16 Apr Catalysis: a key technology for Europe
Catalysis is a key technology for Europe as it is interdisciplinary and dominant in the chemical industry process. Catalysis research is the basis of several strategic industrial sectors: from energy, to materials science, from industrial processes to applications on digital devices.
Catalysis also plays a key role in protecting the environment, particularly in waste recycling and the reduction of polluted emissions that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Catalysis today represents a technology in which Europe holds a key role in the world both at academic and industrial level, however European leadership in catalysis is progressively threatened by the current fragmentation of knowledge, by insufficient coordination between European and national subjects , from the lack of large-scale research infrastructures and the increasing competition from the Far East countries.
The approaching end of Horizon 2020 to leave space for the new European Framework Program for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, represents a unique opportunity for the European catalysis sector to maintain its position of world leadership. Horizon Europe, in the period 2021-2027, provides for a budget of around 100 billion euros, therefore it will be the most ambitious research and innovation program of all time with numerous possibilities to have projects financed in the catalysis sector.
PARTIAL-PGMs is a project funded by the European Union under the programme Horizon 2020 with over 4 million and a half euro; it started in April 2016 and it will close in September 2019. PARTIAL-PGMs proposes to develop a new family of catalysis materials able to reduce the polluting emissions of car catalytic converters’ using the latest nanotechnological solutions and by cutting down the use of critical materials such as the rare earths and especially the metals of the Platinum group (Platinum Group Metals – PGMs). Warrant Hub coordinates the consortium of 14 partners from 10 different countries which involves centers of excellence at academic level such as the Greek National Research Centre for scientific research “Demokritos”, the French University of Lille, the University of Delaware and the University of Padova, as well as the presence of major industrial partners including the multinational Johnson Matthey PLC, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of catalytic converters for the automotive sector.
PARTIAL-PGMs is organizing a Summer School entitled “Novel Automotive Catalysts Production Materials Modelling and Synthesis, Characterization, scale-up and industrial Process” at Albarella Island (Italy) from the 17th to the 20th of June 2019. The School is addressed to researchers, scientists and professionals interested in catalysis in different fields of application and in particular in the Automotive sector with the aim of improving the performance and reducing the polluting emissions of catalytic converters. Until April 21st, 2019 participants can take advantage of the early bird fee of 870 Euro registering on the school’s web page: http://www.partial-pgms.eu/partial-pgms-summer-school
PARTIAL-PGMs Summer School will be focused on the process of creating and producing new materials for catalysis that reduce Critical Raw Materials already used, starting from the modelling of the materials to the industrial scale-up, passing through the synthesis of the materials, the characterization, the testing and the evaluation of the environmental impact. Key note speakers from the most important European research centers will participate to the event: the National Centre of Scientific Research “Demokritos” (Greece), the University of Padova (Italy) and the Johnson Matthey Technology Centre (UK) are just a few examples.
The School does not only provide frontal lessons, but also moments of discussion and networking.
“We chose the park of the Delta del Po and, in particular, the Island of Albarella, as a perfect place to immerse yourself in the studio but also as an opportunity to visit a place one of a kind and create new interactions between industry professionals, “explains Isella Vicini, Director of the European Funding Division of Warrant Hub Spa and organizer of the Summer School – “For these reasons, the program also provides excursions and guided tours to discover this wonderful territory. ”
The School accepts a maximum of 35 participants. The registration fee which, after April 21st will be 980 euro, is inclusive of: transfer from the airport of Venice, overnight for 3 nights full board at the Hotel Capo Nord, teaching material, free wi-fi, guided tours and Gala Dinner.
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about catalysis, register HERE
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