCRO LLC (United States)

Budget Total: € 945, 000.00

Budget INL: € 56, 900.00

Title: CLUSTERNANOROAD: Driving Europe’s NMBP economy – Cross-cluster innovation and value creation through validated NMBP collaborative strategies and roadmap

Project Description

CLUSTERNANOROAD has the aim to stimulate the uptake of Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) including nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing into multiple sectors across Europe.
The project will focus on clusters as the portal for enabling technologies to boost economic growth through smart specialisation. Clusters within sectors as diverse as food production, manufacturing and healthcare can benefit from technology uptake. CLUSTERNANOROAD will work with stakeholders including cluster managers, intermediaries and regional policy makers.

Project mission and activities:

• Mapping initiatives that support enabling technology uptake;
• Build a network of cross-sectoral clusters for joint activities;
• Identify enabling technology opportunities;
• Create a roadmap for clusters to implement enabling technologies;
• Pilot actions, with policy maker groups, joint horizon scanning and SME partnering across clusters and sectors.

URL: www.clusternanoroad.eu

Start Date: 01 September 2016

End Date: 28 February 2019

Type: NMBP-33-2016: Networking and sharing best experiences in using regional clusters strategies with a focus on supporting

Contract Number: 723630

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Paula Galvão)

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• inno Group (France)
• CEBR – Council of European BioRegions (Belgium)
• SWEDNANOTECH (Sweden)
• DSP Valley (Belgium)
• Silicon Saxony (Germany)
• NIA – Nanotechnology Industries Association (United Kingdom)

Budget Total: € 499, 168.75

Budget INL: € 105, 437.50

Title: Towards Replacement of Critical Catalyst Materials by Rational Design of Novel Transition Metal Nanoparticles

Project Description

The CritCat project aims to provide solutions for the substitution of critical metals, especially rare platinum group metals (PGMs), used in heterogeneous and electrochemical catalysis. CritCat will explore the properties of ultra-small transition metal (TM) nanoparticles in order to achieve optimal catalytic performance with earth-abundant materials. The emphasis will be on industrially-relevant chemical reactions and emerging energy conversion technologies in which PGMs play an instrumental role, particularly in the context of hydrogen and synthesis gas (syngas) fuels. The CritCat project includes all the aspects for rational catalyst design including novel catalyst synthesis, characterization, and performance testing by a range of academic and industry partners together with large-scale computational simulations of the relevant catalysts, substrates and model reactions using the latest computational methods. Particular attention is given to a strong feedback-loop mechanism where theory is an integral part of the experimental work packages. The experimental and theoretical data will be collected (descriptor database) and used for materials screening via machine learning techniques and new algorithms. The goal is to improve size, shape and surface structure control of the tailored nanoparticle catalysts via novel cluster/nanoparticle synthesis techniques that can produce samples of unrivalled quality. The research includes up-scaling of the size-selected catalyst nanoparticle samples up to macroscopic quantities, which will enable them to be included as basic technological components for realistic catalyst systems. The performance of the catalyst prototypes will be demonstrated for selected basic electrochemical reactions relevant to fuel cells and storage of renewable energy. The industrial partners bring their expertise in prototypes development and commercial deployment (TRL 3-4). The project involves cooperation with external research groups in the USA and Japan.

Start Date: 01 June 2016

End Date: 31 May 2019

Type: NMBP-23-2016: Advancing the integration of materials modelling in business processes to enhance effective industrial decision making and increase competitiveness

Contract Number: 686053

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Partner Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Lifeng Liu; Yury Kolen`ko)

Project Coordinator: Tampere University of Technology (FI)

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• TUT (Finland)
• Aalto (Finland)
• UOB (United Kingdom)
• NPL (United Kingdom)
• Syngaschem (Netherland)
• Tethis (Italy)
• Nanolayers (United Kingdom)

Budget Total: € 4, 369, 292.50

Budget INL: € 474, 090.00

Title: Advanced architectures for ultra-thin high-efficiency CIGS solar cells with high Manufacturability (ARCIGS-M)

Project Description

This project´s goal is advanced materials and nanotechnologies for novel CIGS PV device architectures with efficiencies ≥ 23.0 %, thus beyond that of the current state-of-the-art technologies. The technology targets the BIPV sector and enables several innovative solutions for BIPV.
The novel functional materials and material combinations are (1) surface-functionalized steel substrates, (2) nano-structuring strategies for optical management of rear contact layers, (3) passivation layers with nano-sized point openings, and (4) ultra-thin CIGS thin-film absorber layers. The concepts will be developed and established in production of viable equipment. Additionally, this new design will also increase the system’s lifetime and materials resource efficiency, mainly due to the use of ultra-thin CIGS layers (less In and Ga), and barrier and passivation layers that hinder alkali metal movement. Hence, this project will lead to enhanced performance, but also yield and stability, while maintaining manufacturability. The consortium includes SME’s and industrial partners positioned throughout the complete solar module manufacturing value chain. Their roles will be to develop and commercialize new equipment, products and/or services. The consortium already pioneered the proposed advanced material solutions up to technology readiness level (TRL) 4, and this project targets to bring these innovative concepts to TRL 6 in a low-cost demonstrator. The aim is to develop and validate innovative, economic and sustainable BIPV applications, as a near-future high-value market for the European PV industries. An exploitation strategy, developed with the support of TTO (www.tto.dk), identifying BIPV as the most promising market has been used to validate the choice of technologies and will be further developed during the course of the project.

