The IK4 R&D Alliance will be hosting a technical seminar about technological solutions for materials in hostile environments

On 16 February the IK4 R&D Alliance will be hosting a technical seminar to tackle the latest advances in various fields relating to materials technologies and their applications and possibilities. The event will take place in the main building of the Science and Technology Park of Vizcaya in Zamudio.

The seminar entitled “Technological Solutions for materials in hostile environments” is geared towards companies and associated organisations interested in finding out about the latest realities, trends and future challenges in this field.

Francisco Javier Ester-Sola, who has various responsibilities in the Department of Innovation Transfer and Corporate Technology at BSH in Zaragoza, is scheduled to participate in the event; he will be focussing in particular on projects relating to materials. In the course of his talk, Dr Ester will be explaining how they tackle this activity (in terms of facilities, personnel, equipment and competences), some of the most representative projects they have developed in materials, and the applications in which the environment is more hostile. He will also be indicating which lines of research they will be needing collaboration in and, lastly, he will be setting out which new products and disruptive, close-to-the-market research they are working on.

IK4 will for its part be analysing in various papers the latest technological developments and projects illustrating the possibilities currently being developed in the design of materials, their testing and characterisation, heat treatments and coatings.

The seminar is of interest owing to the revolution we are witnessing in materials technology. Availability has increased significantly over the last few decades and the price of high-performance materials has improved on the whole, but with respect to their use in hostile environments, in particular; one evolution stemming from the interest in looking for new energy sources is the accessing of the possibilities offered by space and the sea, or simply the cutting of the cost of products, systems or infrastructure and extending their service lifetimes. This change affects any sector and any product, but the use of these materials is generating fresh challenges in terms of obtaining and processing them, thus forcing the equipment and machinery manufacturing industry to develop their capabilities and knowledge and overcome standards and certifications. Furthermore, the cost of an advanced material is higher than that which it replaces offering fewer features, which makes managing its purchase and processing even more critical.

More information and registration in the seminar website