Partners

Partners from 5 countries, academics and SMEs

ICMS: Materials Science Institute of Seville (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas / Universidad de Sevilla)

The ICMS is a Joint Research Institute sponsored by both the CSIC and the University of Sevilla. One of its most important areas of research refers to the study of the surface reactivity of materials and the application of thin film technology for the development of different kinds of functional materials (wetting behaviour, sensors, microfluidic devices, PV cells, etc.). High quality publications, patents, and reports to the industry are the main outputs of these investigations. More than 100 people, 40 of them staff researchers of CSIC or the University of Seville are currently working in the Institute. The researchers participating in the “SOUNDofICE” project belong to the “Nanotechnology on Surfaces and Plasma” laboratory, which has its main focus on surface related problems, thin film technology, and plasma processes. A high rate of high-level scientific publications, several patents and extensive collaborations with numerous research institutions and industrial companies within projects (funded at national or European level or directly by the industry) underlines the recognition of the research of this group. They have participated and coordinated European Projects and networks in the sixth and seventh framework projects of the EU (NATAMA, PHODYE, CERAMGLASS, T-CELL, AL-NANOFUNC, PHOBIC2ICE). 

During the last years, this laboratory has conducted very active research in different aspects (synthesis, modeling and characterization) of thin films and surface modification of materials, using different processing methods, including plasmas, electron beam evaporation or magnetron sputtering. The involved researchers have also developed different functional applications using this type of thin films and surface modified materials. A very important field of application is that of wetting, water condensation, and anti-icing properties. In this context, they have worked in the correlation between surface properties (composition and nanostructure) and the wetting and anti-icing behavior of surfaces. The condensation of water on modified surfaces and the analysis of the icing behaviour complete this type of research activities. During the last five years, this group has authored about twenty publications on this particular topic (in general more than 100) and carried out several projects of industrial relevance where controlled wetting was one of the main applications.

http://www.icms.us-csic.es/

http://sincaf.icms.us-csic.es/

INMA: Nanoscience and Materials Institute of Aragon (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas / Universidad de Zaragoza)

The INMA is a Joint Research Institute founded in 2020 following an agreement between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UZ), in which previous research Institutes: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA) and Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA) were merged. Presently, INMA counts with about 250 staff members. Approximately half of these are permanent researchers belonging to both UZ and CSIC, and the rest are under contract as Ph.D. students, post-docs, technicians, and administrative staff. The researchers applying within the SOUNDofICE consortium form part of the Department of Materials for Energy and Environment. The Laser Applications Lab has been working on the development of processing methods based on the practical understanding of the laser-matter interaction under different regimes for the past two decades. A large number of international publications on both laser melting and ablation methods have established its scientific and innovation capability, particularly considering the number of projects carried out with diverse industrial partners within Spain and Europe. These include the metal, ceramics, glass, polymer and aerospace industries, in order to achieve technology transfer of the processing methods developed in our laboratory.

https://inma.unizar-csic.es/

ISQCH: Institute of Chemical Synthesis and Homogenous Catalysis (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas / Uni. Zaragoza)

The ISQCH was created in 2011 as a result of an agreement between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (Unizar), and an internal rearrangement of the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA) and the Instituto Universitario de Catálisis Homogénea (IUCH), aiming to get the best performance in the two areas: Chemistry (ISQCH) and Materials (ICMA). Today, ISQCH counts about 180 scientists, of which around 45% are permanent researchers from either the CSIC or the University of Zaragoza. The researcher applying within the SOUNDofICE consortium form part of the Department of Synthesis and Structure of Biomolecules and the Department of Bond Forming and Breaking Through Organometallic Complexes. The work developed in these two departments is focused, in general, on the synthesis of organic compounds and organometallic complexes. More specifically, the work developed by the researcher applying within the SOUNDofICE consortium focuses on the synthesis of hydrophobic heterocycles (oxazolones) and derivatives with strong UV absorption character, and their controlled modification through their coordination to metallic centers (Pd, Pt, Au, Ru). The relevance of the work developed in this synthetic area is certified by the number, quality, and impact of the contributions published in international journals dealing with photophysics and photochemistry of oxazolones and other heterocyclic derivatives.

http://isqch.unizar-csic.es/ISQCHportal/

TECPAR: Technology Partners

TECPAR is scientific research and implementation organization specialized in innovation management and the performance of large-scale interdisciplinary research projects. It is an Advanced Technology Centre, a status awarded by the Minister of Science of Poland in 2004. TECPAR experience includes building partnerships and mapping capabilities and organizing and managing participation in international research programs, primarily EU Framework Programmes. TECPAR recruits the best scientific and research talents and professionals and is an experienced and trusted partner of leading European industrial and research organizations. The main area of research of TECPAR is materials engineering including nanotechnologies and new materials, modeling, materials tests, and characterization for the aerospace and other sectors. TECPAR has participated in several FP7 and H2020 projects related to these areas. It was also responsible for the implementation and coordination of the Airbus research program in Poland in the years 2006-2014. The program comprised 15 different research projects directly ordered by Airbus. Many of the activities related to modeling, coatings development, and characterization – activities in which TECPAR will be involved in the SOUNDofICE project.