URL:https://www.arcigs-m.eu/

Start Date: 01 December 2016

End Date: 31 December 2019

Type: H2020-NMBP-2016-two-stage – CALL FOR NANOTECHNOLOGIES, ADVANCED MATERIALS, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION

Contract Number: 720887

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: Pedro Salomé)

Project Coordinator: Uppsala University

Partners:

• INL (Portugal)
• Interuniversity Micro-Electronics Centre (IMEC) (Belgium)
• Centre National de la Research Scientifique (France)
• Midsummer AB, (Sweden)
• Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (Netherlands)
• Solibro Research AB, (Sweden)
• University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Obducat (Sweden)
• Électricité de France (France)
• Advanced Coatings & Construction Solutions (Belgium)
• ArcelorMittal (France)

Budget Total: € 5, 103, 207.50

Budget INL: € 365, 531.25

Title: Super high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ thin-film solar cells approaching 25% (Sharc25)

Project Description

The prime objective of the Sharc25 project is to develop super-high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells for next generation of cost-beneficial solar module technology with the world-leading expertise establishing the new benchmarks of global excellence.
The project partners ZSW and EMPA hold the current CIGS solar cell efficiency world records of 21.7% on glass and 20.4% on polymer film, achieved by using high (~650°C) and low (~450°C) temperature CIGS deposition, respectively. Both have developed new processing concepts which open new prospects for further breakthroughs leading to a paradigm shift for increased performance of solar cells approaching the practically achievable theoretical limits. In this way the costs for industrial solar module production < 0.35€/Wp and installed systems < 0.60€/Wp can be achieved, along with a reduced Capex < 0.75€/Wp for factories of >100 MW production capacity, with further scopes for cost reductions through production ramp-up.
In this project, the performance of single-junction CIGS solar cells will be pushed from ~21% towards 25% by a consortium with multidisciplinary expertise. The key limiting factors in state-of-the-art CIGS solar cells are the non-radiative recombination and light absorption losses. Novel concepts will overcome major recombination losses: combinations of an increased carrier lifetime in CIGS with emitter point contacts, engineered grain boundaries for active carrier collection, shift of absorber energy bandgap, and bandgap grading for increased tolerance of potential fluctuations. Innovative approaches will be applied for light management to increase the optical path length in the CIGS absorber and combine novel emitter, front contact, and anti-reflection concepts for higher photon injection into the absorber. Concepts of enhanced cell efficiency will be applied for achieving sub-module efficiencies of >20% and industrial implementation strategies will be proposed for the benefit of European industries.

URL: http://sharc25.eu/

Start Date: 01 May 2015

End Date: 31 October 2018

Type: H2020-LCE-2014-1: Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity and heating/cooling

Contract Number: 641004

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Partner Participant (Participant Contact: Sascha Sadewasser)

Project Coordinator: ZSW, Germany

Partners:

• INL (IO/P)
• EMPA (Switzerland)
• University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
• University of Rouen (France)
• University of Parma (Italy)
• IMEC (Belgium)
• Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (Germany)
• AALTO University (Finland)
• Flisom AG (Switzerland)
• Manz GmbH (Germany)

Budget Total: € 6, 152, 979.00

Budget INL: € 230, 625.00

Title: SPINOGRAPH, spintronics in graphene

Project Description

SPINOGRAPH is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network on “Spintronics in Graphene”, bringing together 7 academic and 2 industrial partners to train 15 young researchers doing top-class research projects.
Spintronics stands for electronics based on the electron spin degree of freedom. The huge success of spintronics in metals, which started from the pioneering discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR), has revolutionized the magnetoelectronics industry. Exploration of spin effects in other types of materials is leading to an array of fascinating physical phenomena and holds the promise of future breakthroughs. The discovery of graphene, the first truly two dimensional crystal, together with the remarkable progress in the fabrication of graphene devices, have naturally led to the exploration of hybrid graphene/ferromagnetic devices to explore spintronics in graphene.

