Overview, Vision and Objectives
SYNERGY aims to strengthen the scientific and technical competences at the involved Portuguese institutions (PT Cluster) in the field of energy harvesting, and micropower management, as a key component towards self-sustainable smart platforms on flexible substrates.
These institutions are UNINOVA/CEMOP (consortium leader), a Portuguese research institute with a focus on micro/nano-electronics and optoelectronic fields, and the Institute for Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication, led by CENIMAT (CNMT/I3N), which has in-depth knowledge and long-time expertise in Advanced Functional Materials for multiple applications.
Proper training and expertise transfer to the Portuguese institutions in the field of energy harvesting and management will help to complement and build upon their previous research activities on low temperature, flexible and paper electronics.
Synergy allows UNINOVA/CEMOP and CNMT/I3N to increase and widen its interactions with outstanding European leaders in the field of printed electronics, solar cells and batteries on foils (VTT); battery and supercapacitors development (POLITO); energy integration and power management (Tyndall); and materials, devices and systems analysis, validation and modelling (FhGIKTS). The interactions between all the institutions will help UNINOVA/CEMOP and CNMT/I3N to complete their scientific strategy. In this sense, the recently established collaborative laboratory related to “Paper Electronics”, AlmaScience, will also benefit from the SYNERGY actions and the new cross-cutting projects the SYNERGY outcomes will generate.
To manage the scientific excellence and innovation capability of the PT cluster in the field of Energy Harvesting;
To foster the Portuguese scientific and innovation strategy in Energy Harvesting and management for flexible electronics by generating breakthroughs and knowledge sharing
To provide specialised training for staff and enable continuous education of new generations of researchers active in the frontiers of knowledge in emerging areas of science and technology
To overcome the networking gaps of the PT cluster
To produce more public awareness, broader engagement and better understanding of nanotechnology-related science and engineering challenges and opportunities via workshops/symposia, conference presentation and social networking.
The SYNERGY vision is to promote research, innovation, development and deployment in the interdisciplinary area of energy involving the fields of nanotechnology, advanced functional materials, physics, (electro) chemistry, electronics, and manufacturing, with the potential of enhancing the quality of life of millions of people and achieving sustainable economic growth. These areas are a priority in Horizon 2020 and strongly impact the new EU Horizon Europe strategy.