Periodic Reporting for period 4 - CAMART2 (Centre of Advanced Materials Research and Technology Transfer CAMART²)
Reporting period: 2021-02-01 to 2022-07-31
The CAMART² (‘Excellence Centre of Advanced Material Research and Technology Transfer’) project is aimed to upgrade the existing Centre of Excellence at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP), which was established in 2001 by the former project CAMART, realised within EC FP5.
The CAMART² project is based on a long-term partnership between ISSP, KTH Royal Institute of Technology – the largest technical university in Sweden, and RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden.
ISSP is renowned for its scientific achievements in applied materials physics for micro- and nanotechnology, electronics, photonics, functional coatings etc. and related theoretical and characterization capability.
The vision of CAMART² is to establish ISSP as the most important centre of excellence for education, science, innovation, and technology transfer in the Baltic States. ISSP will also become the hub for a collaboration and technology transfer platform (called "RIX-STO") for materials physics including scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers on both sides of the Baltic Sea.
The commitment from the Swedish partners assures successful modernization of ISSP, including an overall refinement of the educational programs, strengthening of the research and development activities towards higher technology readiness levels, establishment of an innovation system and Open Access Laboratory, as well as ISO 9001 certification.
The partners play a substantial role in an ambitious program for networking and outreach to make a real impact on academia and high-tech industries in the region around Riga and Stockholm, with respect to scientific results, economic growth and increased competitiveness. The region will benefit from an injection of highly educated young people, closer collaboration between academia and industry, and offering state-of-the-art open access research infrastructure boosting innovation and economy.
The CAMART² project is based on a long-term partnership between ISSP, KTH Royal Institute of Technology – the largest technical university in Sweden, and RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden.
ISSP is renowned for its scientific achievements in applied materials physics for micro- and nanotechnology, electronics, photonics, functional coatings etc. and related theoretical and characterization capability.
The vision of CAMART² is to establish ISSP as the most important centre of excellence for education, science, innovation, and technology transfer in the Baltic States. ISSP will also become the hub for a collaboration and technology transfer platform (called "RIX-STO") for materials physics including scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers on both sides of the Baltic Sea.
The commitment from the Swedish partners assures successful modernization of ISSP, including an overall refinement of the educational programs, strengthening of the research and development activities towards higher technology readiness levels, establishment of an innovation system and Open Access Laboratory, as well as ISO 9001 certification.
The partners play a substantial role in an ambitious program for networking and outreach to make a real impact on academia and high-tech industries in the region around Riga and Stockholm, with respect to scientific results, economic growth and increased competitiveness. The region will benefit from an injection of highly educated young people, closer collaboration between academia and industry, and offering state-of-the-art open access research infrastructure boosting innovation and economy.
The project has successfully passed setting-up phase and full exploitation of results is in process, with full roll-out and continuous improvements taking place.
Summary of the progress by the key areas:
- WP1 – Research Program, Action Plan and Annual Reports of Scientific Achievements were developed. Priority research directions of the Institute have been defined within the frame of science, technology and experimental methods and application. Strategic collaboration for joint projects and publications is being elaborated with Consortium partners KTH and RISE and other international research centres and industry.
- WP2 – Innovation development system is implemented and exploited. ISSP has become a member of European Digital Innovation Hub (E-DIH) initiatives and European Photonic Industry association EPIC, it is a recognized national ecosystem actor, has leading role in Latvian Photonics and smart materials ecosystem, has implemented number of commercialisation projects, has licenced technologies to industry and has created spin-offs.
- WP3 – Master’s and PhD study programmes have been developed and included in the curriculum of the University of Latvia. Two additional courses on Innovation development and Scientific methodology are being adapted from the courses realized by the staff of RISE and KTH. Several summer schools and workshops have been arranged, alumni programme launched.
- WP4 – Open Access Laboratory (OAL) and related business model is designed and implemented, processes are designed and implemented, the new infrastructure is in operation.
- WP5 – networking and promotion strategy is developed with customised approach to 5 key groups – research community, industry, school children, policy makers and general public. Main tools implemented, various outreach activities for science, education, innovation, sales process with industry in Latvia and internationally are performed, dissemination and promotion materials are created.
- WP6 – service-oriented organisation is created and operational. Laboratory structure is optimized, and administrative and support structures are in optimization process. Quality management system is developed and ISO 9001:2015 certification awarded with expanding of the scope annually. Laboratory Information Management Software (LIMS) implemented, KPIs and compensations system updated.
- WP7 – project operational, main activities conducted according to the plan, new organisation set-up and milestones reached, roll-out and exploitation in process, transition into sustainable operation planned.
Summary of the progress by the key areas:
- WP1 – Research Program, Action Plan and Annual Reports of Scientific Achievements were developed. Priority research directions of the Institute have been defined within the frame of science, technology and experimental methods and application. Strategic collaboration for joint projects and publications is being elaborated with Consortium partners KTH and RISE and other international research centres and industry.
