Project description
3D printing to enhance material health monitoring
To achieve low-carbon targets, Europe can use extensive railway and hydrogen pipeline networks, along with nuclear power plants. Continuous monitoring of material health is essential due to the challenges of integrating sensors with high-strength metals used in critical components. The EIC-funded FIBER3D project aims to develop technology that enables sensors to be welded onto surfaces or integrated into new metal components. By combining optical fibre sensors that measure temperature and strain with advanced spraying and 3D printing, the project will enhance material health monitoring. This technology can be applied to Europe’s railway network, hydrogen transport systems, nuclear infrastructure, and low-carbon 3D-printed components, improving sustainability, safety, and competitiveness through real-time diagnostics and predictive maintenance.
Objective
To meet low-carbon targets, Europe can rely on over 250,000 km of railway, 25,000 km of hydrogen pipelines, more than 100 nuclear power plants with complex piping systems, and emerging technologies like small modular reactors and advanced engines. However, intensified use of existing infrastructure and stringent design demands in new technologies make continuous material health monitoring essential. Yet, most critical parts are made of high-strength metals with high melting points, preventing direct sensor integration via welding or casting. FIBER3D proposes a groundbreaking fabrication technology that enables the production of sensors that can be directly welded onto existing surfaces or embedded within newly manufactured metal components. This is achieved by combining optical fiber sensors—capable of measuring temperature and strain along their length—with advanced spraying and 3D-printing techniques. The consortium, formed by world-leading experts in photonics, chemistry, materials science, metallurgy, thermo-mechanics, applied mathematics, and mechanical design, offers guarantees of success. FIBER3D’s technology can be applied across the entire existing Europe’s railway network, hydrogen transport systems, and nuclear infrastructure, as well as in 3D-printed parts for low-carbon technologies. This unique and transformative material health monitoring approach will significantly improve the sustainability, safety, and competitiveness of key industries by enabling real-time diagnostics and predictive maintenance, preventing catastrophic failures. FIBER3D will revolutionize material health monitoring in both existing and future industrial systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies nuclear engineering
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- engineering and technology materials engineering metallurgy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDEROPEN
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 Paris
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.