EMMC related Initiatives

New platform supports open innovation in coating materials

Twelve partners from seven countries have united to make the development and production of corrosion protection technologies more sustainable, economical and faster. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon is coordinating the project. The European Union is funding VIPCOAT within the Horizon 2020 program, specifically for the area of “Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing” (NMBP), over four years. The project has been started on May 1st, 2021.

About the project

The goal of the EU-funded VIPCOAT project is to create an open innovation platform that should assist engineers in developing coating materials and constructing accelerated life test scenarios to assess their durability. Initially, the platform will target the aeronautic industry. However, it will later host interoperable applications, based on standardized ontologies as extensions of the European Materials Modelling Ontology that should enable to transfer methods and insights to other industries. The VIPCOAT platform will open the door to new production concepts with reduced process steps, lower energy consumption and reduced use of natural resources. Supporting modelling, the platform should also promote the development of green, cheap and efficient coatings that inhibit corrosion.

The aim

The aim is to create an open innovation platform that can be used by the research, industrial, political and public sectors alike. The approach facilitates an effective transfer of science and communication between all those involved. The platform is to serve as a database (for experimental, industry-relevant and modeling data), scientific infrastructure and simulation tool at the same time. Machine learning and physics-based modeling are combined here to optimize industry-relevant active protective coating development processes. VIPCOAT is designed to support industry in making the development of customized innovative corrosion protection technologies not only faster and more economical, but mainly to also to make them more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Duration
Start: 01.05.2021
End: 30.04.2025

Due to crises such as the coronavirus pandemic or suspended trade agreements, supply bottlenecks occur repeatedly. Raw materials like nickel, magnesium and rare earths, which industries need to manufacture a wide range of products, are often unavailable for extended periods. This is where a new flagship project by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft comes into play: »ORCHESTER« addresses the challenges of the circular economy and security of supply, in particular with functionally reliable materials for the energy transition along the entire value chain.

The overall objective is to achieve a paradigm shift in material specification away from a definition based on material composition towards a function-based specification, for faster substitution of critical materials and thus a more resilient material supply. ORCHESTER will provide customers with a holistic offering to secure the supply of materials for resilient and sustainable value chains.

To achieve this, the digital ecosystem to be created will provide integrated functional safety assessment solutions and recommendations for action based on a digital knowledge base. The participating Fraunhofer Institutes contribute instruments such as high-throughput screening, sensor-supported manufacturing and production processes as well as process simulations and knowledge graphs for linking material and process data with models and expert knowledge.

The project showcases its effectiveness through three demonstrators that focus on material specification, recycling and criticality with a strong reference to the energy transition: bipolar plates, compressor wheels and permanent magnets.

The project consortium is coordinated by Fraunhofer IWM and consists of: Fraunhofer IWM, Fraunhofer IWU, Fraunhofer IWS, Fraunhofer ISI, Fraunhofer IWKS, Fraunhofer IZFP.

This work was supported as a Fraunhofer FLAGSHIP PROJECT.

Duration
Start: January 2024
End: December 2027

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PINK’s objectives: Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) advanced materials and chemicals (AdMas&Chems) are a central requirement for reaching the ambitious goal of making Europe the first digitally-enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy. Such new AdMas&Chems need to provide the high functionality required for their advanced applications, whilst simultaneously exhibiting improved safety and sustainability performances that take into account the complete value chain and life cycle, as outlined in the SSbD framework proposed by the EU Joint Research Centre and adopted in the Commission Recommendation of 8 Dec. 2022. To facilitate adoption by industry and, by doing so, foster the twin green and digital transition of Europe’s economy, PINK’s overarching aim is to produce innovative modelling software and integrated workflows for the development of AdMas&Chems, which are combined into an industry-ready open innovation platform, the PINK In Silico Hub (PINKISH).

