Research and Development Center

Bulgaria: South-West (Bulgaria)

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

The Research and Development and Innovation Consortium is a non-profit legal entity, operating in the public interest, established according to the Law for Non-profit. The Consortium is a scientific organization, whose main goal is to manage and develop the Laboratory Complex. The laboratory complex is one of the key elements, which assists the synergy between science and business, aiming to develop innovative goods and services until they reach go-to-market stage.

The laboratory complex is designed to perform problem-driven and industry-oriented R&D directed to efficient, value-added and environmentally-friendly utilization of the national bio-resources and valorization of industry byproducts and bio-wastes to obtain products with high added value.

Main goals:

To conduct independent scientific research and to disseminate publicly the results of these activities through teaching, publications and knowledge transfer.
Technological development.
To promote the culture of innovation and the… Technological Facilities & Equipment:

Interactive stereoscopic display Z-Space.
Diversity of HMDs (HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Acer Mixed Reality, Oculus GO, etc.).
Stereoscopic camera ZED Mini.
Diversity of interaction devices (Myo bracelet, MS Kinect v2, force-feedback, etc.).
Rapid prototyping system with integral metal addition and highspeed routing.
Workspace for workpieces up to 650 mm, 360 mm in height and 1000 kg in weight.
Rapid prototyping system and rapid production of plastic elements.
Workspace: 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm.
Rapid prototyping system for sand and ceramics
Workspace: 500 x 400 x 300 mm.
Fully equipped with the latest technological solutions for testing specific products and systems in the field of railway transport, as well as specialized equipment and software for testing and simulation of IoT, 4G and 5G telecommunication networks.
XRF Spectrometer.
SAM microscope.
X-ray inspection system.
Shear stress bondtester.
Ion milling and polishing machine.
…. RNDIC offers several services including: 

Research and Development
Expertise and technical advice
Testing and analyses
Training
Demonstration of best practices

Access to strategic research and expertise in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and automation,

Internet of things, 3D and New Products Rapid Prototyping, Additive manufacturing, Micro and Nanoelectronics, Virtual and Extended Reality, Cyber security, High Performance Computing, etc.

 
. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

KTU National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre

Lithuania: Vidurio ir vakarų Lietuvos regionas

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is a leading wide-ranging University, one of the leaders in research and experimental development and innovation (R&D&I) projects in Lithuania. Offering a wide range of technology-related studies and research is well-known for maintaining enduring relationships with business and industry. Each year KTU invests in research in breakthrough fields and aims to transfer the newly developed knowledge and technologies into studies and non-formal education. In this way KTU contributes to the knowledge-based welfare of the local community.

The R&D&I Strategy is directly implemented by the University’s research institutes, faculties, and other responsible units. In order to achieve continuous synergies between the science and business sectors in a dynamic innovation ecosystem, KTU effectively implements technology transfer, intellectual property management, young business development processes coordinated by KTU National Innovation and Business Center (NIEC). As intermediary… KTU provides high-quality R&D&I services and rent of equipment via Open Access Centre Information System (APCIS), which is a “one-stop-shop” for inquiries. System includes more than 1200 services provided by over 1400 KTU researchers and can be used by business entities and public organizations.

Accredited laboratories:

Composite and Finishing Materials Laboratory | Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Building Materials and  Structures Research Centre | Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Building Physics Laboratory | Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Food Research Centre | Food Institute
Machinery Vibration and Acoustic Noise Level Testing Laboratory | Technological Systems Diagnostic Institute

Available equipment:

Ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy system KRATOS XSAM800
KRATOS molecular beam epitaxy system for GaAs with control
Electron beam lithography, electron microscopy and surface analysis system e-LiNE…. KTU NIEC provides a variety of services in different areas: 

Research – business projects

Management of R&D&I projects
Research for business
Solution of the company’s topics, development of the prototype
Consultations on the financing instruments

Establishment and development of new business

Consultations on the business creation
Development of new products
Partnership in the international/national projects
Organisation of the events for generation of the technological ideas (hackatons)

Protection of the intellectual property

Consultations on the issues of intellectual property
Technology patent analysis
Licencing

KTU services can be used by Lithuanian and foreign companies for R&D&I activities, as well as new product creation. Research services also give opportunities to Lithuanian and foreign organization to participate in joint science projects and provide joint R&D&I services.

