Fluid dispersions containing highly elongated colloidal particles form a plethora of ordered, liquid-crystalline states as well as glassy and gel-like disordered states already at very low concentrations. In spite of their remarkable properties, industrial applications of such dispersions have entered the market only relatively recently, in contrast to more conventional low-molecular-weight, liquid-crystalline fluids for which the major practical applications are in opto-electronic device technology, e.g., in displays, optical imaging and smart glass. Important potential applications of colloidal liquid crystals can be found in the manufacturing of high-performance fibres and in fast moving consumer goods, such as foods and home and personal care. To accelerate their exploitation and market introduction, we seek to push the field in a new, innovative direction where rod-like colloidal particles of a very diverse nature are used to form structures with a well-defined direction: Directed Structure (DiStruc) at the mesoscopic level. Our focus will be on the role of confinement and flow, highly relevant to industrial applications. This will open avenues for a bottom-up, rational design of industrial processes, which is an important step to protect the competitive role of European industries on the global market. At the same time, scientifically novel physical phenomena will be explored protecting the leading role of Europe in the field of soft condensed matter. Importantly, it provides a training ground for the next generation of European researchers, unique in its interdisciplinary scope, covering physics, chemistry, biology, materials and engineering, its depth, creating a mind-set where experiments, theory and computer simulations go hand-in-hand, and its focus on the chain of knowledge from basic to applied research through close industrial involvement.

More and more industrial sectors are demanding high performance composite materials to face new challenges demanded by the transport sector. Carbon and glass fibre unidirectional continuous tape reinforced composites are one of the most promising options. It would be reasonable to expect that the manufacturing methods to obtain composite parts made of this hybrid material will be capable to tailor-made and optimize even more the advantageous properties given by the tapes nature. However, at the moment, these technologies are not mature enough for a full industrial implementation. Main existing barriers are related to the high consumption of resources, lower rates of automation, high production of defective and the subsequent growth of the manufacturing costs. FORTAPE aims to solve these drawbacks through the development of an efficient and optimized integrated system for the manufacturing of complex parts based on unidirectional fibre tapes for its application in the automotive and aeronautical industry, with the minimum use of materials and energy. To achieve this objective, three main routes for fibre impregnation will be researched to manufacture the unidirectional carbon and glass fibre tapes: novel heating up technologies, melted supercritical fluid-aided thermoplastic polymers and fluidized bed of powders. Novel combination of process-machine approaches will be applied in overmoulding and in-situ consolidation to manufacture the composite parts for the targeted sectors. Novel mathematical modelling and computational simulation concepts will be developed to support the structural optimization and the failure prevention and new instrumentation strategies for process control will be implemented for the selection of the best process. The FORTAPE consortium, led by CTAG, gathers 10 partners from 5 different European countries, and covers the whole value chain needed to develop new composite technologies with efficient use of materials and energy.

The aim of NanoPilot will be to set-up a flexible and adaptable pilot plant operating under GMP for the production of small batches of polymer-based nanopharmaceuticals, which exhibit significant potential in the field of drug-delivery particularly for the design of second-generation nanopharmaceuticals. Three different processes will be established for the production of three different nanopharmaceuticals selected on the basis of their TRL and positive commercial evaluation: a) topical treatment of ocular pain associated with dry eye syndrome containing short interfering RNA and lactic acid, b) A resuspendable HIV nanovaccine for intranasal vaccination containing 12 peptides in its formulation. c) Hyaluronan based hollow spheres intended for intravesical instillation, for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. State of the art production processes including micro reactors and highly advanced characterization techniques will ensure the quality of the nanodrugs. Existing laboratories suitable for large-scale production of biologics in compliance with GMP, and owned by the coordinator, will be adapted and certified within this project to enable the operability of the pilot plant. NanoPilot consists of nine complementary partners composed by 1 Industry and 2 academia developers of the nanosystems to scale-up. A research Institute expert in nanoparticle characterizacion and already operating in compliance with Good laboratory practices. An SME and an Industry that will develop ad-hoc continuous flow reactors for the optimization of two of the three processes. A consultancy (SME) expert in Quality system implementation and laboratory information management systems. A second consultancy (SME) in charge of the business plan, that will also help the coordinator in dissemination and exploitation activities. Finally, a research centre with a recorded track in nanomedicine, already operating under ISO 9001, and will be in charge of the pilot plant.

Smartfan aims at the micro and Nano components, which will be used due to their special physico-chemical properties, in order to develop smart (bulk) materials for final application on intelligent structures. CFs for reinforcement and conductivity variance, CNTs and CNFs for sensing, Micro-containers for self-healing, Electro-Magnetic nanoparticles for fields detection and shielding, colouring agents for marking cracks and defects, piezoelectric materials can be the base for manufacturing new smart materials. In order to develop lightweight composite materials and transfer the properties of smart components into bulk materials polymer based matrices, such as Epoxy, PEEK, PVDF etc., will be used because of their compatibility with the above mentioned components, their low cost and their recyclability/reusability. During synthesis of composite bulk materials several processes should take place in order to preserve the special physico-chemical properties of composites and to achieve the best dispersion in the bulk.

One of the specific impacts of CBE JU programme is to replace at least 30% of fossil-based raw materials with bio-based and biodegradable ones by 2030, potential scope for bioplastics manufacturing processes is foreseen in the coming decade. The urgent need of increasing sustainability has also affected flame retardants. During the last decades, the number of studies based on developing bio-based flame retardants has increased considerably together with their incorporation in formulations based on bio-based polymers. However, the use of bio-based flame retardants with bio-based polymers has not been properly covered. The THERMOFIRE project aims to be a pioneer in this field, consequently, the flame retardancy of the 100% bio-based composites will be deeply developed and investigated. Fire retardancy is a key property of materials used for applications in the automotive, aerospace and textile sectors due to the need to minimize fire risk and meet safety requirements. In the THERMOFIRE project up to 100% bio-based polymers will be reinforced with different natural fibers (e.g., regenerated cellulose from wood and commercial flax) and bio-based flame retardants aiming at giving excellent flame retardancy to the final bio-based thermoplastic (TP) composites. The innovation of THERMOFIRE relies on the development of high-performance composites with a 20% reduction in weight and 15% in cost while maintaining the required levels of safety suitable for applications under stringent operating conditions. THERMOFIRE project represents a genuine opportunity to remove Europe’s dependence on imports of fossil-based polymers for stringent operating conditions in the aerospace, automotive and textile sectors.