URL: http://www.spinograph.org

Start Date: 01 September 2013

End Date: 31 August 2017

Type: FP7 Marie Curie ITN

Contract Number: 607904-13

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FP7

INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Joaquin Fernandez Rossier)

Partners:

• INL (IO/P)
• University of Manchester (United Kingdom)
• CNRS (France)
• IMDEA Nano (Spain)
• CIC Nanogune (Spain)
• Graphenea (Spain)
• University of Groningen (Netherlands)
• University of Aachen (Germany)
• AMO GmBH (Germany)

Budget Total: € >3.8M

Budget INL: € >800k

Title: NET-MARKET-FLUIDS: Networking and market approach to tackle the bottleneck of deploying micro and nanofluidics in Europe

Project Description

The creation of a European network with the main research groups working on these lines will allow researchers to better analyze the main challenges for micro & nanofluidics applications (system integration, manufacturability and affordability) and tackle the bottlenecks preventing its deployment in Europe.
In the network, researchers will share knowledge and overcome the technological limitations through different actions: workshops, meetings, groups of experts and white papers. Participants will come from research centers within the project, Key European institutions and stakeholders within the United States and Asia.
The end users of the micro and nano fluidics technologies, industry, will work with NetMarketFluids through working groups addressing industrial needs, value chain, technical challenges and standardisation and in sectorial workshops where research centers can match their capacities to industrial needs. Net Market Fluidics will then analyse the knowledge and market needs identified in the project and host an investors showcase in June 2017 highlighting new paths to market for micro and nanofluidics technologies.

Start Date: 01 January 2016

End Date: 30 June 2017 (18 months)

Type: NMP-40-2015: Support for clustering and networking in the micro- & nanofluidics community

Contract Number: 685775

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020

INL Role: Partner Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Lorena Dieguez)

Project Coordinator: ADItech

Partners:

• INL (IO/P)
• ADItech (Spain)
• Cemitec (Spain)
• NIA – Nanotechnology Industries Association (United Kingdom, Belgium)
• CSM – Centro Sviluppo Materiali SPA (Italy)
• University of Leads (United Kingdom)
• ENNA – European Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Association (Bulgaria)
• CNRS – Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (France)
• DTU – Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)

Budget Total: € 499, 743.75

Budget INL: € 31, 437.50

Title: NANOREG: A common European approach to the regulatory testing of nanomaterials

Project Description

Nanotechnology is one of the six “Key Enabling Technologies” (KETs), the European Commission identified in its 2012 Communication on this topic. These technologies enable the development of new goods and services and the restructuring of industrial processes needed to modernise the EU industry. They are of paramount importance for the transition to a knowledge-based and low carbon resource-efficient economy. KETs are regarded as crucial for ensuring the competitiveness of European industries in the knowledge economy.
A serious threat to the capitalization of the innovative and economic potential of Nanotechnology is the limited understanding of the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) aspects of nanomaterials. This limited understanding leads to uncertainty on how to judge the EHS aspects of these materials in a regulatory context. This has a negative impact on the investment climate and on societal appreciation of products containing NMs.
The NANoREG project is aimed at the elimination of these uncertainties by:
1. Identifying what EHS aspects of NMs are relevant from a regulatory point of view (“questions and needs of regulators”).
2. Identifying what the gaps in our knowledge are: what aspects are sufficiently covered by existing knowledge; what aspects need further research.
3. Carrying out the research to fill in the gaps.
4. Developing a framework and the NANoREG toolbox for testing the EHS aspects and for the assessment and management of the risks. This includes a framework for safe-by-design aimed at a more efficient process from design to application.
5. Creating support for the results of the project in order to contribute to a quick and broad implementation of the results.

URL: http://www.nanoreg.eu/

Start Date: 01 March 2013

End Date: 28 February 2017

Type: Collaborative Project: Large Scale Integrating Project

Contract Number: 310584

Funding Agency: EU – FP7

Funding Programme: EU: FP7 Nanotechnologies & Nanosciences Thematic Cooperation Programme (FP7-NMP-012-Large-6)

INL Role: Participant (Participant Contact: Leonard Francis)

Partners:

• Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu (The Netherlands)
• JRC Joint Research Centre (Belgium)
• Bundesanstalt fuer Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (Germany)
• Det Nationale Forskningscenter Forabejdsmiljo (Denmark)
• Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (The Netherlands)
• Bundesinstitut fuer Risikobewertung (Germany)
• CNRS – Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (France)
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (Austria)
• Institute of Occupational Medicine (United Kingdom)
• TEMAS AG Technology and Management Services (Switzerland)
• Fundacion GAIKER (Spain)
• Nanotechnology Industries Association AISBL (Belgium)
• BASF SE (Germany)
• The provost, fellows, foundation scholars & the other members of board of the college of the holy & undivided trinity of queen Elizabeth near Dublin (Ireland)
• Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)
• Norsk Institutt for Luftforskning (Norway)
• Istituto Superiore di Sanita (Italy)
• Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (Italy)
• Statens arbeidsmiljoinstitutt (Norway)
• Acondicionamiento Tarrasense Associacion (Spain)
• Institut National de Recherche et de Securite (France)
• Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix de Namur (Belgium)
• Commissariat a l’Energie atomique et aux energies alternatives (France)
• Public Health England (United Kingdom)
• Centrum voor Onderzoek in Diergeneeskunde en Agrochemie (Belgium)
• Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain)
• Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italy)
• Stichting dienst landbouwkundig onderzoek (RIKILT)(The Netherlands)
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy)
• Association Saint Yves (France)
• Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (The Netherlands)
• Institut National de l’environnement et des Risques (France)
• Agence National de Securite Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (France)
• Bionanonet forschungsgesellschaft mbh (Austria)
• Lunds Universitet (Sweden)
• GenØk – Senter for biosikkerhet (Norway)
• Universitetet i Bergen (Norway)
• Eidgenoessisches departement des innern (Switzerland)
• Instituto Tecnologico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logistica (Spain)
• Universidad de Lleida (Spain)
• Stiftelsen SINTEF (Norway)
• Universitaet Leipzig (Germany)
• NPL Management Ltd (United Kingdom)
• Laboratoire national de métrologie et d’essais (France)
• INL – Laboratorio Iberico Internacional de Nanotecnologia (Portugal)
• Tyoeterveyslaitos – Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland)
• New University Norges miljø-og biovitenskapelige universitet (Norway)
• Fundacion Tekniker (IK4) (Spain)
• Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola AB (Sweden)
• Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (Portugal)
• Turvallisuus ja kemikaalivirasto (Finland)
• Arkema France SA (France)
• Stora Enso OYJ (Finland)
• UPM-Kymmene OYJ (Finland)
• SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut AB (Sweden)
• Leeds University (United Kigdom)
• Envicat Consulting SPRL (Belgium)
• Comet BioTech AS (Norway)
• Institut Pasteur (France)
• Heriot-Watt University (United Kigdom)
• Institute for experimental medicine (Czech Republic)
• Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)
• Institute of Public Health (Czech Republic)
• Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Greece)
• National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos (Greece)
• Ecam Ricert (Italy)