5 R&D&I Priority Areas of the University’s research:

Diagnostic and…. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

Hochschule Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

Germany: Saxony

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

Mittweida University is a university of applied sciences in Central Saxony with a strong focus on research and transfer. Founded in 1867 as a technical center, the state university has more than 7.000 students in five faculties and four research focuses.

In the last few years, the university has continued to develop its fields of research competences. The decision of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) to include Mittweida University in the Research Map of the German Rectors' Conference (www.forschungslandkarte.de) with its four research focuses has been an important factor in this regard:

FSP1: Laser Technologies
FSP2: Product and Process Development
FSP3: Digitalisation in Economy and Society
FSP4: Applied Informatics

The spectrum of industry-oriented research and development at Mittweida University is characterised by third-party funded research, collaborative promotion projects, independently organised development work as well as projects of the institutes and research associations… At Mittweida University we have numerous labs and equipment that is also available for external use, e.g. within the framework of contractual research or common research projects. Examples are our Laser Insitute, the augmented / virtual reality center, the TV studio, measuring and testing systems, etc.

Our equipment you can find in our online database:

https://vivo.hs-mittweida.de/vivo/equipment

 
. At Mittweida University we have numerous labs and equipment that is also available for external use, e.g. within the framework of contractual research or common research projects. Examples are our Laser Insitute, the augmented / virtual reality center, the TV studio, measuring and testing systems, etc.

More information about our labs you can find here:

https://www.forschung.hs-mittweida.de/forschungsgebiete-labore/

For more information about the equipment of the labs please see the equipment section.

For more information and possibilities for services and cooperation please contact us directly.
. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

National R&D Institute for Non-ferrous and Rare Metals - IMNR

Romania: Bucharest-Ilfov

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

IMNR, established over 50 years ago, is a national R&D institute active in the field of materials science and engineering based on non-ferrous and rare metals (alloys, composites, hybrids) and applied inorganic chemistry, aiming to further research for the efficient use of resources and critical materials substitution, and develop high-tech applications in sensors, security, energy, automotive, aerospace, medicine, waste management, etc.

The institute’s main research directions include: technologies for advanced metal-based materials and their compounds; new chemical processes for processing primary and secondary resources (solubilization in autoclaves in controlled atmosphere, microwave processing); mild chemical methods for the synthesis of advanced nanomaterials (oxides, composites, hybrids): hydrothermal / solvothermal at high pressures, spray drying, encapsulation and core-shell materials; new technologies for capitalizing advanced materials (coatings and thin films by EB-PVD, and thermal evaporation… Pilot installations, developed and built in-house:

Pilot installation for functional testing of phase change materials for thermal energy storage: allows the pilot scale measurement of the storage and heat transfer capacity of inorganic phase change materials with working temperatures in the range of 300-500⁰C;
Prototype plant for smelting non-ferrous metal waste and treating gases / noxious substances in a microwave field (5L crucible; max. temp. 1,400⁰C).

 

HIGH PT-MET Center (Research Centre for the Intensification of Metallurgical Processes at High Pressures and Temperatures) - main equipment:

Electron beam installation (TORR Int. Inc., USA): allows deposition on rotating 3D plates or rods with a length of max. 350 mm; simultaneous or multilayer deposition of thin films; heating substrates during deposition; (W, Ni, Co, Cr, Al, Y), dielectric materials (Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, etc.) and compounds;
Thermal evaporation deposition installation (TORR THE5-750W, Torr Int. Inc., USA), inox,…. Small-scale alloy manufacturing and processing services

alloy manufacturing: brazing alloys (Ag, Cu-P-Ag), soldering alloys (Sn-Pb, Sn-Pb-Sb, Sn-Sb), master alloys Cu-P, easily fusible alloys (AF50, AF70, AF90), antifriction alloys (based on Sn, Pb and Al), cast alloys (Cu-Sn and Cu-Sn-Pb), other alloys (Cu-Al, Cu-Zn, Pb-St, Zn, etc.);
alloy processing: wire / strip / bar / chip / electrode / plate / block alloy processing, Au, Ag, Zn, Al, etc. processing.