PINK’s approach: PINK takes a holistic approach addressing the needs of industry by solving a multi-objective optimisation problem to improve and balance the four requirement categories functionality, cost-efficiency, safety and sustainability. All five steps of the SSbD Framework (hazard assessment, human health and safety aspects in the production and processing phase, human health and environmental aspects in the final application phase, environmental sustainability assessment, and socio-economic sustainability assessment) are integrated into selection considerations at each stage of the AdMas&Chems development, starting with a limited set of evaluation criteria and rough estimates (low-tier methods) and moving to higher-tier methods in later stages. In this way, confidence in the predictions is continuously improved over multiple design cycles by producing new knowledge on a constantly reduced set of better performing candidates.

The PINK team:  To provide all the expertise needed to achieve ambitious goals, PINK assembled a consortium of 16 partners from Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Austria, UK, and Switzerland funded under the EU Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-23 - Computational models for the development of safe and sustainable by design chemicals and materials (RIA).

Duration
Start: 01.01.2024
End: 31.12.2027

Sustainable storage for renewable energy

Countries and organisations worldwide are seeking novel ways to combat climate change. Renewable energy sources could be the answer, but as they often have an intermittent character, they lack efficient storage solutions. Current solid oxide energy cells that could offer a storage solution are too expensive and damaging to the environment. In this context, the EU-funded NOUVEAU project will introduce novel solid oxide cells utilising lanthanum- and PMG-free electrode materials, electrical interconnects and solid electrolytes that are designed to be recyclable, sustainable and efficient to produce.

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Duration
Start: 01.11.2022
End: 31.08.2025

Paving the way for a plating on plastics process

Recently the car industry has been using plating on plastics (PoP) technology for various benefits. These range from reduced weight and cost to their corrosion resistance and aesthetic advantages. Overall, they result in vehicles that require less fuel consumption and cost less to develop. Unfortunately, the process used for PoP is dangerous for workers and the environment and offers low-quality coatings, which are substantial disadvantages for companies using this process.

The EU-funded FreeMe project proposes a solution through the development of a novel technology for the metallisation of polymeric surfaces. This technology will use resins with suitable nickel-based precursor additions that offer improved coating as well as a safer process for workers and the environment.

The FreeMe consortium consists of 12 European partners.

Duration
Start: 01.06.2022
End: 31.05.2026

The I4BAGS project aims to develop innovative processing and characterisation solutions for microelectronics and battery applications. Driven by topical challenges in communication and energy management, and supported by large industrial demand for innovation, most performing devices have a complex thin-film stacking architecture, the manufacturing processes of which require fine monitoring of materials and their interface properties .

This project aims to demonstrate the versatility of low-energy ion implantation (LEII) protocols as a processing tool to locally modify electronic, electrochemical and electrical properties in different materials and structures. The work is organised and results will be demonstrated on two platforms: materials for thin film solid state batteries (TFSSB) and materials for graphene-on-SiC-enabled systems (GRSiC).

Objectives: Low-energy ion implantation tailored for targeted application. Broad frequency range characterisation methods from DC to millimetre waves supported by suitable modelling and software. Generated data collected within Open Innovation Environment and disseminated throughout European materials’ communities (EMMC, EMCC, AMI2030).

Target applications: electric transportation, smart metering, power applications and electricity storage.

The I4BAGS Consortium comprises partners from Poland and Belgium (Wallonia), connecting two research centres: L-IMiF (Lukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics) and MateriaNova with two SMEs: QWED (EMMC Organisational Member) and IONICS.

The project is co-funded by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development under M‑ERA.NET3/2021/83/I4BAGS/2022 and the Service public de Wallonie (SPW) under M‑ERA.NET3.

Duration
Start: 01.09.2022
End: 31.08.2025

BatCAT is the project that realizes the manufacturability programme from the BATTERY 2030+ Roadmap, creating a digital twin for battery manufacturing that integrates data-driven and physics-based methods. It develops a cross-chemistry data space for two technologies, (1) Li-ion and Na-ion coin cells and (2) redox flow batteries, addressing a triple challenge in digital manufacturing: (i) Design, (ii) operation, and (iii) trust.