The objective of the SOUNDofICE project is to develop an energy-efficient and environmentally safe de-icing strategy based on the application of (s)AWs over real substrates. TECPAR will lead the WP3 which will address the atomic- and macro-scale modeling and simulation of the effect of (s)AWs on de-icing processes. It will contribute to WP2 by developing the surface engineering processes required to provide passive anti-icing functions. In WP5 it will provide large area substrates for the application of (s)AW devices. In WP4 TECPAR will perform ice adhesion tests, aging testing, salt fog chamber-corrosion tests, and thermal and exposure in open-air facility tests.

https://technologypartners.pl/

IFW / SAWLab Saxony: Leibniz-Institut for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden E.V.

The IFW Dresden is a non-university research institute and a member of the Leibniz Association. The IFW employs more than 500 people, among them around 200 scientists, mostly physicists, chemists, and materials engineers. Its research focus lies on modern materials science whereby explorative research in physics, chemistry, and materials science are combined with the technological development of new materials and products. The competence and application centre for acoustoelectronics SAWLab Saxony a trademark of the IFW and part of its infrastructure combines research activities and expertise of two groups of the IFW Dresden, i.e. the department of micro- and nanostructures and the group of surface dynamics, in the field of acoustoelectronics with competences and skills of cooperating groups of national and international research institutes, universities and high-tech companies. This enables straightforward research on microacoustic devices comprising the acoustoelectronic fundamentals and materials basics as well as advanced applications and associated technologies with the exploitation in innovation-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises. The research ranges from the theoretical fundamentals of the involved solid-state and wave phenomena with a focus on surface and bulk acoustic waves (SAW, BAW), over materials research on novel single crystals and innovative thin film systems to industry-relevant approaches for new types of devices and applications. The research topics include microacoustics fundamentals, advanced materials (comprising substrates, electrodes, and functional layers), characterization and analysis, advanced technology and new devices principles and applications all essential fields for the development of future devices and application concepts are widely covered.

ttps://www.ifw-dresden.de/ifw-institutes/iet/research/microsystems/acoustic-microsystems

TAU: Tampere University

Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Tampere (UTA) were merged on 1 January 2019 into a new multidisciplinary foundation-based Tampere University (TAU). TUT has been a pioneer in technology transfer and an acknowledged cooperation partner among the scientific community and business life. TUT has a 50-year track-record in collaborative research with the industry. UTA is known as a multidisciplinary university focused on teaching and research in fields of society and health. Together TUT and UTA have now created Finland’s second-largest university, which priority areas are technology, health, and society. Tampere University Foundation that operates as Tampere University is also the majority shareholder of Tampere University of Applied Sciences. This new higher education community in Tampere consists of 30,000 students, 330 professors, and 4,400 employees. Both TUT and UTA have long experience in EU funding and have an EU support team dealing with legal, financial and administrative issues. Both TUT and UTA have been awarded the European Commission’s “HR Excellence in Research” logo.

Materials Science and Environmental Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences has specific research teams, who perform internationally recognized level materials research in the field of materials science, materials characterization, and surface engineering. Tampere Microscopy Center and The Materials Characterization research group has a wide range of characterization techniques and testing equipment whereas the Surface engineering research group has a broad range of coating manufacturing equipment in the collaboration with Thermal Spray Center Finland (TSCF) from TAU. The research groups have long-term experience in the development of novel coatings and materials as well as characterization of their performance and properties. The laboratory is equipped with research equipment to manufacture and study coating materials and to optimize their performance. Recently, research has been focused on anti-icing, icephobic materials, and testing of anti-icing properties of the coatings and surfaces. For that purpose, thermal spray processes are highly attractive for producing functional icephobic coatings due to their versatility and up-scalability. Thermal Spray Center Finland (TSCF) is a strategic collaboration platform founded by TUT and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland aiming to be at the leading edge of thermal spray research and to create an international high-impact research and national industrial influence. 

https://www.tuni.fi/en/about-us/tampere-university 

https://www.tuni.fi/en/about-us/engineering-materials-science

INTA: Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial Esteban Terradas

INTA is a government research institution mainly funded by the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Since its establishment in 1942, INTA became the reference Spanish center for the development of aeronautic technologies. Later on, INTA became a focus of technology emission, which did not circumscribe itself exclusively to the aeronautic and aerospace fields, and has participated in solving technological problems in a wide variety of industrial activities including renewal energies, astrobiology, automotive, materials, etc. INTA is also one the Spanish Reference centers for metrology and certification. INTA is a member of RTO (NATO research Office), of EREA (Association of European Research Establishments in Aeronautics) and GARTEUR (European Group for Aeronautical Research and Technology).

