"MIGRATE (Miniaturized Gas flow foR Applications with Enhanced Thermal Effects) was a MSCA (ITN) under H2020. A network was created spanning numerical, experimental, theoretical and applied research experts across academia, large scale industry and high-tech SMEs dealing with heat and mass transfer in gas-based microflows. MIGRATE brought together an intersectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration between 11 academic and 5 industrial participants from 10 European countries.
15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) have been trained through projects that covered different aspects of enhanced heat transfer and thermal effects in gas microflows.
The main objectives of MIGRATE were:
O1: to further improve the structuring of research in Europe in the field of thermal aspects of gas microflows and their applications, and strengthen EU innovation in this field;
-> This objective has been met by generation of 15 combined, internationally supervised PhD projects, which led to a bunch of common publications. Around 1/3 of the projects have been set as co-tutelle PhD theses.
O2: to resolve scientific problems not sufficiently addressed yet and transfer fundamental knowledge to technological applications at an industrial level, through a multi-disciplinary and innovation-oriented approach;
->This objective has been met for almost all the projects but one, which stayed far behind the expectations. However, the expected level of scientific or technical improvement could not always be fully reached due to, in the majority of the projects, simply time problems.
O3: to obtain scientific and technological solutions for actual topics related to process intensification and resource efficiency;
->This objective has been met. Technical solutions for specific measurement problems and extremely efficient gas-to-gas heat transfer have been developed and realized. In many cases the solution stayed at the level of “proof of principle”, but with a very good chance to be continued into a market. This is reflected by 3 patent applications prepared, of which one is already filed within the project.
O4: to train PhD students at a pan-EU level and in combination with industrial partners, with the aim of providing both a global overview on problems linked to heat transfer in or with gas microflows, advanced skills in specific domains of this research field and complementary skills related to management of industrial issues;
->This objective has been met. 15 ESR students have been recruited, with planned secondments in academia and industry. 13 out of 15 students have already managed to obtain their PhD or will obtain it within the next few months. 1 ESR already finished his doctoral time before entering (replacement for a drop-out candidate), another ESR has not come far enough to obtain a PhD title.) It was planned to grant 5 co-tutelle PhD titles, of which 4 have been finalised.
O5: to address, through training, the "" triple i"" dimension of the fellows’ mobility: interdisciplinary, intersectorial and international.
->This objective has been met. All ESRs have been trained in very different disciplines and sectors of science and industry. Internationality was never questionable."
