Project
Datemats project aims to transfer and implement a unique design-led teaching method for students with a mixed background (design and engineering) in the field of Emerging Materials and Technologies (EM&Ts), and to boost knowledge and technology transfers from academia and research centres to industry.
New materials and technologies represent a key-factor not only to obtain better performances and innovative solutions, but also to enhance the product language in terms of new experiences and original expressive-sensorial dimensions.
EM&Ts are at the leading edge in several sectors and are one of the key-elements through which industries stimulate innovation processes and foster creativity. The landscape of EM&Ts requires new interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches in education, industry and business.
By focusing on design methods, entrepreneurial skills, socio-cultural factors, and innovation potentials of EM&Ts, Datemats project contributes to fulfil the university’s third mission, strengthening the ‘knowledge triangle’ by linking education with research and innovation, stimulating the social and economic development.
Objectives
The diversity and speed of change in the landscape of EM&Ts provides great opportunity for an open innovation approach in which knowledge intensive sme’s and universities play a critical role in realizing the potential economic benefits.
Datemats aims to generate innovation in higher educational models and knowledge transfer methods. The initiative is going to:
- transfer and implement a unique design-led teaching method in the field of EM&Ts for students with a mixed background (design & engineering), boosting also their entrepreneurial skills and addressing the needs of businesses related to EM&Ts;
- foster knowledge and technology transfer from academia and research centres to industry in a designerly way developing new guidelines and approaches.
To achieve these macro objectives, Datemats is implementing several activities and is working to co-create several outputs:
- teaching methods and training framework, methodology and guidelines addressing EM&Ts
- workshops addressed to managers from companies and startups in specific EM&Ts areas
- Cross-competence pre-mobility and mobility activities for students and academic staff
4 EM&Ts areas
Datemats investigates and focuses on four specific macro-area of Emerging Materials and Technologies considering the universities’ fields of activities, competencies and expertise.
The four EM&Ts areas are:
ICS WEARABLES EM&Ts (by POLIMI)
WEARABLE TECH: Smart electronic devices with micro-controllers embeddable into clothing or worn on the body as implants or accessories. ICS EMTs: Interactive, Connected, Smart solutions able to establish a two-way exchange of information, to respond contextually and reversibly to external stimuli, linked to another entity or to an external source, and programmable not only through software.
ADVANCED GROWING EM&Ts (by KEA)
ADVANCED GROWING EM&Ts: Materials from a controlled cultivation of organisms (bacteria, yeast, algae, mycelium, etc.) that are directly grown and/or manufactured into their subsequent form, function and performance by tapping into the organisms natural growth behaviour (bio-fabrication). SELF-HEALING EMTs: Material capable to repair damages occurring within ‘themselves’, in part or whole.
NANOMATERIALS EM&Ts (by TECTUN)
NANOMATERIALS EM&Ts: Entirely carbon-based materials, nano-scaled structures or composite blends whose properties are altered by surface and/or substrate doping thereof. NANO TECH: Matter controlled at molecular level, which is smaller than a micrometres, normally on scales of 1 to 100 nanometres.
EXPERIMENTAL WOOD-BASED EM&Ts (by AALTO)
WOOD-BASED EM&Ts : Materials that are processed either chemically or mechanically from trees or other plants for innovative applications. The materials include cellulose fibers, fibrils (micro- or nano-structured) and derivatives, lignin, bark extractives and novel combinations of these.
The developed methodologies for each EM&Ts areas will represent an improvement in the education of new skills for industrial design and engineering students.
Datemats is going to involve professionals and stakeholders of different industries throughout the project to detect the most valuable methods in transferring knowledge within its stakeholder group.
Partners
An interdisciplinary consortium to support the exchange of good practices, mutual learning and the development of joint results, involving a total of ten partners connecting six countries from Europe’s North to the South: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Datemats project deals with the very wide area of Emerging Materials and Technologies (EM&Ts). In order to guarantee the scientific relevance of the outputs, four higher education institutions with courses in design and engineering are part of the consortium to share and transfer their expertise in four specific EM&T-areas. Moreover, the involvement of private bodies acting as material libraries, industrial development & business centres, knowledge transfer & design centres enables an inclusive perspective connecting the consortium with the relevant target group.
Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological University, training engineers, architects and industrial designers. The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of teaching and research developing a fruitful relationship with both business and manufacturing worlds, as well as the public and third sectors, by means of experimental research and technological transfer. POLIMI is the top Italian university for projects funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development.
The university was ranked the best for Engineering and among the top big universities in Italy in the CENSIS-Repubblica Italian University rankings for 2014-2015. According to the QS World University Rankings, as of 2017 it is the 24th best technical university in the world, ranking 7th for Design, 24th for Engineering and Technology, 14th for Civil and Structural Engineering and 14th for Architecture.
