Pilot lines for manufacturing of materials with customized thermal/electrical conductivity properties

The proposed pilot lines should address the development, upscaling and demonstration in relevant industrial environments.

They should use existing pilot lines as a starting point for development, incorporating new materials and methods and/or instrumentation with real time characterization for measurement, analysis and monitoring at the nanoscale to characterise relevant materials, process properties and product features.

The aim is to increase the level of robustness and repeatability of such industrial processes; to optimise and evaluate the increased performance of production lines in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness; and finally to assess the sustainability, functionality and performance of the produced new materials.

Proposals should address the complete research-development-innovation cycle and obstacles remaining for industrial application, and involve a number of relevant materials producers and users, also considering the needs of SMEs.

Technology transfer should be considered and prepared through technology services at affordable costs, facilitating the collaborating with EU SME and large industries, and the rapid deployment and commercialisation of the new technology.

Examples of possible applications include multifunctional composites and polymeric materials for applications such as sensors, integrated electronics, lighting protection, thermal layers, thermoelectric components including inks, high-voltage insulators, and providing anti-pollution, noise, thermal or anti-scratch properties and/or sensing, health assessment and self-healing functions, etc.

Non-technological aspects key for the marketing of such products (e.g. standardization, regulatory issues, user acceptance, HSE aspects, LCA) need to be considered.

Activities are expected to focus on Technology Readiness Levels 4 to 6, and target Technology Readiness Level 7. This topic addresses cross-KET activities.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 5 and 8 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Advanced functional materials with customized thermal/electrical conductivity properties provide new opportunities in manufacturing.

The improved properties of sustainable advanced functional material with customized thermal/electrical conductivity properties will benefit end user industries in many sectors, Applications areas are wide ranging, and may include new manufacturing processes such as additive and 2D/3D printing processes and roll-to-roll or other large scale manufacturing processes.

The need for such materials, affordable, industrially robust and environmental friendly, calls for the upscaling of these widely researched materials and their manufacturing processes. This should ensure the further integration of the nano-enabled multifunctional materials into practical large-scale applications, and drastically exceed the current use in niche-markets.

The improved properties of advanced functional material with customized thermal/electrical conductivity properties can benefit end user industries such as automotive, aerospace, consumer durables, electrical and electronics, safety, healthcare, and energy.

Enhanced manufacturing capacities in Europe and/or enhanced market opportunities for European enterprises. These impacts should be addressed in particular in the outline of the business case and exploitation strategy to be submitted with the proposal. The expected content of this outline is further detailed in the LEIT introduction, section 6.

Impact should be presented at three levels:

1. Impact on the consortium materials producers and users, and other involved industries, demonstrated in the form of reduced costs and full consideration of environmental and safety legislation,
2. Other existing or new materials manufacturers, describing the expected impact from further integration of the nano-enabled multifunctional materials into practical large-scale applications with producers outside the consortium,
3. Global impact in form of direct or derived benefits from competitive advantage of the new materials in products.

The impact will also be improved by a contribution to training and knowledge dissemination for building an educated workforce.

Overall the action is expected to help driving the demand in Europe as well as support the penetration of new markets worldwide. This should include clear benefits to manufacturers, including SMEs, and new entrants into the market should be expected.