(i) By improved product and process design and optimization, product quality and process efficiency increase. This requires decision support that makes complex decision problems accessible to human decision makers. The digital twin technology from BatCAT provides an interpretable industrial decision support system (IIDSS) based on multicriteria optimization. Surrogate modelling connects the high-level analysis firmly to ground-truth data.

(ii) Process operation and control is improved by acquiring and analysing sensory and operando data at real time, facilitating live interventions within an Industry 5.0 real-time environment. BatCAT follows a rigorous approach to actionable modelling, combining data-driven methods with deductive reasoning based on ontologies and formal methods (answer set programming and BPMN-based model checking) to guarantee a reliable behaviour.

(iii) The approach from BatCAT produces trustworthy models: Machine learning always retains a clearly characterized connection to the ground truth, and any decision support or decision making from inductive reasoning is safeguarded by constraints through formal deductive reasoning. All our models and methods are explainable, and all our data are FAIR and explainable-AI-ready (XAIR).

The digital twin is validated in pilot production lines for (1) coin cells and (2) redox flow batteries, proving its transferability across chemistries. The project is closely connected to the Advanced Materials 2030 Initiative, BIG-MAP and BATTERY 2030+, BEPA, DigiPass CSA, EOSC, EMMC, and the Knowledge Graph Alliance, ensuring a community and industry uptake of the results.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2024
End: 30.06.2027

Intelligent tool accelerates discovery of high-performance hard metal coatings

Thermal spraying produces coatings based on metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics and composites by projecting melted or heated powders onto surfaces. Among the available coating materials, hard metals provide excellent resistance to wear and corrosion. However, current hard metal coatings are based on critical elements (Co, W). Moreover, their properties are typically optimised by costly trial-and-error approaches. Creating a reliable selection tool solely based on experimental data would be too cumbersome. Even using microstructure-based physical models to predict their properties would take a lot of time. The EU-funded CoBRAIN project aims to tackle these issues by integrating computational and experimental data with artificial intelligence through semantic interoperability. CoBRAIN will develop an intelligent tool to propose novel solutions from the class of critical materials-free high-entropy hard metals.

Objectives

Wear and corrosion protection play a crucial role in the effort of European Manufacturing Industries to maximise both efficiency and productivity because they are inherently related to the lifetime of the components and their manufacturing cost. Thermal Spray technologies for the deposition of Hardmetals were developed for this reason, i.e. specifically to provide higher resistance to sliding and abrasive wear, coupled with good corrosion resistance. In this field innovation is based on experimental trial-and-error and operational feedback, because the equations that can model the coating performance have to consider the mechanical properties of the hard phase and those of the metal binder, their microstructure and interaction, and their evolution during the non-equilibrium Thermal Spray process. The final coating properties depend on all these factors and more, and they are too many for a physical modelling workflow to provide reliable results on a time scale that is compliant with industrial responses to fluctuating markets, supply chains and regulations. On the other hand, tools based on experimental data that rely only on final coating macro properties require extensive datasets to be reliable. This again conflicts with the response time required by industrial innovation. Moreover, innovation in coating technology is not just a matter of performance and costs: industrial companies have to consider multiple other factors such as the impact on workers, hidden regulatory costs, environmental protection costs, and also general public opinion. CoBRAIN offers a solution to this need, exploiting the integration of computational and experimental data through semantic interoperability, and developing an intelligent tool that will be able to propose novel materials from the class of High Entropy Hardmetals for direct deposition by HVOF, HVAF and CGS Thermal Spray, and capable to estimate their impact on the economy and the environment.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2023
End: 31.12.2026

Objectives

Magnetic materials are essential for many applications in energy, information, and communication technologies. However, the complex phenomena at different length and time scales often limit the development of new magnetic materials and devices.