Budget Total: 10 M€

Budget INL: 242, 000.00€

Title: NanoTRAINforGrowth: INL Fellowship programme in nanotechnologies for biomedical, environment and food applications

Project Description

INL´s international Post-doctoral fellowship program allows for experienced researchers (from all over the world and of all nationalities) to sketch out a research project and work on their own research idea at INL´s facilities. Fellows will have access to a new state-of-the-art infrastructure and will have the opportunity to enhance their expertise via a research project, in a scientific topic of their choice, which is within INL´s strategic research and technological development areas.

The NanoTRAINforGrowth fellows will join INL´s research groups, and will be able to participate in on-going research activities as well as developing their own project. Appointments will be done for a two-year contract. They will have a chance to work on breakthrough science; will have access to cutting-edge technologies, to new state-of-the-art infrastructure and to personal career assistance.

This fellowship program – NanoTRAINForGrowth – is co-financed by the European Union through the Marie Curie Action “Co-funding of regional, national and international programs (COFUND)”. Therefore, each selected applicant will be a Marie Curie fellow as well as a NanoTRAINForGrowth fellow.

URL: http://ntg.inl.int/

Start Date: 01 January 2013

End Date: 31 December 2016 (48 months)

Type: FP7-PEOPLE-2012-COFUND: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND-FP)

Contract Number: 600375

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FP7

INL Role: Mono-Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Patrícia Oliveira)

Budget Total: € 2, 630, 650.00

Budget INL: € 2, 630, 650.00

Title: MOSAIC: MicrOwave Spintronics as an AlternatIve Path to Components and Systems for Telecommunications, Storage and Security Applications

Project Description

Innovative components and systems based on nano-engineered semiconductor, magnetic or insulating materials will be the driving force for the micro- and nano-electronics industry of the 21st century.
For telecommunications systems, but also for data storage and Automation, Control and Security applications, alternative More than MOORE paths to systems are provided by nano-scale microwave spintronics components due to (i) their unique spin polarized transport properties that appear only at nanoscale dimensions ( Going beyond previous fundamental research on spintronics devices, this project will target technological breakthroughs not only to generate, but also to process (mix, modulate, synchronise) and to detect microwave frequencies.

Based on innovative spin transfer devices, four discrete systems will be developed that address bottlenecks of current technologies:
A. Wireless Telecommunications 1: Ultrawideband frequency synthesis provided by spintronics microwave components with novel circuit design on CMOS for realization of an adapted phase locked loop;
B. Wireless Telecommunications 2: Ultrafast frequency detection using frequency discriminating level detection;
C. Data storage: Novel dynamic readout schemes for detecting frequency shifts implemented for realization of high data rate read heads;
D. Automation control & security: Broad bandwidth, high slew rate proximity sensor based on frequency generation and modulation capabilities.

The broader objective is to bring the device level knowledge acquired in the past years by the partners towards systems as a first crucial step towards industrialization, warranting the leading position not only of European research but also of European industry in microwave spintronics.

