In order to implement the INL 2030 Strategic Vision and our global Mission of “Exploring Interfaces”, the research groups at INL are organised into six main clusters: Clean Energy, Foodture, Precise Personalised Healthtech, Smart Digital NanoSystems, Sustainable Environment and Advanced Materials and Computing.
INL has the facilities, knowledge, and ecosystems for exploratory research on novel properties, both experimentally and theoretically, of new low-dimensional and bio-inspired materials as well as combinations and structures of materials paving the way to (1) design new instrumentation and methods enabling the study and fabrication of novel material/structures tailored with atomic precision, (2) explore new paradigms in computing technologies, such as neuromorphic computing based on spintronic devices and/or brain-inspired photonics, and quantum computing based on photonic qubits, (3) develop quantum technologies for quantum sensing, -imaging, –medicine, and new materials and surfaces exhibiting non-trivial electronic or plasmonic properties, providing disruptive technology toolsets for the future.
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The most used energy sources today are based on resources that will not be naturally renewed at the pace at which these are currently being consumed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new materials and technologies that will enable society to convert to renewable energy sources. The aim of the Clean Energy Cluster is to improve the performance of energy applications while at the same time reducing their cost in order to address the energy challenge. We aim to attain an advanced fundamental understanding of micro-and nano-structured energy materials, by developing and designing novel materials for energy applications, and by designing and prototyping new energy devices.
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The increase in world population has implications for the food supply and the conventional methods currently used. To address this need, new efficient technologies will need to be developed. Therefore, the Foodture Cluster aims to apply nanotechnologies to build a future food system that is sustainable and able to secure healthier, tastier, authentic, and safer foods, optimizing and monitoring the processes all throughout the different parts of the whole food value chain.
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To address the main diseases and issues accounting for EU mortality – cancer, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, and ageing and based on the highly interdisciplinary teams within health and engineering competencies at INL, the Precise Personalised HealthTech Cluster explores new health technologies combining both the biological understanding (on diagnostics, therapeutics, theranostics, drug delivery, and biomarkers) with the engineering capabilities (in sensors, microfluidics, fluid mechanics, electronics, nuclear magnetic resonance, integration, photonics, imaging and microscopy).
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New and emerging paradigms like the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, Digital Health and Smart Cities rely on an unprecedented convergence between hardware and software that at a physical level is made possible by new disruptive devices (sensors, actuators, nanoelectronic components, photonic components) and new system architectures (ultra-low-power electronics, novel computation paradigms, reconfigurable circuits that take profit of multi-functional devices). The Smart Digital Nanosystems Cluster aims to pursue scientific excellence and explore the outcome of this research developing and deploying full solutions tailored to the needs of external partners.
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6 billion people will suffer from water scarcity by 2050, human activities are increasing pollution (air and water), accounting for the most important causes of worldwide mortalities during the year. The Sustainable Environment Cluster aims to develop programs towards environmental sustainability facilitated by digitalisation and the reduction and/or adaption to the impact of climate change. An overall driver of our work is to ensure human safety by reducing the risks associated with environmental contamination, including the potential risks generated with the developed nanosolutions.
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Have any questions? Get in touch! We’re always excited to hear about new projects and ideas!
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E: communication@inl.int
P: +351 253 140 112