Future Superconducting Magnet Technology

Project Information

FuSuMaTech

Grant agreement ID: 766974

DOI

10.3030/766974

Project closed

EC signature date 9 August 2017

Start date 23 October 2017

End date 22 April 2019

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 501 097,50

EU contribution

€ 501 097,50

Coordinated by

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FuSuMaTech (Future Superconducting Magnet Technology)

Reporting period: 2017-10-23 to 2019-04-22

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The CERN’s projects, HL-LHC (the upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider) and FCC (Future Circular Collider), will create a big push in the state of the art of High-Field Superconducting magnets in the ten coming years. The performance of superconducting materials will be developed to yield higher performance at lower costs and the construction materials and techniques will be advanced. At the same time, in the context of Energy’s savings, Industry is experiencing a renewed interest in the domain of industrial superconductivity with fault current limiters, wind generators, electric energy storage, etc. Besides, Medical Research shows a strong interest in High-Field MRI, especially for the brain observation.
In that context, since January 2015, an ad-hoc Working Group called FuSuMaTech – for Future Superconducting Magnet Technology – was set up collaboratively between CERN and CEA. The FuSuMaTech Initiative firmly intends to open the doors between the technical worlds of High Energy Physics and Industry, create the framework of collaboration and provide common tools to all the European actors of the domain.
In 2017, twelves partners have submitted a proposal and have obtained a European funding under a FET-OPEN CSA (Future Emerging Technologies - Coordination and support Action) FuSuMaTech Phase 1.
FuSuMaTech Initiative aspires to define the most efficient way to increase collaboration between industry and academia in overcoming technological barriers to bringing products into the market, supporting a European cluster in applied superconductivity. It will enlarge the innovative potential especially (but not only) in High Field NMR and MRI, opening new possibilities in brain observation.

The FuSuMaTech initiative aims, to foster research and innovation in the field of superconducting magnets for scientific instruments, medical instrumentation, electric power generation, transmission and storage, and to support the European cluster of superconducting magnet technology to keep the leading position of Europe in the domain by developing a co-innovation eco-system between academics and industry.
The FuSuMaTech FET OPEN-CSA H2020 Project (Phase 1 of FuSuMaTech initiative 23th October 2017 - 22th April 2019) objectives have been completed:
• to move towards a FuSuMaTech European cluster
• to build the FuSuMaTech Road mapping
• to define and preparing Generic R&D&I actions
• to define and prepare Pilots actions
(As far as R&D&I should not only be based on academic subjects but should also be developed by demonstrators or technology pilots, both pathways were proposed: half of the subjects are generic R&D&I actions and half of the subjects are practical applications).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The work performed by FuSuMaTech Phase 1 was distributed over 6 WorkPackages.
WorkPackage1 dedicated to the strategic decision making and management gave FuSuMatech the overall framework. WorkPackage 2 dedicated to analyze the state of the art of superconducting magnet technology (searchable on the FuSuMaTech Website), market situation and landscape of patents and IP agreements, gave basis to develop FuSuMaTech roadmap (WorkPackage 3) of the ten actions of Generic R&D&I and technology demonstrators to be developed in the following five to ten years. WorkPackage 4 (setting up Generic R&D&I actions) and WorkPackage 5 (setting up technology Pilots) were the heart of the FuSuMaTech Phase 1 actions as the concept and methodology consist of taking advantage of the synergy to implement a win-win strategy between industries and academics by direct and concrete preparation of real “case studies”. WorkPackage 6 dedicated to the dissemination, communication and Intellectual properties issues has allowed to enlarge the diffusion of the FuSuMaTech Initiative project and to give to all participants the basis of legal tools of intellectual properties to go further in the real implementation of ten proposals subjects established within WP4 and WP5.

Partners of FuSuMaTech Phase 1 have participated to the process of establishing the FuSuMaTech Scientific Collaboration for the FuSuMaTech Phase 2 by writing and reviewing a Memorandum of Understanding that defines terms and conditions of the FuSuMaTech collaboration.
This Memorandum of Understanding will create an European cluster, therefore achieving the first main goal of FuSuMatech Phase 1.

A FuSuMaTech roadmap has been established analyzing the strategic roadmaps of both magnets for particle physic and magnets for medical and industrial application with a vision over the next 5 to 10 years.

The definition and the preparation of the ten projects Generic R&D&I actions and Pilots actions are completed. A scientific and technical committee composed of experts in the field has approved the interest of these projects for the entire scientific community in the field of superconducting magnets.

For 18 months, all project participants took advantage of every opportunity to promote the FuSuMaTech initiative and to disseminate the status of the FuSuMaTech collaboration and subjects developed within the FuSuMaTech Phase 1. Communication and dissemination activities have been done at various conferences, workshops or exhibitions in the field of superconductivity, or during meetings with political decision-makers.
CERN, in particular through its Knowledge Transfer (KT) unit, included FuSuMaTech topics in all relevant events.
The final workshop at CERN, bringing together many actors in the field of superconductivity, superconducting magnets and associated industrial applications, was the main event to communicate and give an overview of the results of Phase 1 of FuSuMaTech. An article will be published in the CERN Courier (International Journal of High Energy Physics is a monthly trade magazine covering current developments in high-energy physics and related fields worldwide).
Last but not the least, a dedicated website has been created to disseminate all public information.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Particle physics is pushing the exploration of our universe to the extreme limit of the infinitely small scale. To achieve this goal, which is one of the most challenging of the present natural science, research physicists and engineers imagine fabulous new machines at the forefront and even beyond the state of the art of technology.

The key to make the impossible possible is to establish a long-term strongly focused global R&D effort of the best physicist and engineers of the academic community working hands in hands with Industry. And so particle physics has demonstrated to be an incredible innovation booster. This boost is not only beneficial to particle physics but to the whole society! Indeed, since it is a major boost of technology and since technology has many applications this boost has demonstrated to have a direct impact on many domains of research, on societal challenges, on the economy and even on our everyday life.

The FuSuMaTech Initiative firmly intends to open the doors between the technical worlds of High Energy Physics and Industry, create the framework of collaboration and provide common tools to all the European actors of the domain.

The Parties wish to reinforce the leading position of Europe in the domain and to this end carry out joint activities between industry and academic partners on the common concerns in view of overcoming the technological barriers.

The Parties have consequently decide to establish the FuSuMaTech Collaboration.

FuSuMaTech Final Workshop at CERN (Geneva)