URL: http://www.fp7-mosaic.eu/

Start Date: 01 January 2013

End Date: 30 September 2016

Type: FP7-ICT-2011-8: Challenge 3.1 Very advanced nanoelectronic components: design, engineering, technology and manufacturability

Contract Number: 317950

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FP7 – Seventh Framework Programme

INL Role: Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Ricardo Ferreira)

Project Coordinator: COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES

Primary Coordinator Contact: Ursula Ebels

Partners:

• INL (IO/P)
• COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES – CEA (FR)
• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE – CNRS (FR)
• NANOSC AB (SE)
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDEN – TUD (DE)
• THALES COMMUNICATIONS & SECURITY – THALES SAS (FR)
• SIVERS IMA AKTIEBOLAG – SIVERS (SE)

Budget Total: € 4, 824, 445.00

Budget INL: € 192, 000.00

Title: SpinCal: Spintronics and spin-caloritronics in magnetic nanosystems

Project Description

SpinCal stands for Spintronics and spin-caloritronics in magnetic nanosystems, a joint research project (JRP) funded by the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP). The aim of the project is to enable fundamental understanding of new effects emerging in the field of spintronics and spin-caloritronics in magnetic nanosystems. This goal was achieved by developing a new measurement infrastructure and a best practice guide for spin-caloritronic material measurements, providing a road map towards future standardisation of spintronic and spin-caloritronic measurements, materials and devices.

URL: http://www.ptb.de/emrp/exl04-home.html

Start Date: 01 July 2013

End Date: 30 June 2016

Contract Number: NEXL04

Funding Agency: EURAMET – THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL METROLOGY INSTITUTES

Funding Programme: EMPR – European Metrology Research Programme

INL Role: Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Ricardo Ferreira)

Project Coordinator: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany

Primary Coordinator Contact: Hans Werner Schumacher

Partners:

• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany
• Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), Italy)
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL), United Kingdom
• Fyzikální ústav AV ČR, v.v.i. (FZU), Czech Republic
• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Portugal
• Universitaet Bielefeld (UBI), Germany
• University of Cambridge (UCAM), United Kingdom

Budget Total: € 1, 908, 000.00

Budget INL: € 92, 182.50

Title: EPPL: Enhanced Power Pilot Line

Project Description

A sustainable and competitive European power semiconductor industry is essential to support the megatrend developments formulated in the Europe 2020 strategy – climate change; competitive, sustainable and secure energy; food security and health & ageing population. It is of paramount importance to defend and further extend Europe’s leading position in both power semiconductor manufacturing science(s) and the corresponding application domains.Thus, the ENIAC JU project EPPL will combine research, development and innovation to demonstrate market readiness by industrial implementation at an early stage. Second generation power semiconductor devices fabricated in European leading 300mm pilot lines are at the heart of the project, for which manufacturing excellence, cost competitiveness and challenging applications are critical boundary conditions. With this, to leverage the technical characteristics of power devices and foster the trend towards system-in-package integration, advances in packaging technologies become of prime importance. These aspects will be fully supported by this project right from the beginning.

URL: http://www.eppl-project.eu/

Start Date: 01 April 2013

End Date: 31 March 2016

Type: FP7-ENIAC Call 2012

Contract Number: 325608

Funding Agency: FP7

Funding Programme: ENIAC JU

INL Role: Partner (Participant Contact: João Piteira)

Partners:

• Infineon Technologies Austria AG
• CTR Carinthian Tech Research AG
• Technische Universität Graz
• Montanuniversität Leoben
• CEST Kompetenzzentrum für elektrochemische Oberflächentechnologie GmbH
• Fronius International GmbH
• ams AG
• Plansee SE
• KAI Kompetenzzentrum Automobil- und Industrieelektronik GmbH
• EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
• Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
• Ion Beam Services
• Adixen Vacuum Products
• Air Liquide Electronics Systems
• Entegris Cleaning Process
• SPTS Technologies SAS
• Infineon Technologies AG / Neubiberg
• Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
• Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbH
• Technische Universität Dresden
• Fachhochschule Stralsund
• Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
• Lear Corporation GmbH
• Infineon Technologies Italia S.r.l. (Coordinator)
• Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V.
• Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
• Heliox B.V.
• EMOSS B.V.
• Laboratorio Iberico Internacional de Nanotecnologia
• Nanium S.A.

Budget Total: € 11, 222, 780.00

Budget INL: € 87, 480.00

Title: SPINICUR: A Marie Curie Initial Training Network in Spin Currents

Project Description

SPINICUR (from spin currents) is a training network of European experts dedicated to providing state-of-the-art education and training for early stage and experienced researchers. We have concentrated on an aspect of spintronics – pure spin currents – and specific technical goals in order to secure a very high level of industrial involvement and strong network connectivity through a sharp focus. The overarching objective of this network is to significantly enhance the employment prospects of 11 ESRs and 4 ERs by:

(a) choosing a scientific subject that has high impact and is close to exploitation;

(b) ensuring that all researchers receive complementary skills training that is relevant to industry and academia;

(c) providing projects in world-leading laboratories, with world-class personnel and collaborating with industrial giants (IBM, Hitachi and Siemens);

(d) ensuring that all the researchers spend a secondment with our industrial partners.

At the present time only about 10% of the active researchers in this field throughout Europe are newly trained each year – that is barely enough to cover natural losses let alone increase our efforts.