 

Analysis / characterization services

1. Chemical composition:

element detection: Cu, Co, Cd, Pb, Sb, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Rb, Li, Sr, Ga, In, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS);
detection of approx. 70 chemical elements (in high, low and trace concentrations) by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES);
volumetric and gravimetric chemical analysis: dosing Fe, Fe2+, Ca, Mn, Sn, Si, Ba, SO42-, CO2 etc.

2. Physical and Structural Characterization:

…. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

NaMLab gGmbH

Germany: Saxony

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

NaMLab was founded in 2006 as a public-private partnership between Qimonda AG and TU Dresden. In the first year, NaMLab started as a research organization with 10 employees focused on dielectric material research for future memory devices. The company steadily expanded and today, NaMLab serves a growing list of worldwide partners. NaMLab’s research is contributing to the main challenges for our future society concerning climate change, digitalization, and mobility by placing sustainable, secure, and intelligent electronic solutions into the core focus. Those solutions can be divided into three main activities:

Dielectrics for Semiconductor Devices,
Reconfigurable Device and,
Energy Efficiency Devices

NaMLab’s research in the field of dielectrics is focused on flourite-structure ferroelectric materials, such as hafnium oxide, and their application in capacitors. Here the main focus is on the understanding of how to control ferroelectricity in hafnium oxide, as well as the degradation… The NaMLab gGmbH is located in a vibration-cushioned building with both lab space and office areas. The lab space comprises a 330 m² of clean room with at least class 6, a 50 m² yellow lighted area with at least class 5, and 4 labs with 25 m² each.

Major equipment for process technology:

2 Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems for oxide and nitride material deposition
1 CVD/RIE Cluster Tool with overall 24 different process gases
1 Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP) Reactive Ion Etching Tool
5 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Tools (1 UHV Sputter Cluster; 1 HV Sputter Cluster, 2 Small Scale Sputter Tools; 1 Evaporator)
5 different anneal ovens; including rapid thermal processing (RTP) for different temperature ranges and materials
1 Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) / Molecular Beam Deposition (MBD) cluster tool for ultra-pure GaN materials
1 Hydrid Vapour Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) for bulk GaN growth
1 MOCVD Tool for GaN layer growth
1 Laser Cutter for sample preparation
1 Laser Lithography…. NaMLab develops materials for future electronic devices. We run industrial as well as basic research projects and provide services in the areas of sample preparation, electrical and physical characterization. Sample fabrication ranges from small scale (typically 4x4 cm or below) up to 150 mm wafers. Physical characterization is typically carried out on small scale samples. Electrical characterization is done by direct probing on wafer level using single probes, probe cards or special RF-probes. Package level testing can be performed for long-term reliability characterization or the adoption of our devices in test-circuits.

 Typical services comprise, but are not limited to:

Laser cutting of wafers
Deposition of thin films or stacks of thin films
Processing of capacitor structures
Processing of test structures for GaN wafer characterization
Physical characterization, electrical or optical characterization by any of the methods described below

The established electrical characterization…. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research Rudolstadt e.V. (TITK)

Germany: Thuringia

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

The Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research Rudolstadt e.V. (TITK) is one of the leading private material research institutes in the field of polymer functional and construction materials. As an industry-oriented institution with a modern technology park, TITK develops innovative starting materials or complete manufacturing processes for automotive components, packaging materials, bio- and medical technology, energy technology, micro- and nanotechnology, and lifestyle products. The TITK Group, with a total of 210 employees, includes two subsidiaries in addition to the institute. The smartpolymer GmbH markets and produces developments of the TITK. Testing services for textiles, fiber composite materials and plastics are realized by OMPG mbH (accredited testing laboratory according to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025).
.
Consulting and training
Contract research
Manufacture of custom products
Testing services
Patent search and application
Expert reports and statements
Support for start-ups

. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

MaPS (Manufacturing Processes and Systems) – KU Leuven

Belgium: Flemish Region

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

At MaPS (Manufacturing Processes and Systems) in KU Leuven a wide range of innovative manufacturing processes and systems (see below) are investigated in close collaboration with both local and global industry.  State-of-the-art labs, decades of experience with fundamental and applied research, including licensing and spin-off creation, in-depth knowledge of the material-tool interactions and collaborations across different disciplines make KU Leuven the ideal partner for helping your company or your consortium to find solutions to manufacturing related problems requiring a fundamental approach or to bring innovative manufacturing ideas one step closer to the market. The technologies and techniques that are studied are:

Additive manufacturing (AM, also called 3D Printing): both powder and laser-based AM of polymers, metals and ceramics and nozzle-based AM including Wire Arc AM (WAAM) and welding
Subtractive and hybrid manufacturing: vibration- or laser-assisted assisted milling, grinding, turing,…
State-of-the-art AM lab: commercial and in-house developed AM machines for metals, polymers and ceramics (https://set.kuleuven.be/am/equipment)
State-of-the-art metrology lab (https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/mm/services)
State-of-the-art sheet metal working lab (https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/flex-sheet-metal-working/equip…)
State-of-the-art machining lab: milling, turning, EDM and hybrid machines (https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/Machining/Equipment)
State-of-the-art micro/nano machining lab with precision machines for EDM, milling and turning and ultra-short pulsed laser micromachining (available by end of June 2021):   https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/mpe/Equipment

. MaPS offers European companies collaborations in the framework of ESA, H2020 or Horizon Europe and small service agreements or bilateral research collaborations in its field of expertise (see above).

More details on specific services can be found here:

For manufacturing metrology:https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/mm/services (a climatised metrology lab (https://www.flandersmake.be/en/testing-validation/product-validation/di…) and an X-ray Computed Tomography lab (https://www.flandersmake.be/en/testing-validation/product-validation/x-… )
For additive manufacturing: https://www.flandersmake.be/en/testing-validation/production-optimisati…
For welding:https://iiw.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/welding-engineering/consulting-and-se…

For all this: one single point of contact to help you find the right KU Leuven partner(s) for your specific advanced manufacturing questions and needs
. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics Advanced Technologies for Industry

Czechia: Prague

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

The Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) (www.cvut.cz) was founded in 1707 and is one of the oldest technical universities in Europe and currently the major technical university in the Czech Republic. Offering high quality education and a long tradition of cutting-edge science and engineering, CTU counts approx. 1.7K members of academic staff, 18.5K students, 8 faculties, and 5 institutes.

The Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU) (www.ciirc.cvut.cz) was founded in 2013 and is the youngest CTU’s institutes, starting its full operation in newly built facility just in 2017. The CIIRC CTU’s research focuses on four basic pillars: industry, energy, smart cities, and healthy society, all implemented in basic and applied research. Currently, the institute has nearly 300 employees working in 8 research departments complemented by four specialized centers such as Testbed for Industry 4.0 and RICAIP Centre - Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production (www… The Testbed for Industry 4.0 at CIIRC CTU as an integral part of the European Centre of Excellence RICAIP (Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production) as a research and experimental workplace is the core asset for the exploitation of results of multiple research projects. The main objective of RICAIP is to build a unique research facility for the development and testing of innovative solutions for advanced and fully integrated industrial production and processes for smart factories.

The basis of Testbed is a flexible production line for concurrent production of several product types in a series of variants. It combines different technologies as additive manufacturing, machining, robotic manipulation, intelligent conveyor systems, human-robot cooperation, automated warehousing and others. Thanks to the flexible interconnection of universal production tools and a sophisticated control system, the same resources can be used to execute different operations, which are scheduled optimally…. The Testbed for Industry 4.0, the research, experiment, and demonstration facility, is based on the state-of-the-art technology with a further future outlook and development. It is well suited for prototyping, process improvement, product development and testing in order to research new concepts and methods that would improve the manufacturing processes, optimize the manufacturing etc. The other CIIRC joint labs (or projects) with different firms can be also used under research or business conditions – e.g. Eaton, Factorio Solutions, AVRAR (Association of Virtual and Augmented Reality), Siemens, IBM, HP, Rockwell Automation, Schneider, ABB, or CP Factory lab by Festo. The 3D printers are also available.

