01 January 2018 – 01 April 2021

Objective

3D printing of metals is gaining a growing importance in the industry during recent years. This technology, specifically known as additive manufacturing (AM), is based on the rapid melting of the metallic powder and on its solidification into the desired forms by focussed lasers or electron beams. The feedstock materials are made by sophisticated powders of metallic alloys that require complex processes to be manufactured and handled, they are very expensive and still not specifically tuned to the printing processes.

The solution (technology)

The project is aimed at providing a technological basis for the production of more sustainable novel steel powders specifically developed for AM processes, which will cut costs (the use of water atomization plants will lead to a reduction of more than 80% of the investment costs so that feedstock powder will potentially be available on the market at a cost of around 30% the current prices), will reduce European dependence on critical raw materials and boost EU producers competitiveness. Issues about the careful use of critical materials (Cr is reduced by more than 80%, Ni is totally removed, significantly lower amounts of Mo are used in the new proposed steels), about improving the sustainability of the powder production processes and about recyclability of the materials are faced, up a technological readiness level of 8.

The introduction into the market of the two new powders for structural applications will be carried out by the industrial partner Höganäs, who will gain a market advantage, especially over low labour-cost, extra-European competitors. End-user partners who are putting their main interest on the automotive market will have the opportunity of developing by the proposed innovation two demonstrators: a suspension knuckle for cars and a die for the sheet forming of automotive parts.

Partnership

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy (Lead partner)
• Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF – C.R.F.), Italy
• Certema S.C.A.R.L., Italy
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany
• Gestamp Hardtech AB, Sweden
• Höganäs AB, Sweden
• IMR Metal Powder Technologies GmbH, Austria
• Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Sweden

Project duration: 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2020

Objective

The project meets a strategic goal of the EIT RawMaterials, consisting of substitution or recycling of rare earths, which are a class of critical raw materials for the EU industry, in a significant market like that of radiation detectors.
Main objectives are:

• to establish a broad network able to provide several types of experimental services and consultations to research groups and companies aiming at using already available materials or at developing novel material systems;
• to promote networking between partners and matchmaking with other EIT RawMaterials (EIT RM) partners and non-EIT RM institutions;
• to promote educational activities through the exchange of students and young researchers between academic institutions and participating companies.

The solution (technology)

The activities are organized into three work packages:

• WP1 (Creation and development of the infrastructure services)
• WP2 ( Education activities)
• WP3 (Management and networking)

Target end-customers are companies and research institutions. Beneficiaries of intersectoral educational activities are PhD students and young researchers.
High school students, undergraduate students, and professionals will also be beneficiaries of educational activities of the network.
Activities in SPARK are linked with AIDA2 H2020 Infrastructure Project and INTELUM project (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014) in which the coordinator is a partner.

Partnership

• The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission – CEA, France
• Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development – ENEA, Italy
• Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania
• Relight, Italy
• St. Gobain, France
• Trixell, France
• Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (University of Milano- Bicocca), Italy
• University of Bordeaux, France
• University of Lorraine, France

For more information, please visit the official website of the project.

01 January 2018 – 31 March 2021

Objective

Each ton of aluminium produced in smelters generates approx. 20kg of hazardous waste, which is a mix of the carbon lining and the refractory lining, known as “spent pot lining” (SPL). Worldwide aluminium production in 2016 was approximately 59 million tonnes, corresponding to the generation of 1.18 million of tonnes of SPL. The current practice of the waste management of hazardous SPL is landfilling or incineration, which costs aluminium producers on average 200 EUR/tonne (240 million EUR annually on a global level).

The solution (technology)

The project presents a novel zero waste technology, developed by and with external partners from EIT RIS eligible countries (Talum and Bistra, Slovenia) for the recycling of spent pot lining (SPL) from aluminium production, consisting of four main separation processes (preparation, extraction, flotation, and refining) in order to achieve the quality of products needed by end-users. The final products will be used either in aluminium production (recovered carbon and fluoride slats) or will be sold to the refractory industry or the construction industry (recycled refractory residues), with a special focus on the industry in RIS countries, on the one had to help them to solve their particular problems, on the other hand to foster their international competitiveness.

Partnership

• Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Slovenia (Lead partner)
• Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• MYTILINEOS HOLDINGS S.A., Greece
• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece
• SRC Bistra Ptuj, Slovenia
• TALUM Tovarna aluminija d.d., Slovenia
• Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo, Slovenia
• UVR-FIA GmbH, Germany
• Flemish Institute for Technological Research NV (VITO), Belgium

Project duration: 01 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Objective

The solution (technology)

It is an interactive training program in the form of e-learning and augmented virtual reality tools dedicated to train employees operating pyrometallurgical processes.

Partnership

• ERAMET IDeas, France (Lead Partner)
• Elkem AS Technology Kristiansand, Norway
• Eramet Services, France
• Materials Processing Institute (MPI), United Kingdom
• Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. VTT), Finland

For more information, pleease visit the project web page.

Project duration: 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2018

Objective

Sustainability support in decision making towards the design of products and services for the circular economy.

