Tribology Hub to accelerate European innovation

The EU recognizes the importance of innovative advanced materials in achieving long-term economic, technological, and environmental goals. Composite materials, known for their strength, lightness, sustainability, and various functionalities, are extensively used across industries. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and industries in this field face challenges in testing and validating new technologies due to high capital investment demands.

To address this, the EU invested over EUR 319 million in Open Innovation Test Beds (OITBs), providing access to facilities and services for nanotechnology and advanced materials development. These test beds are funded by the European Union to support SMEs and industries that work with innovative advanced materials. By offering access to testing and validation infrastructures, OITBs aim to help these enterprises overcome the challenges of high capital investment and complexity of innovation. OITBs can reduce costs, risks, and time to market for SMEs, promoting the adoption of greener technologies. By fostering collaboration and creating European networks of competence, OITBs contribute to an open and connected innovation ecosystem.

The featured OITBs cover various industries, including lightweight materials, flexible electronics, battery technologies, and medical devices, among others, supporting accelerated innovation and job creation to fulfil Europe’s ambitions for a greener planet.

This includes an OITB dedicated to Tribology and Surface Material Characterization.

Figure 1. A tribology test bed to lubricate European innovation (source).

i-TRIBOMAT: The European Tribology Centre (ETC)

This self-standing platform (actually a GmbH) was funded in February 2023, and the official launch of the European Tribology Centre (ETC) was held in Austria the 11^th of May 2023 (link to ETC Launch event).

This new platform for tribology counts with five of the leading tribology research centres in Europe as service providers, and an ever-growing DATABASE dedicated to tribology and material characterization.

Besides ensuring easy access to widely distributed tribological and computational facilities for all kinds of users (regardless of their geographical location), i-TRIBOMAT GmbH is actively working on setting new standards and procedures in the field of material surfaces and tribology.

For more information visit www.i-tribomat.eu.