Our technology centre offers the following services:

Awareness creation around digital technologies
Innovation Scouting
Digital Maturity Assessment
Visioning and Strategy Development for Businesses
Brokering/Matchmaking and Ecosystem building
Access to Specialist Expertise and…. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

Bielefeld Institute for Applied Materials Research (BIfAM)

Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

The Bielefeld Institute for Applied Materials Research (BIfAM) was founded in 2013 as one of the first research institutes of the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. The expertise of the participating scientists comprises physics, chemistry, biology, biotechnology, informatics, mechanical engineering, process engineering, and electrical engineering. Research interests cover aspects of measurement technology, functional layers, energy transfer, sensor technology, material analytics, destructive and non-destructive materials testing, field emission scanning electron microscopy, additive manufacturing, formulations, and computer based modelling and simulation.

The scientific-technical work within BIfAM comprises both research and development in order to face the great societal challenges with innovative approaches – from fundamental research on novel materials, via material and technology development towards product and process development. Interdisciplinary research teams develop creative solutions in… Computational Science Lab

Laboratory for materials testing

Laboratory for applied microelectronics and microsystems technology

Laboratory for plastics analytics

Laboratory for plastics engineering

Laboratory for laser technology and optoelectronics

Laboratory for thermal energy and energy efficiency

Acoustics laboratory

Laboratory for process engineering

Laboratory for microbiology, chemical synthesis and analytics

Solar Computing Lab, Laboratory for photovoltaics

Experimentation Hall
. Simulation based optimization

Multi physics and multi scale modeling and simulation

Consulting / training FEM simulations

Thermal and energy efficient systems

Magnetic field design and analysis

Electrical engineering

Inductive energy transfer

Applied formulations

Custom-designed material aspects

Synthesis

Analytics

Thin film technology

CVD / PVD coatings

Surface analytics

Photovoltaics

Microelectronics

Microsystems technology

SMD technology

Sensor systems

Lightweight construction materials

Compound materials

Destructive and non-destructive materials testing

Failure detection and analysis

Scanning electron microscopy

Materials characterization

Plastics engineering and analytics

Materials development

Molecular materials

Vacuum casting technology

Additive Manufacturing

Extrusion and casting
. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology

Tecnopolo di Mirandola "Mario Veronesi"

Italy: Emilia-Romagna

Overview

Mission/Objectives of the cluster organisation

Tecnopolo Mario Veronesi (TPM) is a research laboratory 
Thanks to specific skills of an excellent researchers team and the use of latest and most advanced equipment and technologies, it is a place where companies and scientific expertise meet together, to create, solve and accelerate production opportunities specifically tailored to the needs of the customer.
Mainly involved in the biomedical sector, we also offer consultancy for the cosmetic and agri-food sectors.

TPM is composed by 5 laboratories/different specializations:

1) Toxicology and proteomics lab (TOP) has recognized and consolidated experience in the following macro-activities that are delivered accordingly to the international sector regulations and through advanced methodologies. Furthermore, the TOP laboratory supports in study protocols elaboration and identifies the best in vitro and in vivo analysis approach to evaluate the materials activity.

2)  Chemical lab (POS) combine the scientific research need  in new materials field… TOP LAB:

Toxicology
High performance liquid chromatography – High resolution mass spectrometry
High performance liquid chromatography – UV spectroscopy
Gas atmospheric pressure chromatography – High resolution mass spectrometry
Climate chamber for aging tests

Proteomics
Separation system offgel
Separation system for single- and two-dimensional electrophoresis
Image acquisition and processing systems
Flow cytometer

POS LAB:

The laboratory is equipped with both useful equipment in the field of polymer synthesis and instrumentation for chemical characterization. Among these we can mention the UV-VIS and IR spectrometer.

In addition to the most classic instruments, there are also innovative instrumental techniques such as electrospray.

Specifically, electrospray is a technique that allows to produce nano- and micro-polymer structures (range 100-10’000 nm) with a high repeatability. Moreover, thanks to the co-axial configuration, it is possible to generate “multi-layered” particles and…. - Accelerated R&D system

- Intelligent Life Service

- Training and education

- Funding

 
. Yes. service.

Sectors
Technology