The goal of this project is to develop a magnetic multiscale modeling suite that will allow the design and optimisation of magnetic materials and devices based on multiscale modelling, characterisation, and numerical optimisation. To achieve interoperability between software and analysis tools, we will establish a domain ontology for magnetic materials.

We will collaborate with EU magnet industry to create standards for linking simulation software for magnetic materials from first principles simulations and micromagnetics to device level simulators. MaMMoS will use artificial intelligence (AI) to fuse modeling and characterization data. AI methods will identify and correct systematic errors in the simulation data, enabling more accurate predictions. Moreover, AI models can fill gaps where measurements are not available. AI models can also serve as a surrogate in multi-objective optimisation. Optimisation will guide further experiments or simulations, reducing the development time. In MaMMoS, we will apply this approach to speed up the development of permanent magnets with reduced critical elements for electric machines and to optimise the layout of magnetic field sensors for high linearity range. The MaMMoS software will be validated against benchmarks defined according to the industrial requirements for electric machine and sensor design.

The multiscale magnetic materials modeling suite will be made open source to enable easy access to high-end simulation tools. Interoperability will facilitate data sharing and reuse among researchers and industries. Interpretable machine learning will reveal insights into the physics and chemistry of magnetic materials and guide the discovery of new materials for the European green deal.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2024
End: 31.12.2027

NanoMECommons will establish a transnational and multidisciplinary research and innovation network to tackle the problem of nanomechanical materials characterisation in multiple industries.

The focus of NanoMECommons is to employ innovative nano-scale mechanical testing procedures in real industrial environments, by developing harmonised and widely accepted characterisation methods, with reduced measurement discrepancy, and improved interoperability and traceability of data.

To achieve this goal, NanoMECommons will offer protocols for multi-technique, multi-scale characterisations of mechanical properties in a range of industrially relevant sectors, together with novel tools for data sharing and wider applicability across NMBP domain: reference materials, specific ontologies and standardised data documentation.

NanoMECommons is a 4-year project, which started in February 2021 and it is led by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). This project is funded by the EU H2020 Research and Innovation action – RIA (€ 5 9 million – Grant Agreement 952869 – Call: DT- NMBP-35-2020). It has the participation of 19 partners (11 from industry and 8 academia and research), coming from 10 countries.

Duration
Start: 01.02.2021
End: 31.01.2025

HyWay aims to develop adaptive multiscale material modelling and characterisation suites for assessing interactions between hydrogen and advanced metallic materials and demonstrate their capabilities on hydrogen storage and transport components.

Advanced materials application like hydrogen technologies is essential for achieving the EU carbon neutrality goal. However, deploying hydrogen technologies needs a tremendous effort to complete the infrastructure, requiring efficient material assessment suites, enabling industries to be more effective in developing and working with materials. Furthermore, since hydrogen is stored and transported in several forms, the material assessment suites must be flexible and capable of revealing hydrogen-material interactions in various conditions.

The HyWay suites contain 3 key modules: Physical realm, Virtual world, and Data and knowledge management platform (DKMP). The Physical realm will advance experimental capabilities to reveal hydrogen-material interactions by compiling characterisation methodologies across length scales. The Virtual world will develop a multiscale and multiphysics materials modelling framework for disclosing how hydrogen alters changes in advanced materials under various service conditions. The Physical realm and the Virtual world are interdependent and complement each other through the data exchange between modules. We will establish the DKMP to facilitate the data exchange and merge material research disciplines.

HyWay will ensure the productive allocation of investments required in constructing the hydrogen infrastructure. We will strengthen European capability in steering green transition with digital technologies and future emerging enabling technologies and ensure an open strategic autonomy by supporting the transformation of the EU energy mix to be dominated by hydrogen. The consortium comprises renowned experts from academia and industries across the EU and will support Ukraine on its European path.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2024
End: 31.12.2027

Power semiconductor devices are key enablers for the whole power electronics industry. e.g., for electric mobility and renewable energy solutions. This industry is expected to massively grow to $26 billion in 2026. Major reason for the shift is the requirements of the European Green Deal. Meaning, transformation the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern and competitive economy. Massive challenges that AddMorePower will overtake is to better manage the rapid and massive spread of the power electronics.

