Objectives of the commitment
The E-HIA is currently developing a detailed innovation and research programme with an accompanying implementation action plan. Sixteen Innovation and Research cover following areas: Smat buidlings and timber construction; facades and exterior applications; interior design; furniture and well-being; wood-based composites, new materials and fibres; green chemistry (food and non-food); life-style goods; mobility (humans, animals and products); clever keen injection; harvesting, transportation and logistics; forest ownership and resource availability; hardwoods resource location and potential; mobilization; forest management strategies; tree breeding; trade and markets; societal attitudes and expectations. The E-HIA will not replace evolutions and innovations in the important existing value chains, which are predominantly based upon softwoods. It focusses in addition on the given potential.
Description of the activities
The RMC will be supported by a task force that regularly will communicate to the EOS (European Sawmill organization) hardwood committee the main findings and orientations of this initiative. The aim will be the collection of input and suggestions of the industries. In addition, conferences and stakeholders meetings will be organised in order to spread the RMC results.
The RMC will promote and if required coordinate the preparation of research projetcs at national and European level.
The RMC will also support activities in the field of education for young scientists but also for industrial people having few expertise in the use and processing of hardwoods.
Description of the expected impacts
n addition to the scientific results this RMC aims at creating a political framework where the use of hardwood resources is seen as an important tool for reducing the CO2 emissions and developing a bio-based economy. Recommendations will be made to policy makers in order to make more competitive the use of hardwood resources and to increase the related use. Moreover this RMC will analyze the current problems that sawmills processing hardwood are facing and the reason beyond the recent negative trend of this industrial sector.
An important impact in the field of employment in smart and rural regions is expected. Traditional but also modern application of hardwood will stimulate the building of new production capavity in Europe, thus stimulating the all value chain from the forest sector up to the final application.
Other sectors like the chemical or pharmaceutical industry may also benefit from this RMC. New findings in these sectors may lead to new business opportunities.
Coordinating organisation & role
Name of the coordinating organisation: Institut Technologique FCBACountry: FranceEntity profile: OtherRole within the commitment:
Coordinator together with BFH / S-WIN in Switzerland this important initiative on the European and
international level.
Very good coverage of the European Union including Switzerland and Norway.
Collaboration with North America / Canada is foreseen.
Other partners
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.
Name of the organisation: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V. Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Fraunhofer will lead the CFRP and GFRP recycling research.
Fraunhofer will perform corrosion tests on the developed materials.
Fraunhofer will work with CIDAUT on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project. Fraunhofer is the Quality Manager of the Consortium and will oversee deliverables and general reporting are produced with the best possible quality following agreed review standards.
Fundacion Cidaut
Name of the organisation: Fundacion Cidaut Country: Spain Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: CIDAUT will lead the research activities on materials recycling and compounding, implementing lab scale demonstrators of each process at its premises and, later, supporting end-users upscale the processes.
CIDAUT will perform mechanical tests, microstructural analyses, injection moulding capability studies on the developed materails, and will work with Fraunhofer on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project.
RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV)
Name of the organisation: RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV) Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: RWTH will implement the novel 3D Generative Preforming process (3D Fibre Spraying) that enables to create high-value long fibre-reinforced 3D preforms for thermoplastic and thermoset composites at low process costs (different kinds of yarn as a raw material, low tooling costs due to low cavity pressures). This cost effective technology allows to align the sprayed fibres in order to produce high-performance, engineered anisotropic products.
Universita' di Cagliari
Name of the organisation: Universita' di Cagliari Country: Italy Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: University of Cagliari is one of the leading European organization in the resin design and coupling with thermoplastic and thermose materials. University of Cagliari will support in the definition of the composite materials, both from CFRP/GFRP, ABS and Rare Earth composite material.
Relight
Name of the organisation: Relight Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: RELIGHT will work with ITRB to provide the research partners with residues for the recycled ABS supply and the REE recovery processes, including their HydroWEEE process as part of the processes to be studied and analyzed.
Piaggio Aerospace
Name of the organisation: Piaggio Aerospace Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - large company
Role within the commitment: Piaggio Aerospace is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Piaggio will assist in the compounds selection, provide Fraunhofer with specific corrosion requirements on business jet size aircraft, and will assess that the developed materials performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.
Blackshape Aircrafts
Name of the organisation: Blackshape Aircrafts Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: Blackshape Aircrafts is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Blackshape will support to fulfill the requirements of the aeronautics industry on ultra light jet, light jet and trainer for Syllabus, and will assess that the developed alloys performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.
KU Leuven
Name of the organisation: KU Leuven Country: Belgium Entity profile: Academia
Role within the commitment: KUL will collaborate on the balance problem studies and will lead the rare earth recovery research with the solvometallurgical and ionometallurgical processes.
KUL will also contribute to the final compounding selection.
KUL is the Dissemination Manager of the project, promoting that all partners are active on the project Dissemination.
FIDAMC
Name of the organisation: FIDAMC Country: Spain Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: FIDAMC is going to lead the Work Package on Compression Moulding with CFRP-enhanced materials. As part of the AIRBUS Group, FIDAMC will also be able to provide the input material.
FIDAMC successfully developed a 3D Printer of own design to serve the Aerospace Industry and will be supporting Smart Lab 3D Industries in its 3D printer design.
COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER
Name of the organisation: COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER Country: Canada Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Composite Innovation Center is one of the world leading organization in the field of Composite materials, both from carbon fiber and vegetal-based fibers.
Composite Innovation center has successfully implemented, at lab-scale, recycling processes for CFRP and GFRP.
Existing EU Contribution: No
Period to implement the commitment: from 01-06-2016 to 30-06-2026