AIM-NEXT focuses on accelerating the design and integration of hard materials using non-critical raw materials, effectively addressing economic and environmental challenges within the European Union. Through a comprehensive interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international training program, AIM-NEXT collaborates with leading European universities and prominent industrial partners to deliver a robust educational experience. Ten Doctoral Candidates (DCs) are engaged in cutting-edge research and training across diverse technical, industrial, and academic environments, complemented by mandatory secondments and network-wide events. As a result, AIM-NEXT enhances candidate employability, addressing the growing need for skilled engineers in the European workforce and supporting the transition toward sustainable production.
Regarding research, the ambition of AIM-NEXT is to reshape our knowledge and the way of designing the next generation of non-CRM hard materials for extreme applications. It is implemented through a broad program of experimental, theoretical and modelling research, on the basis of innovative material design, synthesis and sintering, together with deeper understanding of material performance and failure. A research environment is then created where the 10 DCs work bridge the remaining knowledge gaps with the new tools, skills and competencies necessary to come from an original material design to its predictable performance in the shortest possible time. Four main objectives have been defined, as follows:
1. Develop novel non-CRM hard materials with enhanced mechanical integrity and performance.
2. Build and integrate predictive computational tools for accelerated design of hard materials.
3. Understand the evolution of material microstructure and properties during operation in extreme conditions.
4. Develop innovative processing and characterization methods.
They will be achieved by implementing four research workpackages (WPs), focused on:
WP1. Material design and processing for optimized functionality.
WP2. Material performance, reliability and operational behavior.
WP3. Innovative testing for characterization of in-service behavior.
WP4. Theories and computational models: from design to application.
With respect to training and networking - WP5 and key action in this project - the program outlined is an ideal foundation for the training of young and motivated engineering scientists on the design, development and application of “hard materials”, not only from a technological and industrial perspective, but also from an environmental and life cycle sustainability one. DCs are provided with a deep theoretical understanding in combination with a practical experimental ability. Through their work on the identified relevant questions, they are gaining a sound way of going from a scientific idea into an industrial product as fast as possible, but always following an efficient strategy-based path, guided by effective project management. The training program comprises two groups of training activities: local actions at host/secondment institutions and network-wide events.
Finally, addressing dissemination and impact (WP6), the need to reduce the use of critical raw materials is identified in AIM-NEXT as an area of strategic importance for EU. Accordingly the skills developed by the DCs are adapted to the current and future industrial needs and the ongoing transformation towards more sustainable production processes. The public communication strategy of AIM-NEXT focus on both technical/scientific and general public. In terms of scientific impact, AIM-NEXT attempts to achieve all the sound and quite ambitious objectives previously described. From this viewpoint, the project is also a reference regarding the numerical/experimental tools proposed for successfully tackling all these needs. These concepts are relevant to many professions and are applicable to all engineering and scientific fields. From the perspective of economic impact, new designed hard materials with enhanced properties and noticeably prolonged lifetime will clearly lead to a very strong positive impact on the competitiveness of numerous products in the European industry. Last but not least, AIM-NEXT involves great societal impact, as the project involves a wide range of added-value aspects: from energy and environment to dissemination and sharing of knowledge, following leadership and entrepreneurial guidelines.