More precisely AddMorePower aims to advance X-ray and electron-probe related characterization techniques as well as modelling approaches for new wide bandgap power semiconductor materials, 3D integrated power technologies and the correlated modelling workflows. The wide impact of AddMorePower will broaden and accelerate market penetration, promote material integration and development for European power semiconductor technologies and provide new opportunities for other mono- and polycrystalline based industries.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2023
End: 31.12.2026

New battery technology powers Europe’s leap towards sustainability

The DigiCell project aims to revolutionise the battery value chain by transforming the manufacturing and testing processes of battery cells and packs. Using advanced modelling and machine learning techniques, DigiCell seeks to make these processes more efficient, reliable, and sustainable. The project applies AI-based models to simulate battery behaviour under various conditions and to correlate battery performance with material properties. This approach allows for real-time simulations and information exchange with actual production lines, significantly reducing material waste and enhancing battery life-cycle performance. Ultimately, DigiCell's innovations will contribute to a greener future by supporting the transition to renewable energy sources and the electrification of transportation.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2024
End: 31.12.2026

MACRAMÉ is a 36 months project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, addressing Advanced Characterisation Methodologies to assess and predict the Health and Environmental Risks of Advanced Materials (MACRAMÉ).

The MACRAMÉ Project is fully aligned with the EU ambitions to secure the safety and sustainability of new chemicals, materials, products and processes in order to strive for zero pollution and toxic-free environments.

The MACRAMÉ R&I Approach (Figure) aims to widen the development of harmonised test guidelines (TGs) and guidance documents (GDs) (OECD) and standards (CEN, ISO) to market-relevant AdMas in their complex product matrices. This will be achieved by defining the R&I Strategy through life-cycle assessment for five market-relevant industrial MACRAMÉ Use-Cases.

MACRAMÉ’s Central Objective is to:

1. detect, characterise and quantify AdMas during handling and processing along the product life-cycle,
2. assess potential impacts on (human) health and the environment in intended or unintended exposure situations (i.e. ‘Exposure Points’) in the product value-chain,
3. advance the wide-spread applicability of the developed test and characterisation methods, by demonstrating their effectiveness and efficiency in the context of existing, market-relevant industrial AdMas containing products, and
4. prepare and initiate standardisation, harmonisation and technological & regulatory validation of test- and characterisation-methods.

Duration
Start: 01.12.2022
End: 30.11.2025

The EU-funded D-STANDART project will seek to develop fast and efficient methods to model the durability of large-scale composite structures with arbitrary layups under realistic conditions.

Using generic specimens, researchers will develop new methodologies to determine material parameters associated with material durability under cyclic loading.

High-fidelity models should help simulate defect growth in various layups across multiple scales as a function of cyclic loading and rate.

Use of artificial intelligence surrogate models should help accelerate the development, uptake and commercialisation of advanced components.

Two use cases relevant to aerospace and renewable energy will be identified to validate the modelled durability performance of composite structures.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2023
End: 31.12.2025

AID4GREENEST aims to develop a range of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) - based rapid characterisation methods and modelling tools for the steel sector. The scope of the tools developed through the AID4GREENEST project includes the steel design (chemistry and microstructure), process design (processing parameters), product design (processing and heat treatments), and product performance stages.

The proposed tools are complemented by a roadmap designed to enable model-based innovation processes, from materials design to product development while considering industry needs: enhanced material quality, a reduction of carbon emissions, limiting waste generation, and reducing risks in the supply of critical raw materials.

A consortium of 10 partners composed of leading European universities, research centres, steel companies, and a small enterprise steer the project. Led by the IMDEA Materials Institute as the coordinator, the consortium includes the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, the University of Oulu, the University of Liege, Ghent University, consultancy company EurA AG, AI developer ePotentia, metal-based research centre OCAS NV, Reinosa Forgings & Castings (RFC), and the Spanish Association for Standardisation.
This project has received funding from the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon Research and Innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 101091912).

