INEGI hosts European Defense Agency meeting to discuss the technological future of the sector

INEGI - Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering will host, between March 7th and 9th, a meeting of the research and development arm of the European Defence Agency, dedicated to the study and definition of technologies relating to materials and structures that will shape the future of this sector in Europe.

As a center for technology and innovation, INEGI not only represents Portugal but also, since 2018, is the rapporteur of the civil sector of this group, called CAPTECH (Capability Technology Areas for Materials and Structures). Since 2010, it has participated in the design of research and development roadmaps that promote the development of technological solutions of interest in the area of materials and structures for defense in the European Union (EU).

The meeting will be attended by government and non-governmental experts and representatives of EU member states, discussing ongoing and upcoming projects and technological advancements of interest in this domain. On the first day of the meeting, a workshop dedicated to the topic of high-temperature materials and their main defense applications, such as future aircrafts, will also take place.

Nuno Correia, director of INEGI's composite materials and structures area, explains that "defense requires high-quality equipment and materials with exceptional properties in terms of weight, strength, and durability. The use of innovative materials and advanced technologies is, therefore, an important research line for the common security and defense policy."

In this context, INEGI's team of experts has been participating in various European projects on the study and development of new materials, semi-finished products, hybrid and smart materials, or advanced manufacturing processes, to be applied in aircraft, clothing, or personal protective equipment, among others.

The European Defence Agency supports the efforts of its 26 members - all EU countries except Denmark - to improve their defense capabilities through cooperation at an European level.

And it was precisely to reinforce this cooperation that INEGI led efforts to aggregate research strategies and funding programs of the Member States around the research roadmap of this CAPTECH. Thus ICARO was born, a program consisting of nine integrated R&D projects, for aeronautical, land, and maritime applications, as well as a set of cross-cutting activities. The ICARO program, with a global budget of over €60M, will run between 2023 and 2030.

---