Projects

The Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility for Information-driven Material Structuring and Characterisation (KNMFi) is a high-tech platform for structuring and characterization a multitude of functional materials at the micro- and nanoscale. Following the corporate philosophy of open innovation of the Helmholtz Association, the large-scale user facility provides users from industry and academia open and in case of public work free access to a dedicated set of multimaterial state-of-the-art micro and nanotechnologies. The technology portfolio comprises 23 technologies operated by 50 technological experts. KNMFi is not only offering access to the equipment but follows a collaborative approach with close interaction with its users in defining and executing the project as well as in the evaluation of the results. Jürgen Brandner is heading the KNMFi as spokesperson responsible together with and Christian Kübel for the day-to day operation as well as for the further development and the implementation of new technologies.

ACTPHAST 4.0 (Access CenTer for PHotonics innovAtion Solutions and Technology Support) is a unique “one-stop-shop” for supporting photonics innovation by European companies, financially supported by the European Commission under the H2020 framework. It provides to European companies direct access to the expertise and state-of-the-art facilities of Europe's leading photonics research centres, enabling companies to exploit the tremendous commercial potential of applied photonics. Together the more than 27 ACTPHAST 4.0 Partners provide a full spectrum of photonics technology platforms ranging from fibre optics and micro optics, to highly integrated photonic platforms, with capabilities extending from design through to full system prototyping. The consortium impacts across a wide range of industrial sectors and application domains, from communications to consumer-related products, and life sciences to industrial manufacturing. The access is realized through focused innovation projects from industrial companies. As a result, the overall ACTPHAST 4.0 program is expected to deliver a substantial increase in the revenues and employment numbers of the supported companies by supporting the development of new product opportunities and commercial potential of photonics. The program is particularly suited to the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), their positively reviewed project ideas are 100% subsidized.

Jürgen Brandner is person in charge at KIT and also responsible for the outreach activities of this partner.

MIGRATE – MIniaturized Gas flow foR Applications with enhanced Thermal Effects

The Marie Sklodowska-Curie action MIGRATE addresses some of the current challenges to innovation that face European industry with regard to heat and mass transfer in gas-based micro-scale processes. The associated ETN innovation training network spans numerical, experimental, theoretical and applied research experts across academia, large scale industry and high-tech SMEs. MIGRATE has received funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Jürgen Brandner is the Network Coordinator of this project. Administrative coordination is performed by Martin Knapp and Verena Tomczyk.

The European ITN MIGRATE, located at IMT, organizes its final conference ISTEGIM. A broad variety of topics ranging from microstructure modelling and simulation, design and manufacturing, micro sensors and in-situ measurements to applications in biomedical, air & space, chemical industry and others more will be presented. Extended abstracts are welcome through the conference homepage. Selected papers of the conference will be published in a special issue of “Micromachines”. The conference will take place October 24 & 25, 2019, in Ettlingen near Karlsruhe.

Together with Lucien Baldas, INSA Toulouse, Jürgen Brandner acts as conference chair for this event.