Since the beginning of its activities in 1986, the Composite Materials Area (AMC- Área de Materiales Compuestos) acquired sound knowledge on the state of the art manufacturing techniques of fiber reinforced composites, in-service mechanical behavior (within a wide temperature range from 20 K cryogenic conditions up to more than 350°C), the design and analysis of composite structures, physico-chemical characterization, and non-destructive evaluation. With the installation of two autoclaves, clean room for tape lay up with an automatic cutting machine, specimen conditioning chambers, mechanical testing devices, a Scanning Electron Microscope and equipment for Bragg gratings interrogation, the department offers high technological possibilities for a wide range of research and development activities in multiple aerospace and industrial applications. Since 1999 INTA- AMC is involved in the structural integration of fiber optic sensors in carbon/epoxy composites for structural health monitoring of aeronautical structures. A new line of work began in 2014 at the Metallic Materials Area with the development of surface treatments to prevent ice accretion on aircraft components. Relevant testing facilities for this line of research were implemented and are available for this new project, including an Icing wind tunnel, an ice adhesion test, and several erosion and durability tests.

The Aerial Platforms at INTA belong to the Spanish Network of National Large Facilities since 2010. The Unit is based on a fleet of two turboprop tropospheric aircraft 7ton MTOW modified to support research projects in which airborne instrumentation and flight testing are required. INTA belongs to the EUFAR (European Facility for Airborne Research) consortium and provides access to carry out scientific projects to the European Community of scientists in Environment and Geoscience. A pool of instruments to collect remote sensing datasets, in situ atmospheric measurements and flight test data is available. INTA crews and aircraft are trained and qualified to operate in non-standard environmental/weather conditions and has already carried out campaigns that have studied icing on aircraft components.

https://www.inta.es/INTA/es/index.html

VILLINGER GmbH

Villinger founded in 1979 has been developing for many years new systems for aviation and has developed a special heating technology, which enables electrically surface heating based on semiconducting coatings. The coatings are IPR of Villinger and are produced in house and may be tailored to application needs. These coatings are not only used for de-icing purposes of aircraft and windmill rotors but are also versatile and ideal for energy saving heating of moulds for the manufacture of composite components as well as for radiation heating systems in aviation and automotive cabins. Markus VILLINGER is involved in the development of flexible wings since 1974, and largely responsible for developments in other areas of aviation. In 1982, Markus Villinger founded FLY – International – Air Sports, and with “Wills Wing” became world famous in the 1980s for his outstanding developments. The developments are not only characterized by innovations that enhance the performance, but also by increasing the safety, and are now state of the art. Over 10 world championship titles, hundreds of national titles and numerous world records have already been achieved on these designs. Markus Villinger took over the English company “Airwave”, a world leader in this field, in 1997 and merged this company with his own company, which is now renamed under the name Villinger GmbH.  More Milestones have happened since: Development of a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) in 1998 on the basis of a flexible wing with automatic control. In 2001, the development and production of a fully automated system for controllable rescue from high-rise buildings, which can be safely used by anyone was rated “Best Product”. In 2003 company started the development of electrically heat-able coatings. The permanent manufacturing establishment in Mieders (AT) has numerous facilities for the development of Ice Protection systems and the production of prototypes. A proprietary “General aviation” aircraft for testing purposes is available.

http://www.villinger.com/

EnerOcean S. L.

EnerOcean is a marine engineering, research intensive SME founded in 2007 based in Málaga and Gran Canaria (Spain). The company has an international set of promoters with knowledge and experience in offshore oil & gas, manufacturing, energy and civil engineering industries. Initially, its activities focused on the study of the marine resources and its exploitation in Mediterranean and the region of Cádiz on Spain’s Atlantic coastline but is today an internationally active small company. Enerocean is dedicated to adapting and applying innovative technologies from the entire world in the marine energy engineering field. The company had several contracts with public & private clients, and works closely with one of the world’s leading research groups in Operational Oceanography, at Cádiz University, as well as with other Universities and R&D centers. Since 2012 it is leading the development of the patented floating wind solution W2Power, and it is currently the owner of patents and related IP.

EnerOcean has always considered Condition Monitoring of key elements as one of the main critical aspects of successful deployment of Offshore Wind and Marine Energy devices and focusing in this activity worked in the FP7 Tidalsense and FP7 Tidalsense Demo projects dedicated to monitoring of composite elements in marine energy devices and in the National Project SEAMAR where is responsible of the monitoring of floating foundations for Wind Turbines.

More recently EnerOcean is participating in the H2020 REALTIDE and H2020 RESHALIENCE (as Linked third Partner). In the REALTIDE project, coordinated by Bureau Veritas, EnerOcean is leading the development of monitoring solutions based in guided waves for composite materials in marine environment, even submerged as those for tidal blades, the project started in January 2018 and will end in 2021.

EnerOcean has recently completed the Demonstration project, WIP10+, for the validation at sea of its patented W2Power floating wind platform, funded by the H2020 ERA-NET COFUND action DemoWind, the project has been a big success for the company and concluded with the demonstration at open sea of the First floating wind platform in Spanish water and the first multiturbine platform in the World to be demonstrated at this level (TRL6) in open sea.

https://enerocean.com/inicio/