Nanomaterials for Building Safer Aircraft

The TECNALIA Technological Corporation is leading five projects within the VII Framework Programme with regard to the simulation of cement materials, nanomaterials for building safer aircraft, communications and mobility services, efficient management of fisheries resources and new models of production.

In these projects, TECNALIA is collaborating with leading companies in their activity sectors - Aernnova (previously Gamesa Aeronáutica), Alcatel-Lucent, Basf, Bikain, Ericsson, Italcementi and Telefónica. It is also working jointly with European-reference bodies such as the Fraunhoffer and VTT Research Centres, the Universities of Bonn, Cranfield and Lille and the Eduardo Torroja Institute, CEFAS and the Imperial College, London.

TECNALIA took on 43 new projects in 2007, the first year of the EU VII Framework Programme, with a return of 14 million euros, involving a growth of almost 45% with respect to the annual average for the VI Framework Programme.

Within the ranking for Spanish entities, according to the CDTI, TECNALIA is the foremost body in the Basque Country regarding returns and the second within the (Spanish) state where the first was CSIC.

By sectors, the greatest returns were in Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and New Production Technologies (NMP); Information and Communications Technologies (ICT); Transport; and Energy.

Of these 43 new projects, TECNALIA is leading five:

• CODICE: an NMP project the goal of which is to develop a computational simulation tool enabling the reproduction of the mechanical structure and properties of cement materials from macroscopic variables, as well as their resistance to processes of degradation.
• LAYSA: a transport project, the aim of which is the development of materials for the construction of safer aircraft and intelligent materials, based on nanomaterials capable of detecting and reacting to atmospheric phenomena in cases of fire or accident.
• m:CIUDAD: an ICT project, the goal of which is the generation of a new infrastructure of communications for services and self-created from a mobile telephone, for use of other mobile phone users. For example, my m:blog, my m:preferences, my m:advertisements services, etc.
• TXOTX: a Food, Agriculture and Fisheries & Biotechnology project, designed to contribute a coherent approach to research into the evaluation and management of fisheries resources, especially focused on those areas where the European fleet operates, whether in international waters or in third countries or where the European Union is promoting important development activities.
• LeanPPD: an NMP project, the aim of which is the development of a new model of production - the lean product/process Design Paradigm, covering the whole life cycle of the product, in such a manner that it creates added value for the customer, and including aspects of sustainability, innovation, personalisation and quality.