Duration
Start: 01.09.2023
End:  31.08.2026

The ClimAir project uses AI to tackle climate change, air pollution, and respiratory diseases in Europe. By collecting data on greenhouse gases, air pollutants, and disease prevalence, it aims to improve public health through AI-driven interventions.

With a network of 21 partners across 15 countries, including health centers in Spain, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Romania, and Poland, ClimAir will test and validate tools for health workers, urban planners, and policymakers. The goal is to influence policies, reduce respiratory diseases, and promote healthier environments in European cities.

Duration
Start: 01.01.2025
End:  31.12.2028

The MatCHMaker project is determined to support excellence in research on methods and tools for advanced materials development. MatCHMaker will enable the integration and interoperability of complex C&M workflows matching the needs of EU manufacturing industry. Requirements on multiphase and multiscale materials coming from Construction, Energy and Mobility sectors will be translated into specific innovation challenges that can be addressed by an integrated approach combining characterization and (physics and data-based) modelling for establishing the process-microstructure-macroscopic properties correlation in advanced materials in a reproducible and efficient way reducing development costs, time and risks while improving sustainability.

Knowledge transfer, data sharing and full interoperability between C&M “communities” will be facilitated using data related standards (CHADA, MODA, EMMO) and by the creation of an open repository with connection to design and manufacturing processes. The repository will be based on Semantic Web to represent rich and complex ontologies. EMMO is the starting point, domain and application ontologies related to MatCHMaker use cases and providing a fully semantical vocabulary to describe the produced C&M data will be developed.

Standardisation of MatCHMaker ontologies, data documentation and domain ontologies will be sought via engagement in specific activities (e.g. collaboration with EMMC, EMCC, OntoCommons CSA). The ambition of MatCHMaker is to validate project results on three Use Cases (UC) representatives of low carbon and clean industry: UC1\Construction\Cement; UC2\ Energy\ Solid Oxide Fuel Cells/Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOFC/SOEC); UC3\ Mobility\Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). The project will foster synergies and interaction with EMMC and EMCC to align MatCHMaker results to councils’ objectives.

Duration
Start: 01.12.2022
End: 31.05.2026

OpenModel – Integrated Open Access Materials Modelling Innovation Platform for Europe. OpenModel aims to design, create, provide, and maintain a sustainable integrated open platform for innovation which delivers predictable, validated, and traceable simulation workflows integrating seamlessly third-party physics-based models, solvers, post-processors and databases.

OpenModel thus bridges the gap from industry challenge via translation to actionable results that enable well informed business decisions. Six use cases (Success Stories) show the applicability to a wide range of materials and their related processing technologies and demonstrate how OpenModel facilitates setting up experiments, reducing error and enhancing development efficiency.

Duration
Start: 01.02.2021
End: 31.01.2025

JIDEP brings industry-oriented collaborative spaces supported by decentralising blockchain network that will overcome trust barriers, non-repudiation, and self-sovereignty of identities and data ownership.

This project builds upon the principles of Industry 4.0 by adopting a coherent approach to semantic communication between diverse actors, aiming to make both direct and indirect contributions to the EU climate neutrality goals of 2050.

JIDEP is a landing place for any organisation that has a data challenge to be addressed on its journey toward delivering a more sustainable material, product, service, or solution. The JIDEP tools will help organisations to unlock the value of data, leading to the development of more sustainable solutions, technologies, and materials.

​The JIDEP platform will be designed to cover the entire product life cycle and assist in steering it toward circular standards implementation at both technological and regulatory levels. While the JIDEP architecture and design principles are industry-agnostic, the implementation of JIDEP in the project will focus on composite materials and Printed Circuit Board (PCB). 

Duration
Start: 01.06.2022
End: 31.05.2025