The Department of Design is well experienced in joint research projects and brings outstanding competencies on introducing design-enabled innovation into diverse contexts, being a world leader in advancing design knowledge and in exploring and opening new fields of activity, such as the introduction of design methods and tools in the domains of services, social innovation, business strategies and business modelling.
Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where science and art meet technology and business. It is committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative and sustainable future. It has six schools with 12 000 students and 4 000 employees, 386 of whom are Professors. There is a wide variety of Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, and also doctoral programmes are offered in all the fields of study. Aalto University was founded in 2010 as the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki were merged.
Aalto CHEMARTS is a long-term collaboration between two Aalto University schools, The School of Chemical Engineering (CHEM) and The School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS). The main aim is to inspire and enable design and material research students and staff to learn from each other, and to create together new ideas and applications for wood-based biomaterials.
BCD Barcelona Design Centre promotes design as a strategic element for business excellence and as a key factor for innovation and sustainability, and as a discipline that can improve people’s quality of life.
Legally established as a private not-for-profit foundation in 1973, BCD is a promotion and information centre devoted to all aspects of design in business. The first promotion centre of its kind to be set up in Spain, BCD has evolved in line with changes in the economy and society from the first, constantly adapting its philosophy and activities to the specific needs of the moment.
CIAPE is a non-profit private organisation, which exists as an Association of Learners to promote the development of a learning society through the provision of a quality and comprehensive system of adult learning and education which is accessible and inclusive.
IDC is an industrial development center for manufacturing industry in the Skaraborg region. Our mission is to strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of these companies. We are owned by about 150 small and medium-sized companies. Our model is based on providing assistance to self-help. We require that our partner companies have a desire to develop themselves, for a sustainable future industry.
We have been working to support manufacturing industry companies in Skaraborg for over 10 years. Our collaboration drives inclusive development that results in sustainable value creation.
ISQ is a private, non-profit and independent technological institution founded in 1965, currently running operations in more than 40 countries, offering its experience in technical inspections, technical assistance for engineering projects, consultancy services and training activities, supported by transversal research and development activities and by 16 accredited laboratories. ISQ conducts also a Research and Innovation activity, promoting projects with national and international partners, both from public and private sector, aiming at continuous product and process development.
Material Design Lab is an interdisciplinary space set up to explore, test, grow and design new materials with a strong focus on sustainable production and innovation. Material Design Lab consists of 3 physical spaces; a large materials library made in collaboration with Material Connexion in New York, the box, which is an exhibition of raw materials, finishes and binders and the lab, that is a laboratory set up to work hands on with the design and exploration of materials in the interdisciplinary field between art, technology and natural science. Furthermore, Material Design Lab provides access to various databases on materials and a large collection of books on materials. Material Design Lab is part of Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (KEA) that offers higher education combining theory with practice. There are 31 different degree programmes at Bachelor (BA) and Academy Professional (AP) levels within the 4 areas: Design, Digital, Build and Tech. Copenhagen School of Design & Technology has at present 5400 full time students, 3450 part time students and more than 500 employees. Copenhagen school of Design & Technology has a close cooperation with businesses and educational institutions in Denmark and internationally
Materially helps companies in the development and promotion of sustainable innovation starting from materials. Thanks to daily research and constant dialogue with the various players in the world of materials, from universities, to start-ups, to companies offering or looking for solutions to be applied in their manufacturing processes, Materially is the ideal partner for development and implementation of innovation strategies based on materials. We support companies in the development of new concepts and products by scouting material solutions to meet technical, creative and sustainability needs. We help identify environmentally sustainable solutions and build road-maps for the adoption of materials for the circular economy.
TECNUN, the faculty of Engineering of the University of Navarra (UNAV- Spain) is a private engineering school closely connected to Asociación Centro Tecnológico Ceit-IK4, a private multidisciplinary non-profit research centre. The research activities at TECNUN are carried out in collaboration with Ceit-IK4, this ensures that scientific research, vital for any university, is supplemented with applied research. The mission of TECNUN is to provide the industry with services through the development of research projects and to educate young researchers and PhD students. TECNUN has a staff of 149 employees and an annual budget over 10M €. At present TECNUN consists of four engineering departments (Electric and Electronics, Biomedical and Sciences, Mechanical and Materials, Industrial Management).
Materfad is the Barcelona Materials Centre, created and driven by the FAD (Fostering Arts and Design). At Materfad we work as an observatory of the future, conducting technological research and surveillance focused on innovation, sustainability and creativity through materials.
In the Materfad database you can consult thousands of innovative, commercially available materials, processes and technologies, facilitating technological transfer between widely differing sectors.
We assist businesses in identifying opportunities or developing new proposals through innovation projects associated with the materials.