SKHINCAPS project will explore an innovative and sustainable in situ self-assembly nanoencapsulation technology to deliver novel products for skin healthcare applications, with increased efficiency and cost benefits, leading to ground-breaking innovations on the actual products. Using this safe, sustainable and easily scalable technology, different actives will be addressed for nanoencapsulation: phase-change materials (PCMs), a cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants, and natural essential oils. The nanocapsules will be engineered to achieve three possible release mechanisms, enhancing actives efficiency. Different demonstrators will be developed with these customised and safe nanocapsules for skin healthcare applications: - First layer garments with no-release nanocapsules loaded with PCMs, to improve thermal management and skin comfort; - Creams with triggered nanocapsules containing the cocktail, to improve the anti-ageing effect on the end-users skin; - Lotions and textiles containing targeted nanocapsules loaded with natural essential oils to prevent or even mitigate bacterial infections on the end-users skin. These demonstrators will be fully tested for their safety and performance assessment to fulfil the present regulation requirements. SKHINCAPS comprises SMEs from different stages of the supply chain, so it will promote stronger collaborations between materials suppliers, manufacturers and end-users. SKHINCAPS is therefore entirely aligned with the European 2020 strategy, contributing to boost competitiveness and support the creation of jobs and new sources of growth. SKHINCAPS is also committed with the flagships initiatives, and with a number of wider H2020 objectives including: control healthcare expenditure, H2020 strategic cosmeceuticals sector and plural H2020 Key Enabling Technologies (KETs).

This project responds to the ICT-26-c call which is focusing on the EU-wide outreach for promoting photonics to young people, entrepreneurs and the general public. The project's acronym is Photonics4all and its duration will be two years. Within the framework of the proclaimed International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015) by the United Nations this project shall mainly improve the public image of photonics and increase the public awareness of the importance of photonics, especially regarding current societal challenges like health and well-being, safety and security etc. The uniqueness of Photonics4all is on the one hand the development of new promotional tools and on the other hand the performance of various outreach activities. The main goal of Photonics4all will be to sensitize and to arouse interest of the mentioned target groups for photonics technology in many European countries in order to achieve an EU-wide outreach. These tools will be developed and implemented into many promotional activities which will be conducted during the project as well. Strong European collaborations, based on cluster activities, shall increase the interest of young people, entrepreneurs and the general public and thereby generate more qualified workforce and young academics, more innovative applications and an increased awareness of photonics. This will be reached providing an excellent consortium of 9 photonics related partners (OND, AIDO, OV, EaPS, PhAu, TUD, UoS, ILC, CNR) from 9 different European countries. In addition, the coordinator of the project is representing an organisation which has a great expertise in managing European projects (SEZ). Thus this project will be carried out by 10 European organisations with excellent connections to relevant networks.