Spintronics offers the potential for logic operations that are faster and consume much lower power when compared to conventional semiconductors. Passive spintronic devices are already the basis for a multi-billion dollar industry producing read heads for hard discs and storage cells in MRAM. Alternatives to semiconductor RAM and logic are being actively sought with spintronics offering exciting possibilities such as: the Spin Hall Effect, spin pumping and the spin Seebeck effect to name a few. These pure spin currents and their fundamental understanding is the scientific objective of SPINICUR. As the culmination of this network we aim to explore the fundamentals of spin amplification in designs such as the spin-torque transistor. Thus our technical objective is to apply the knowledge gained to real devices.

URL: http://www.spinicur.org/

Start Date: 01 October 2012

End Date: 31 March 2016

Type: FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN

Contract Number: 316657

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FP7 – Seventh Framework Programme

INL Role: Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Paulo Freitas)

Partners:

• UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS (Coordinator)
• NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
• UNIVERSITAET REGENSBURG
• HITACHI EUROPE LIMITED
• INESC-MN – INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS DE COMPUTADORES PARA OS MICROSISTEMAS E AS NANOTECNOLOGIAS
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
• INL – INTERNATIONAL IBERIAN NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY
• IBM RESEARCH GMBH
• THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Budget Total: € 4, 015, 939.61

Budget INL: € 421, 297.00

Title: NANO-HVAC: Novel Nano-enabled Energy Efficient and Safe HVAC ducts and systems contributing to an healthier indoor environment

Project Description

Within this framework, the NANO-HVAC project aims at developing an innovative approach for ducts insulation while introducing new cleaning and maintenance technologies, all enabled by cost-effective application of nanotechnology. The whole system aims to be developed with a requirement of service life of the building of 25 years. Following the market needs the consortium will design and develop safe and high insulating HVAC-ducts enabling minimization of heat/cool losses and a Cost-effective pathogen and allergenic removal procedure which will be continuously effective during HVAC operation and maintenance.Scientific and technological objectives within NANO-HVAC project can be organised in four areas: (1) high efficient and cost-effective insulation solutions for HVAC ducts (2) inhibition and removal of pathogens and allergenics (3) integration and lab scale characterization, (4) demonstration and validation. The project duration is estimated to be 36 months, with tasks organized in 9 Work Packages.

Safe, high insulating HVAC-ducts enabling minimization of heat/cool losses: cost-effective, safe and extremely thin insulating duct layers that can be applied both to circular ducts (wet-spray solutions) and to square ducts (pre-cast panel). Insulation will be obtained using sprayable aeroclay-based insulating foams that can be automatically applied during manufacturing of ducts, avoiding manual operation needed for conventional materials. Such technologies, coupled with advanced maintenance systems will guarantee a 50% saving in energy losses compared with conventional ducts.

Cost-effective pathogen and allergenic removal during operation and maintenance to reduce microbial growth: (a) development of anti-microbial, sprayable and self-adhesive photocatalytic coating, based on titanium oxide nanoparticles, for HVAC filters. (b) Development of an injectable liquid polymer matrix containing antimicrobial nanoparticles for air ducts in situ maintenance activities. The liquid polymer will polymerize in situ creating a thin coating which will cover the surface trapping dirt, debris and microorganisms, thus “regenerating” the duct inner layer. The procedure may be repeated over time without affecting HVAC energy performance.

URL: http://www.nanohvac.eu/

Start Date: 01 September 2012

End Date: 31 August 2015 (36 months)

Type: FP7-2012-NMP-ENV-ENERGY-ICT-EeB: Nanotechnology based approaches to increase the performance of HVAC systems

Contract Number: 314212

Funding Agency: EU-EC

Funding Programme: FP7 – Seventh Framework Programme

INL Role: Beneficiary (Participant Contact: Carlos Rodriguez)

Project Coordinator: VENTO (Primary Coordinator Contact: Bart Modde)

Partners:

• INL (IO/P)
• VENTO (BE)
• ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LAS INDUSTRIAS DE LA CONSTRUCCION – AIDICO (ES)
• INSTITUTUL DE CERCETARI PENTRU ACOPERIRI AVANSATE – ICAA (RO)
• NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS – NTUA (GR)
• SIRRIS HET COLLECTIEF CENTRUM VAN TECHNOLOGISCHE INDUSTRIE VZW – SIRRIS (BE)
• ACCIONA INFRAESTRUCTURAS S.A. – ACCIONA (ES)
• D’APPOLONIA SPA (IT)
• FARBE SPA (IT)
• NANOPHOS ANONIMI EMPORIKI ETAIRIA ANAPTIXIS KAI YPIRESION – NanoPhos (GR)
• POLITECNICO DI MILANO (IT)

Budget Total: € 4, 200, 000.00

Budget INL: € 299, 200.00

Title: IMOCO4.E: Intelligent Motion Control under Industry 4.E

Project Description

IMOCO4.E will deliver a reference platform consisting of AI and digital twin toolchains and a set of mating building blocks for resilient manufacturing applications. The optimal energy efficient performance and easy configurability, traceability and cyber-security are crucial.

The IMOCO4.E platform’s benefits will be directly verified in applications for semiconductor, packaging, industrial robotics and healthcare. Additionally, the project will demonstrate the results in other generic “motion-control-centred” domains affecting the entire value chain of the production automation and application markets.

