Materials for diversification

How can new innovation be unlocked? How can industry and our everyday lives become more environmentally stable? Often the answer to these vital questions are new high tech materials, and Luxembourg has for years played its part in the global research and development push.

Source : Delano December 2017
Publication date : 11/16/2017

Around 800 manufacturing companies operate out of Luxembourg, and they're all keen to find ways to improve their products and processes. Some call the current era a golden age for materials. "Smart" materials can repair themselves. "Metamaterials" can respond to light or sound. Nanotechnologies are constructed atom by atom.

It's a long story

Luxembourg industry has embraced cutting-edge technology for decades. This dates from at least 1879, when the Thomas-Gilchrist process enabled phosphorous to be removed from local iron ore, an innovation which transformed steel making in this country. Business based here and public research institutes receive generous state funding for their research and development work. Investment in innovation is excluded from EU rules forbidding state aid, and this is key to helping the grand duchy diversify its economy.

Recent breakthroughs include work on solar-cell coatings at the University of Luxembourg, in collaboration Japanese electronics company TDK. They worked out how to remove impurities from the coating, increasing the amount of light that could pass through. Hard material cutting and wear protection firm Ceratizit employs about 100 research staff in its 2,000m² R&D facility. They are conducting fundamental as well as applied research into the basic physical and chemical properties of the hard materials and coatings it uses.

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology have worked on "bio-bricks", sustainable building material made from plant fibre. Sandweiler-based Saturne Technology operates one of the world's largest additive manufacturing machines: part of 3D printing revolution. In July, OCSiAI announced plans for the "world's largest nanotube production facility" in Differdange. Up to 200 jobs are set to be created by 2020.

Enabling technology

Although more than 32,000 people work in manufacturing in this country, the share of total employment and value added is amongst the lowest in the EU, and is about half the average for the bloc. This is not a surprising figure given the relatively high salaries earned here. This means the country has no choice but to explore high tech, high value technologies if it is to prevent the economy being completely dominated by the services sector.

Confronting major challenges

"We have to focus on the enabling character of materials," commented Jens Kreisel, director of the materials research and technology department at List, who will be speaking at the conference. "These create building blocks, so called "transversal enabling technologies", which can be used by many sectors both in Luxembourg and internationally," he added. Thus as well as working with the Luxembourg operations of international businesses, the public research sector here plugs into EU and global research networks.

"Smart materials are a priority for economic diversification. We have seen particularly strong growth in areas such as nano-materials in sensors, the key technology that will power the internet of things and autonomous vehicles," Kreisel added. Robert Dennewald of building firm Chaux de Contern is also on a panel at the conference, and he agreed. "Special focus needs to be given to all developments that increase the intrinsic resistance of materials," he argued. He pointed to ultra high strength concrete that allows structures to be made with a smaller construction footprint, while reducing raw material consumption. He has hopes for renewables, particularly from hemp and miscanthus.

Aerospace, energy, construction, automotive, health care and consumer goods are all seeing the early benefits of this materials revolution. This conference is an opportunity for local businesses and research institutes in this field to raise their profile, both internationally and locally, with clients, partners and governments. New materials are opening the way for new industries, as well as helping solve some of humanity's greatest challenges.

Stephen Evans