Fraunhofer

Solar Power and Desalination to be Efficiently Linked in New Project

Cranfield University will join 19 research partners spread through 12 countries to develop a first-of-a-kind plant which couples concentrated solar power (CSP) and desalination techniques.

Continental

Technology company and automotive supplier Continental has invested around €2.5 million in a functional printing center based in Freiberg, Germany.

Ceramics and Graphene Open Up New Possibilities for Bone-Like Material

Graphene Flagship Partnering Project CERANEA develops graphene-filled ceramic sandwiches that deliver materials with enhanced properties and functionalities.

Neotech-AMT

Neotech-AMT, developers of equipment for manufacturing 3D printed electronics, announced its involvement in an EU funded project called 'AMPERE'. This will develop reliable and scalable hybrid additive manufacturing methods for producing multi-functional mechatronic systems.

Lithoz GmbH

Lithoz GmbH is an Austrian-based company manufacturing and selling ceramics 3D printers and materials using their Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) technology. IDTechEx spoke with Isabel Potestio, Business Development & Sales Manager at Lithoz GmbH.

Smart Finger Ring with Integrated RFID

House key, wallet, health insurance card, hotel key card — a smart finger ring could replace all these in the future. Produced by a 3D printing process, the ring has an integrated RFID chip, tamper-proof, sealed and invisible.

Huber Martinswerk: Thermal Additives

Huber produces a portfolio of thermal management solutions based on alumina, aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide to suit a variety of application materials and industries. The materials covered in this interview focused on Huber's solutions for thermal interface materials (TIMs).

More Than 14 Million Euros for Flexible Battery Research

For batteries to fit into narrow and crooked spaces and to store more energy for e.g. electric mobility, flexibly adaptable cells are required. So far, however, lithium-ion battery cells have been produced in standardized formats and rigid systems.

Roll-to-Roll Continuous Inkjet Printed Electronics Demonstrated

PV Nano Cell Ltd announced that its Sicrys conductive ink was successfully used in Roll-to-Roll (R2R) continues inkjet printing of electronics as part of the DigiMan project.

AlmaScience

AlmaScience (ALMA) is a Portuguese applied research organization focused on adding electronic functionality to paper and other natural/sustainable materials. It aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry through partnerships and contract research projects.

Autonomous Underwater Robot Saves People from Drowning

A research team has developed an underwater vehicle with the help of Halle's water rescue service. Equipped with batteries, motor, cameras, and optical and navigational sensors, the current system is 90 centimeters long, 50 centimeters high, and 50 centimeters wide.

Agfa-Gevaert NV (Alkaline electrolyser membrane)

The Belgium company, Agfa-Gevaert Group produces and distributes an extensive range of imaging systems and IT solutions, mainly for the printing industry, healthcare sector, and for specific industrial applications. Among the different products, the company is one of the sector leader in alkaline electrolyser diaphragm producer. The following profile is focus on the water electrolysis membrane division.

Secure Human-Robot Collaboration Thanks to Radar

A breakthrough in collaborative robotics is within reach thanks to an enabling technology for functional safety in various robot systems and applications, including high-performance robots.

Hydrogen Powered Drives for E-Scooters

Hydrogen is regarded by many as the future of propulsion technology. The first hydrogen-powered cars are already in action on German roads. In the case of e-scooters, however, installation of a high-pressure tank to store the hydrogen is impractical. An alternative here is POWERPASTE. This provides a safe way of storing hydrogen in a chemical form that is easy to transport and replenish without the need for an expensive network of filling stations.

Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells on Threshold of 30% Efficiency

An HZB team has published a report in the journal Science on the development of its current world record of 29.15% efficiency for a tandem solar cell made of perovskite and silicon. The tandem cell provided stable performance for 300 hours - even without encapsulation. To accomplish this, the group headed by Prof. Steve Albrecht investigated physical processes at the interfaces to improve the transport of the charge carriers.

Transparent Electronics: $20 Billion Market Comes into Sight

The new IDTechEx report, "Transparent Electronics Materials, Applications, Markets 2021-2041" describes a market that will be well above $20 billion in 2041 with a substantial possible upside.

The Window of Opportunity for Plug-in Hybrids is Closing

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are an interim product. IDTechEx explains why PHEV potential is now limited.

3D Printed Magnets Help Create More Efficient Electric Motors

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is leading a European consortium 3DREMAG which is developing a new material suitable for 3D printing of permanent magnets, which can be utilised in electric and hybrid vehicle motors. The aim in the long run is to develop a fully 3D printable electric motor, one that would be approximately 30% lighter than today's motors.

Thermoelectrics Get More Attention

A newer approach of serving low power electronics by area more than efficiency is promising.