There are sixteen partners in the GLADIATOR consortium from seven countries: a little over half of the partners are companies and the rest are universities and research institutions.
The figure shows the locations of the GLADIATOR partners. (Background map image courtesy of d-maps)
Suragus GmbH develops, manufactures and sells eddy current-based testing technology for conductive material systems. Applications are amongst others quality control of structured and unstructured functional layers (e.g. TCO, Silver nano-wires, PV cells etc.), quality assurance of carbon fiber materials and classic conductive materials. The company is a spin-off and licensee of the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-destructive Testing in Dresden. It was founded in 2010 and currently employees 12 people.
Marcus Klein, the CEO of SURAGUS, will be assisted in GLADIATOR by Oleksandr Larchenko and Marcus Drobisch.
Sgenia is a technology company with capacity to develop technology-based projects, Sgenia has a high skilled staff (PhDs, physicists, engineers and technicians), with extensive experience in industry, energy and environmental sectors. The ability of Sgenia to carry out different projects is complemented by industries associated with the company both domestically and internationally. Sgenia has large experience in coordinating national and international R&D projects. The consortia coordinated by Sgenia have counted on large companies and SMEs, research centres and universities. In addition, Sgenia company has experience in developing technology for industrial companies and energy. Its main activity is the development of new processes and products that can be implemented industrially. It also is engaged in basic engineering and development of energy projects, technical studies, technology assessment, technology consulting for the industrial, energy, and tertiary sectors.
Paul Bartholemeus will lead the SGENIA contribution to GLADIATOR, supported by Jesús Lama, Noelia Graciano, Ana Navarro, Guillermo Román-Pérez and Yuri Makushok.
Organic Electronic Technologies is a Greek privately-owned SME start-up company with expertise and activities in Organic Electronics (OEs). The core activities of OET include the following: a) Development and prototyping in OEs (e.g. OPVs, OLEDs) b) Optimization of materials and processes for OEs (e.g. vacuum, R2R printing), c) Development and integration of in-situ and in-line metrology and tools for quality control of vacuum and R2R processes, d) Development of instrumentation and systems for pilot and manufacturing lines for OEs e) Development and optimization of high barrier films for device encapsulation, f) Laser processes and laser patterning solutions, g) Novel processing services on OEs (e.g. vacuum, R2R printing, laser structuring) and novel testing services for thin films and OE devices, h) Technology transfer in OEs.
The general manager of OET, Dr Christos Koidis, leads the OET contribution to GLADIATOR.
Horiba Jobin Yvon (part of Horiba Scientific) is a world leader in optical spectroscopy, diffractive optics and optical characterization of thin films. With a 100 M€ turnover, HJY spends 15% of its turnover on R&D, and exports 75% of its production. HJY’s Thin Film Division manufactures opticals probes for metrology, measuring and controlling thin film, surfaces and interface processes, as well as optical probes for advanced process control for semiconductor industry, with highly qualified staff (9 PhDs and 13 engineers).
Jean-Paul Gaston (ellipsometry product manager in the thin film division of Horiba Jobin Yvon) leads the HJY team in the GLADIATOR project, supported by Denis Cattelan, Michel Stchakovsky and Titov Andreï.
Graphenea is the first European CVD graphene producer that manufactures and supplies high quality graphene materials to leading companies and research centres around the world. Graphenea was established in April 2010 as a joint venture between private investors and the Nanoscience Cooperative Research Centre, nanoGUNE Consolider. CIC nanogune is an interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to nanotechnology that works in four main strategic areas, namely low dimensional nanostructures, synthesis/ fabrication of nanomaterials, molecular/ spin/ magnetic/ photonic nano devices and nanobiotechnology. Graphenea is located in the facilities of CIC nanogune in San Sebastian (Spain) and has access to all their state of the art nanotechnology equipment. Graphenea has 6 full time employees at present of which 5 are women, however expansion plans are well underway.
Graphenea’s participation in GLADIATOR is led by Dr Amaia Zurutuza (Scientific Director of Graphenea).
Amcor Flexibles are participating in the GLADIATOR project through two independent operating units in Germany and Switzerland. Amcor Flexibles is one of the world’s largest suppliers of flexible packaging and folding carton packaging for tobacco. It has three operating divisions: Amcor Flexibles Food, Amcor Flexibles Healthcare and Amcor Rentsch. The business has approximately 7,600 co-workers, 45 plants and supplies a wide range of products to the food, beverage and healthcare markets. The company also develops highly transparent and thin inorganic barrier films with a reduced gas permeability of a factor of 100 compared to conventional barrier coatings. The barrier is based on two SiO2 coated polymer foils that are laminated together including a special intermediate lacquer layer. Barrier properties of 2×10-4 g/m2 day were already obtained using this approach. Application as substrates or barrier layer in thin film organic optoelectronics looks most promising, in particular for OLEDs.
Amcor Flexibles’ involvement in GLADIATOR will be led by Wolfgang Lohwasser who has over 20 years of experience in developing barrier coatings and working on large scale vacuum web coating.