The solution (technology)

The SSIC provides information on the sustainability of material stocks, evidence on resource efficiency, analysis of critical raw material savings, guidance on innovation options for life cycle impact hotspots, sustainable up-scaling scenarios, socio-economic costs and benefits, job creation potential of new technologies, market potential, recyclability benefits of new waste valorization options, etc. By clustering the available state-of-the-art technologies and these sustainability support systems, the SSIC helps the industry and research community in solution-driven optimization.

Partnership

• Ghent University, Belgium (Lead Partner)
• Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Italy
• Ecoinnovazione, Italy
• Flemish Institute for Technological Research NV (VITO), Belgium
• Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Italy
• Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Denmark
• IVL Svenska Miljoeinstitutet AB (IVL Swedish Environmental Research lnstitute), Sweden
• European Commission, DG JRC (Joint Research Centre), EU
• Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
• Leiden University, the Netherlands
• Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek, TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), the Netherlands
• Technische Universiteit Delft (Delft University of Technology), the Netherlands
• Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. VTT), Finland
• Université de Bordeaux (University of Bordeaux), France
• Wuppertal Institut fuer Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH (Wuppertal Institute), Germany

For more information, please check the official website of the project.

Project duration: 1 April 2017 – 30 September 2020

Objective

The solution (technology)

Partnership

• DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Germany (Lead Partner)
• E F T A S Fernerkundung Technologietransfer GmbH (EFTAS), Germany
• Geological Survey of Slovenia, GeoZS, Slovenia
• LTU Business AB, Sweden
• Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania
• Stuttgart University – Institut für Photogrammetrie, Germany
• Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany
• Universidad Pontificia Católica de Valparaiso, Chile

For more information, please visit the project website.

Objective

The solution (technology)

Drawing on the lessons learnt during numerous case studies on industrial symbiosis in Europe and in other parts of the world, the project will provide (and optimize where necessary) tools to support companies that are interested in implementing practical measures, which are aligned with the concepts of industrial symbiosis and the circular economy. The concept of these strategies is that cost reduction, added value, reduced environmental impacts and new business opportunities can derive from a process of cooperation also in a Europe-wide context, which, if self-sustained over time, will be beneficial for all partners involved. The Network coordinated approach will ensure also the addressing of energy efficiency issues, the minimization of environmental impact and the economic sustainability. Moreover, the project will offer guidance to local and regional authorities when planning new industrial parks or revitalizing existing areas and it will help to achieve a higher level of resource efficiency and greater harmonization of national waste strategies.

Partnership

• Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), Italy (Lead Partner)
• AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
• ASTER S. Cons. P.A., Italy
• Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, Hungary
• DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
• Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Spain
• IVL Svenska Miljoeinstitutet AB (IVL Swedish Environmental Research lnstitute), Sweden
• Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
• Mondragon Corporation S. Coop., Spain
• Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany
• Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (University of Milano- Bicocca), Italy
• Zavod za gradbenistvo Slovenije, ZAG (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering  Institute), Slovenia

Objective

Sustainable Extractive Business Programme (SUB) develops an international and effective training programme to extractive industry practicing professionals and managers that will support and facilitate participants’ abilities to develop sustainable and innovative business models and operations. The ultimate objective of the project is to design and deliver a new kind of training programme for extractive industry professionals and managers in order to enable development of future management and leadership competencies within the industry.  Furthermore, the training programme will provide younger professionals with competencies needed in more strategic roles within their companies.

The solution (technology)

The programme will provide a learning environment that provides international participants with co-creative, multidisciplinary and entre-/ intrapreneurial learning and knowledge in which they can learn and to understand the eco-system of the global extractive industry. This is achieved by facilitating participants’ understanding of the industry value network dynamics, providing approaches to business development and transformation and co-creating solutions for social responsibility and environmental sustainability.  The programme will also hone personal leadership and management skills and abilities and will create unique networking opportunities across the different businesses within the industry.

Partnership

• Aalto University, Finland (Lead Partner)
• Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• KU Leuven, Belgium
• Outotec, Finland

Programme Co-ordinator: Anita Vastamäki, anita.vastamaki@aaltoee.fi

Project duration: 1 January 2018 – 31 March 2021

Objective

In day to day products, including labels and packaging, there is a rising consumer demand for smart products, that is to say objects able to be part of a digital ecosystem. Embedding sensors and communications technologies while minimizing the environmental impact of these smart products is a key challenge for the future.

The solution (technology)

The major way of achieving this is to work on the base materials of the electronics components to be embedded in, by providing organic materials instead of rare and toxic inorganic ones when applicable.

That’s the objective of the SUPERSMART project which will enable the direct printing on paper of sensors, displays, and electronics instead of bulk conventional electronics devices. It will make it easy the recyclability of such smart products.

Partnership

• Arkema France, France (Lead partner)
• Arjowiggins Rives S.A.S, France
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-2 (CNRS-UB), France
• Coatema Coating Machinery, Germany
• French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), France
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany
• Joanneum Research, Austria
• Luquet & Duranton, France
• Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (VTT), Finland
• New University of Lisbon – Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT NOVA), Portugal
• Université de Bordeaux, France