URL: https://www.imoco4e.eu/

Start Date: 01 September 2021

End Date: 31 August 2024

Type: H2020-ECSEL-RIA – ECSEL Research and Innovation Action

Contract Number: 101007311

Funding Agency: ECSEL Joint Undertaking and European Commission

Funding Programme: Horizon 2020 and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT,I.P.)

INL Role: Partner

Partners:

• SIOUX TECHNOLOGIES BV (Coordinator)
• ZAPADOCESKA UNIVERZITA V PLZNI
• VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V BRNE
• FUNDACION TEKNIKER
• FAGOR AOTEK S. COOP
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MARKET LEADERSHIP
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
• GEFRAN DRIVES AND MOTION SRL
• SEVEN SOLUTIONS SL
• UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA
• INTRASOFT INTERNATIONAL
• REX CONTROLS SRO
• EMDALO TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
• ANALOG DEVICES INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI BRESCIA
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
• EVIDENCE SRL
• ELEKTRONIKAS UN DATORZINATNU INSTITUTS
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SASSARI
• REDEN B.V.
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN
• ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY MCC B.V.
• NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
• PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS NEDERLAND BV
• LABORATORIO IBERICO INTERNACIONAL DE NANOTECNOLOGIA LIN
• EDILASIO CARREIRA DA SILVA LDA
• HAHN-SCHICKARD-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ANGEWANDTE FORSCHUNG EV
• DIGITALTWIN TECHNOLOGY GMBH
• NUROMEDIA GMBH
• IMST GMBH
• STILL GMBH
• NEXPERIA BV
• SYSTEM-ON-CHIP ENGINEERING SL
• PHILIPS CONSUMER LIFESTYLE BV
• TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
• Centro di Ricerca e Innovazione tecnologica srl
• G.N.T. SYSTIMATA PLIROFORIKIS AE
• SIEMENS INDUSTRY SOFTWARE SRL
• CYBERTRON TECH GMBH
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
• AS MADARA COSMETICS
• NORMET OY
• EXERTUS OY
• SEMI EUROPE GMBH
• PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NEDERLAND BV
• DATALOGIC SRL

Budget Total: € 34 586 757, 5

Budget INL: € 300, 000 (EU: 105,000; FCT: 195,000)

Title: OPTIRAS – Optimization of the control of water quality in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Project Description

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) have been developed for land-based production of sea- and freshwater species. These systems are designed to provide high biomass production while reducing resource usage and maximizing control of operational parameters. Optimizing control and management of water treatment in RAS is of paramount importance. OPTIRAS will contribute to improve technology and protocols for land-based farming of sole and Atlantic cod significantly, with respect to productivity, animal health, production conditions, environmental benefits and sustainability. In particular, OPTIRAS aims at contributing to more sustainable growth in the aquaculture sector by developing innovative sensor technologies for operationally critical water quality parameters, and thus, generating new jobs related to a blue economy growth in Portugal. As a summary, OPTIRAS research will support businesses with a research, development and innovation component, strengthening RAS competitiveness in the market. This project aims at increased value creation including long-term marine and maritime economic growth, social cohesion and marine environmental protection.

The main objectives of OPTIRAS are:

• Investigate the changes in water chemical parameters, microbiome and physiology of fish in RAS induced by different water treatment processes as well as microorganisms balance in the different steps of water cycle.
• Develop and deploy online monitoring systems for water chemical parameters relevant for the control of the water quality and the ozone demand
• Test the adequacy and impact of alternative water treatment processes on fish welfare status and water quality
• Demonstrate a novel water quality control system developed in RAS pilots and improved cultivation protocols for diverse fish farming stages and species
• Transference of know-how and technologies in RAS between Norwegian and Portuguese companies in order to increase the sector competences, innovation and sustainability

URL: tbd

Start Date: 09 November 2021

End Date: 30 April 2024

Contract Number: PT-INNOVATION-0076

Funding Agency: EEA Grants

Funding Programme: EEA Grants

INL Role: Coordinator

Partners:

• INL
• LetSea AS (NO)
• SINTEF Ocean AS (NO)
• SAFIESTELA SA (PT)
• CIIMAR – Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (PT)

Budget Total: 869,771 €

Budget INL: 271,764 €

Title: AIHAB: AI-powered Forecast for Harmful Algal Blooms

Project Description

AIHABs is a multidisciplinary innovative initiative aimed at developing an integrated evaluation system to forecast the risk derived from the presence of emerging cyanotoxins in inland and coastal ecosystems.

The innovation of this project resides at merging tools as last generation Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote sensing, nanosensors, hydrodynamic modelling and massive genetic sequencing with the joint purpose of providing an early warning system to decision making authorities in terms of risk to the population. The predicting modelling effort will allow a timely action to minimize the risks of consuming surface waters or using them as recreational resources when the waterbodies are prone to produce toxic cyanobacterial blooms.