- WP2 – Innovation development system is implemented and exploited. ISSP has become a member of European Digital Innovation Hub (E-DIH) initiatives and European Photonic Industry association EPIC, it is a recognized national ecosystem actor, has leading role in Latvian Photonics and smart materials ecosystem, has implemented number of commercialisation projects, has licenced technologies to industry and has created spin-offs.
- WP3 – Master’s and PhD study programmes have been developed and included in the curriculum of the University of Latvia. Two additional courses on Innovation development and Scientific methodology are being adapted from the courses realized by the staff of RISE and KTH. Several summer schools and workshops have been arranged, alumni programme launched.
- WP4 – Open Access Laboratory (OAL) and related business model is designed and implemented, processes are designed and implemented, the new infrastructure is in operation.
- WP5 – networking and promotion strategy is developed with customised approach to 5 key groups – research community, industry, school children, policy makers and general public. Main tools implemented, various outreach activities for science, education, innovation, sales process with industry in Latvia and internationally are performed, dissemination and promotion materials are created.
- WP6 – service-oriented organisation is created and operational. Laboratory structure is optimized, and administrative and support structures are in optimization process. Quality management system is developed and ISO 9001:2015 certification awarded with expanding of the scope annually. Laboratory Information Management Software (LIMS) implemented, KPIs and compensations system updated.
- WP7 – project operational, main activities conducted according to the plan, new organisation set-up and milestones reached, roll-out and exploitation in process, transition into sustainable operation planned.
The CAMART² project aim is to upgrade the existing Centre of Excellence at ISSP UL by building a long-term strategic partnership with the internationally leading R&D&I institutions KTH and RISE, which are highly successful in research commercialization. The CAMART² project is aiming to improve the research and innovation environment at the Excellence Centre and its regional relevance, including creation of RIX-STO collaboration and technology transfer platform.
With its recognition as a highly competent partner for relevant EC-defined key enabling technologies (advanced materials, photonics, nanotechnology and micro- and nanoelectronics), the centre is aiming to reach the top EU level and continue to develop and broaden after the end of the project period.
CAMART² project is boosting the scientific and innovations excellence of ISSP through a range of new research and innovation projects and the attraction of top-level scientists and students. Technology exploitation, business generation and long-term sustainability is being promoted by the development of an innovation system, an institute reorganisation, an active human resource management and training, extended outreach and networking activities, refinement to the education system, and development of the Open Access Laboratory.
The quality and intensity of the research, innovation, and education is improving substantially. Increased income resulting from research, innovation, and industrial projects is gradually replacing CAMART² funding, thereby providing long-term financial sustainability of the upgraded Centre.
Realisation of the project is intended to have and is having a multilevel impact on
- Institutional level – ISSP research, innovation, and education,
- National level – impact on the Latvian economy, including the experience of CAMART² becoming an arena for the development of the innovation system in Latvia,
- Regional level– science-innovation collaboration among partners and beyond.
At the current stage many of the expected outcomes can be already seen – most of the infrastructure planned with complementary funding is in operation, revenues and numbers of projects are growing, quality and number of publications is increasing, participation in HE funded projects in increasing, creation of spin-offs and IP licencing taking place, number of students and their proportion at upgraded education programs are increasing, attraction of international PhD students and researchers is growing.
This all contributes to making CoE a significant national centre of research excellence and strongly developing player in the international research arena.
With its recognition as a highly competent partner for relevant EC-defined key enabling technologies (advanced materials, photonics, nanotechnology and micro- and nanoelectronics), the centre is aiming to reach the top EU level and continue to develop and broaden after the end of the project period.
CAMART² project is boosting the scientific and innovations excellence of ISSP through a range of new research and innovation projects and the attraction of top-level scientists and students. Technology exploitation, business generation and long-term sustainability is being promoted by the development of an innovation system, an institute reorganisation, an active human resource management and training, extended outreach and networking activities, refinement to the education system, and development of the Open Access Laboratory.
The quality and intensity of the research, innovation, and education is improving substantially. Increased income resulting from research, innovation, and industrial projects is gradually replacing CAMART² funding, thereby providing long-term financial sustainability of the upgraded Centre.
Realisation of the project is intended to have and is having a multilevel impact on
- Institutional level – ISSP research, innovation, and education,
- National level – impact on the Latvian economy, including the experience of CAMART² becoming an arena for the development of the innovation system in Latvia,
- Regional level– science-innovation collaboration among partners and beyond.
At the current stage many of the expected outcomes can be already seen – most of the infrastructure planned with complementary funding is in operation, revenues and numbers of projects are growing, quality and number of publications is increasing, participation in HE funded projects in increasing, creation of spin-offs and IP licencing taking place, number of students and their proportion at upgraded education programs are increasing, attraction of international PhD students and researchers is growing.
This all contributes to making CoE a significant national centre of research excellence and strongly developing player in the international research arena.