The last half century has seen a tremendous advancement in adhesives technology and has led to widespread replacement of mechanical fasteners with adhesive bonds (e.g. aircraft, automobile, construction, etc.). Bonding to wet, rough and fouled surfaces, however, remains challenging and adhesive technology is rarely applied for bonding in wet conditions, such as in (orthopaedic) medicine. Therefore, a need exists to educate young researchers in this interdisciplinary research field of controlling adhesion under wet conditions and to bridge the gap between the fundamentals of underwater adhesives and their practice. BioSmartTrainee is set up to provide such training by a combination of three complementary scientific fields: polymer science, adhesion and (fluid)-biomechanics. We aim to (i) extract principles from biological systems and mimic them to design synthetic materials; to (ii) experimentally test their adhesion properties in wet conditions and to (iii) clarify the adhesion mechanisms based on natural examples and theoretical modelling. These innovative adhesives will be useful for reversible attachment to a variety of surfaces in wet environments and, therefore, be highly relevant for products from European industry such as technological adhesives, coatings, tissue adhesives, wound dressings or transdermal delivery devices. This carefully planned research and training program in a network of leading academic and industrial (BASF, AkzoNobel, UGRO) partners will ensure that young researchers are given an excellent training in a pioneering research domain of high scientific and technological relevance, where Europe can take a leading position.

Envision a full envelope concept that harvests solar energy from the 120 billion square meters of building surface available within the EU28. Envision using the currently unused 60 billion square meters of façade surface. That is why ‘ENVISION’ will demonstrate a full renovation concept that, for the first time, harvests energy from ALL building surfaces (transparent and opaque). The hybrid harvesting solutions will harvest energy both thermal and electric from the whole envelope, using standard PV solutions for roof and developing new solutions for the façade. As façade solutions have the lowest TRL, ‘ENVISION’ will develop energy harvesting invisible aesthetic façade solutions. The solutions will harvest maximum amount of solar energy and simultaneously retain the aesthetic and functional properties of the façade. To maximise efficient usage of the harvested energy, the solutions are coupled to novel heat systems and district heat networks. ENVISION’ focusses on energy harvesting of the façade, and works by absorbing the invisible part of the solar radiation (the near-infrared (NIR) part, roughly 50% of the solar energy spectrum) allowing visible aspects to be retained. The ‘ENVISION’ harvesting of solar energy is achieved via: 1. heat collecting non-transparent aesthetically pleasing façade elements by harvesting the NIR solar radiation, 2. heat harvesting ventilated glass by harvesting the NIR solar radiation, 3. electricity harvesting photovoltaic glazing solutions