Project partners:

• Technological University Dublin, Ireland (Coordinator)
• University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
• Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory – INL, Portugal
• Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
• University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Start Date: 2021-09-01
End Date: 2024-08-24
Contract Reference: 411
INL Role: Partner
Budget Total: 1.285.295,00 €
Budget INL: 99.966,00 €

Title: LABPLAS: Land-Based Solutions for Plastics in the Sea

Project Description

Plastic is pouring from land into our oceans at a rate of nearly 10 million tonnes a year. Once in the sea, plastics fragment into particles moving with the currents and ocean gyres before washing up on the coastline. The smaller the size the higher the risk posed by these particles to organisms and human health. EU-funded LABPLAS will develop new techniques and models for the quantification of small micro- and nano plastics (SMNP). Specifically, LABPLAS will determine reliable identification methods for more accurate assessment of the abundance, distribution, and toxicity determination of SMNP and associated chemicals in the environment. It will also develop practical computational tools to facilitate the mapping of plastic-impacted hotspots and promote scientifically sound plastic governance.

Project partners:

• INL
• Universidade de Vigo
• Universidade da Coruña
• bfG – Federal Institute of Hydrology
• KU Leuven
• GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
• NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE
• Sorbonne Universite
• Open University of the Netherlands (Open Universiteit)
• Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research
• AIR CENTRE
• Universidade Federal de São Paulo
• BASF SE
• TG Environmental Research
• Contactica
• Stichting EGI

Start Date: 2021-06-01
End Date: 2025-05-31
Grant agreement: 101003954
INL Role: Partner
Budget Total: 5.333.333,75 €
Budget INL: 319.041,25 €

Title: DIGIRAS – Optimizing land-based fish production in next generation digital recirculating aquaculture systems

Project Description

The main aim of DIGIRAS is to close knowledge gap by digitalization of parameters and processes in RAS, which in turn will lead to more sustainable production under special attention of fish health and welfare. The following major objectives in DIGIRAS reflect the multidisciplinary character of the project:

• Detailed information on microbial communities in RAS and on the cultivated fish;
• Development of new high-resolution and ultra-sensitive biological and chemical sensor technology for RAS;
• Systematic high-resolution analysis of chemical water quality parameters in RAS;
• Development of innovative methods for real-time monitoring of fish welfare;
• Monitoring fish health in operational and experimental studies;
• Improving water quality in RASs using innovative treatment strategies;
• Integrating multidisciplinary data and development of decision support and management tools for RAS-

R&D partners:

• INL
• SINTEF Ocean AS
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences
• Lappeenranta University of Technology
• Bielefeld University
• University of Patras

Industry partners:

• LetSea AS
• AKVA group
• FRESH Völklingen GmbH
• Norwegian Fish Farms Tydal
• Andromeda Group

Start Date: 2020-09-01
End Date: 2023-08-31
Project  ID:81
INL Role: Partner
Budget Total: 1.940.000,00 €
Budget INL: 99.568,00 €

Title: LEARN – Development of novel assessment for indoor air quality monitoring and impact on children´s health

 The overall goal of the LEARN Project is the development and deployment of novel sensors to detect the presence of harmful air pollutants to measure the air quality in schools and its impact on the cognition of children.

This will be reached with the measurement and characterization of indoor and outdoor air pollutants by evaluating the presence of biomarkers of exposure and their effect in children´s cognition. Advanced human-based in vitro models of lungs and skin coupled to a revolutionary multisensing device will be used to investigate the mechanisms of toxicity in real-time.

Novel remediation strategies will be explored to improve air quality and promote children´s quality of life and life expectancy by a group of eleven leading research teams, unrivalled in their respective fields (environmental epidemiologists, toxicologists, air quality specialists, systems biology, engineers and citizen/social scientists).

The scientific achievements expected to result from LEARN will unlock a large technology potential in IAQ for decades to come leading to disruptive societal and economic impacts steaming from a radical improvement in the quality of life of children in Europe.

LEARN Project is part of the European indoor air quality and health cluster.

URL: https://www.learnproject-heu.eu/

R&D partners:

• INTERNATIONAL IBERIAN NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY – INL (Coordinator)
• VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL – VUB
• ENVIROMETRICS TECHNIKOI SYMVOULOI ETAIREIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHYNIS – ENVIROMETRICS Ltd
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN – KU Leuven
• UNIVERSITEIT HASSELT – UHASSELT
• MANN + HUMMEL GMBH – M&H
• NANOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION – NIA AISBL
• STICHTING IMEC NEDERLAND – IMEC-NL
• AARHUS UNIVERSITET – AU
• F. INICIATIVAS ESPANA I MAS D MAS I SLU – FI GROUP
• ALVEOLIX AG

Start Date: 01 May 2022
End Date: 30 April 2026
Type: HORIZON-RIA
Contract Number: 101057510
Funding Agency: European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA) – European Commission
Funding Programme: Horizon Europe
INL Role: Coordinator (Participant Contact: Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno ernesto.alfaro@inl.int)
Funded Budget: : €7,550,974.00
Budget INL: € 2,185,756.00