The decrease of CO2 & particulates emissions is a main challenge of the automotive sector. European OEMs and automotive manufacturers need new long term technologies, still to be implemented by 2030. Currently, hybrid powertrains are considered as the main trend to achieve clean and efficient vehicles. EAGLE project is to improve energy efficiency of road transport vehicles by developing an ultra-lean Spark Ignition gasoline engine, adapted to future electrified powertrains. This new concept using a conventional engine architecture will demonstrate more than 50% peak brake thermal efficiency while reducing particulate and NOx emissions. It will also reach real driving Euro 6 values with no conformity factor. This innovative approach will consequently support the achievement of long term fleet targets of 50 g/km CO2 by providing affordable hybrid solution. EAGLE will tackle several challenges focusing on: • Reducing engine thermal losses through a smart coating approach to lower volumetric specific heat capacity under 1.5 MJ/m3K • Reaching ultra-lean combustion (lambda > 2) with very low particulate (down to 10 nm) emission by innovative hydrogen boosting • Developing breakthrough ignition system for ultra-lean combustion • Investigating a close loop combustion control for extreme lean limit stabilization • Addressing and investigating NOx emissions reduction technologies based on a tailor made NOx storage catalyst and using H2 as a reducing agent for SCR. A strong engine modeling approach will allow to predict thermal and combustion performances to support development and assess engine performances prior to single and multi-cylinder test bench application. An interdisciplinary consortium made of nine partners from four different countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain) will share its cutting-edge know-how in new combustion process, sensing, control, engine manufacturing, ignition system, simulation & modeling, advanced coating, as well as after-treatment systems.

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and overall numerical fabrication methods have been recognized by stakeholders as the next industrial revolution bringing customers’ needs and suppliers’ offers closer. It cannot be dissociated to the present trends in increased virtualization, cloud approaches and collaborative developments (i.e. sharing of resources). AM is likely to be one good option paving the way to Europe re-industrialization and increased competitiveness. AMITIE will reinforce European capacities in the AM field applied to ceramic-based products. Through its extensive programme of transnational and intersectoral secondments, AMITIE will promote fast technology transfer and enable as well training of AM experts from upstream research down to more technical issues. This will provide Europe with specialists of generic skills having a great potential of knowledge-based careers considering present growing needs for AM industry development. To do that, AMITIE brings together leading academic and industrial European players in the fields of materials science/processes, materials characterizations, AM technologies and associated numerical simulations, applied to the fabrication of functional and/or structural ceramic-based materials for energy/transport, and ICTs applications, as well as biomaterials. Those players will develop a new concept of smart factory for the future based on 3D AM technologies (i.e. powder bed methods, robocasting, inkjet printing, stereolithography, etc.) and their possible hybridization together or with subtractive technologies (e.g. laser machining). It will allow for the production of parts whose dimensions, shapes, functionality and assembly strategies may be tailored to address today’s key technological issues of the fabrication of high added value objects following a fully-combinatorial route. This is expected to lead to a new paradigm for production of multiscale, multimaterial and multifunctional components and systems

CElectrON project aims to contribute to the sustainable management of a vital natural resource, water, throughout the development of an innovative technology based on the coupling of nanofiltration, a membrane separation process, and the electro-Fenton process, an advanced oxidation process. This one-pot technology should ensure the treatment and recycling of water involved into industrial processes. The treatment directly at the pollution source allows a better knowledge of the pollutants and thus of their degradation avoiding at the same time their mixture with other effluents. Our strategy is based on the study of factual situations: wastewater from the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, these effluents represent a source of bio-refractory micropollutants that cannot be released in nature directly. Currently, compatible and reliable technologies, developed to treat and recycle the pollutants by avoiding associated water wastage at the same time, are still missing. If this project were successful, it would be easily foreseeable to apply this innovative coupling technology to other wastewater effluents treatment showing a persistent organic characteristic, such as effluents from industry, hospital and agriculture with a low flux, etc. More precisely, the major scientific and technical objectives of CELectrON project are: (i) the elaboration of conductive nanofiltration membranes based on carbon graphite and/or TiOx that will allow the nanofiltration/electrochemical oxidation coupling, (ii) optimization of organic pollutants degradation upon electro-Fenton process using the prepared membranes aiming to establish correlations between geometry, structure, hydrodynamic conditions, physico-chemical characteristics of the medium to be treated and the applied electrical current, (iii) implementation of the baromembrane filtration and electro-Fenton coupling process, (iv) design and dimensioning of a system that may be directly integrated to the rejection source of the targeted pollutants to allow therefore the water treatment and recycling directly at its use point and (v) the study of the environmental impact and technico-economic analysis of the original proposed technology.

Refractory materials are key enablers for high temperature industries such as Iron & Steelmaking (I&S). Refractories are sophisticated materials designed and optimized to sustain severe operation conditions inducing complex combinations of thermo-mechano-chemical damage mechanisms. Nevertheless, refractory material consumption has been reduced over the last 50 years from more than 35 kg of refractories per ton of steel to about 10 kg/t in the European steel industry, while keeping safety of the utmost importance. The movement of the I&S industry towards Net-Zero emissions and digitalized processes through disruptive, breakthrough technologies will be achieved through the use of Hydrogen. The biggest challenge for the refractory industry is to continue to meet the performance expectations while, at the same time, moving to a more sustainable production direction. The complexity and urgency of these technology changes, highlighted by the European Green Deal, requires a Concerted European Action on Sustainable Applications of REFractories (CESAREF). A consorted and coordinated European network with steel, refractory, raw material producers and key academic poles will tackle the following key topics: • Efficient use of raw materials and recycling, • Microstructure design for increased sustainability, • Anticipation of hydrogen steelmaking, • Energy efficiency and durability. While creating new developments in the I&S and refractory industries, the network will train highly skilled doctoral candidates capable of communicating and disseminating their acquired knowledge. CESAREF will create a core team across the European refractory value chain, accelerating the drive towards the European refractory industries push towards sustainable materials and processes, as well as Net-Zero emission Steel production. This will help to create and secure sustainable employment in the European refractory and I&S industries.