AIXTRON is the world leading supplier of equipment for semiconductor epitaxy, as verified by VLSI Research Inc. In 2011, AIXTRON had a worldwide staff of 978 and achieved a revenue of €611 million. Its equipment is used by wide range of customers worldwide to manufacture critical advanced components such as HBTs, PHEMTs, MESFETs, Lasers, LEDs, detectors and VCSELs. Moreover, AIXTRON is the leading R&D tool supplier for cold walled reactors for PECVD and CVD carbon nanotube and graphene growth. AIXTRON will bring their competence in equipment development and scale-up of CVD/PECVD process, to develop equipment for graphene growth and transfer. Unique expertise in CNT deposition technology and CVD graphene based upon PECVD and the showerhead-reactor concept. AIXTRON has unique expertise in scaling of carrier gas processes and in hydrodynamic simulations for precise process control.
Two different business units of Aixtron are involved in the GLADIATOR project – the R&D division in the United Kingdom, and the main site in Germany.
Amanuensis GmbH is a Swiss start-up company specialising in supporting multi-partner research projects, including consortium building, initial proposal preparation, support of project management, and support of technology transfer and dissemination.
Amanuensis’ role in GLADIATOR is led by Dr. James Whitby.
DTU Nanotech (the university’s department of Micro- and Nanotechnology) has a staff of 180 working in cross-disciplinary research topics around communication, energy, electronics, medical/biotechnology and environmental technology. The institute is rapidly establishing itself as the main hub for graphene research in Denmark. The majority of our scientific projects are conducted in collaboration with Danish industry. DTU Nanotech has a long track record on IPR handling and administrative support to national and European projects.
DTU’s involvement in the GLADIATOR project will be led by Prof. Peter Bøggild and Dr Tim Booth.
NRCWE is a Danish governmental research institute under the Ministry of Employment working in the field of occupational health and safety. NRCWE’s goal is generate and disseminate knowledge contributing to a safe, healthy work environment in accordance with the technical and social development of the Danish society. Health risks from occupational exposure to nanoparticles are one of NFA’s five strategic research areas since 2005. The total staff presently working in the Nanosafety group is 30 persons (18 AWU). The Nanosafety research focuses on the potential occupational health risks from exposure to engineered nanoparticles during manufacturing, use or handling products containing nanoparticles. NRCWE has participated in 9 different EU projects and contributed with different aspects of nanosafety. NRCWE is the Danish National partner in the NanoReg project.
NRCWE’s contribution to GLADIATOR will be led by Prof. Ulla Vogel with the support of Dr Håkan Wallin, Dr Nicklaus Raun Jacobsen, Dr Anne T Saber, Dr Ismo Kponen and Dr Keld Alstrup Jensen.
The Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification (IOM) was founded in January 1992. It works statutory on basic and applied research on the interaction of radiation with matter and their technological applications. The institute is a member of the Leibniz Association and disposes of a budget which is financed by public sector entities. Additionally, the institute acquires third-party funds (60 % of the entire budget). It consists of two departments: the Chemical and the Physical Department. The first is working on the field of photochemistry using UV and electron radiation with the aim of creating or modifying thin layers or surfaces on top of different substrates like polymers, glass, metal and wood. The emphasis of the work of the Physical Department is laid on surface modifications, structuring and patterning of solid state materials (glass, metal, semiconductors) by means of ion beam and plasma treatment.
Dr Lutz Prager (head of the research group Functional Coatings) will lead the participation of IOM in the GLADIATOR project, supported by Dr Ulrike Helmstedt, Dr Alya Pender, Roswitha Heller and Susann Richter.
The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, one of the largest non-profit research organizations world-wide, operates more than 80 research institutions. COMEDD (Fraunhofer Research Institution for Organics, Materials and Electronic Devices) is one of them and was founded in July 2012 as an independent research institution of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in order to transfer the results of research and development in the field of organic materials and systems to production. Before July 2012 COMEDD was part of Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS). COMEDD combines applied research and development for the production, integration and technology of organic devices and systems. The mission of more than 70 employees of Fraunhofer COMEDD lies in customer- and application orientated research, development and pilot fabrication of novel devices, starting from basics like polymer foils to complex final devices. Fraunhofer COMEDD is a European-wide leading product-related research and development center for organic electronic devices focusing on OLED, OPD, OPV and vacuum technology.
COMEDD is the lead partner for the GLADIATOR project, and Beatrice Beyer is the overall project ‘coordinator’.
CEA (15 000 employees) is a public technological research organization in the areas of energy, information and health technologies and defense. It is internationally recognized and constitutes a strong source of original ideas for public institutions and industries in France and Europe. Its Liten – Institute Laboratory of Innovation in New Energy Technology and Nanomaterials (850 employees; 130 M€ budget; 550 patents portfolio) – develops all aspects of nanomaterial design, manufacturing and handling with safe techniques, on industrial relevant technology platforms.
CEA will be responsible within the GLADIATOR project for improving the performance of graphene as a transparent electrode. The CEA team will be led by Dr Jean Dijon, and also includes Dr Jean Pierre Simonato and Dr Hanako Okuno.
AUTh is the largest Greek University consisting of 45 departments covering all scientific & technological disciplines. The AUTh Research Committee provides administrative & financial support to funded research projects, technology transfer and royalty arrangements. The Lab for Thin Films–Nanosystems & Nanometrology (LTFN) is established in the Physics Department and has successfully coordinated and participated in many EC and National R&D Projects including STREP OLAtronics (2008-2011), STREP Flexonics (2005-2008), GROWTH TransMach (2001-2004), CSA COLAE, NoE FLEXNET, and NoE PolyNET. In addition to GLADIATOR, the lab is also (as of November 2013) participating in the projects NMP IP Smartonics (2013-2017) and REGPOT RoleMak (2011-2014).
