Supported internationally

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. Efforts to enhance the disaster resilience of European societies is a top priority. In this context, the EU-funded DIRECTED project will foster communication, knowledge sharing and interoperability between different actors to help mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events. It will use a bottom-up, value-driven co-development approach to create new governance and risk management strategies. The establishment of a cloud platform called DATA-FABRIC will enable secure sharing of structured and unstructured data, while four Real World Labs will address topical problems of multi-hazard risk management and climate change adaptation. The overall goal of the project is to design and test new frameworks.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101073978.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Max Steinhausen, Leichtweiß-Institut für Wasserbau – HYDRIV

Project duration: 1 October 2022 - 30 September 2026

Project partner institutions: Potsdam-Institut fur Klimafolgenforschung ev – Germany, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet – Denmark, Gecosistema srl – Italy, University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork – Ireland, Region Hovedstaden – Denmark, Agenzia Regionale per la Sicurezza Territoriale e la Protezione Civile – Italy, Genillard & Co gmbh – Germany, Internationales Institut fuer Angewandte Systemanalyse – Austria, Erftverband – Germany, Zala Kulonleges Mentok es Onkentes Tuzolto Egyesulet – Hungary, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione, l'Ambiente e l'Energia dell'Emilia-Romagna – Italy, Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches Geoforschungszentrum gfz - Germany, 52 North Spatial Information Research gmbh - Germany, Sei Oxford Office ltd – United Kingdom, Oasis Hub ltd. – United Kingdom, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich – Switzerland

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Floating offshore wind has tremendous potential to play an essential role in achieving the European Commission's ambitious goals for a climate-neutral energy transition. However, expanding the floating offshore wind capacity poses a significant challenge to protecting and preserving biodiversity in the EU sea basins. The EU-funded INF4INiTY project aims to develop critical technologies for future offshore wind farms that balance human needs for clean energy with the imperative to minimise negative environmental and social impacts. The project focuses on a nature-inclusive design for gravity anchors and their associated scour protection system, as well as an innovative primary artificial reef structure combined with the floating structure of a floating offshore wind turbine.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101136087.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Christian Windt, Leichtweiß-Institut für Wasserbau – HYKU

Project duration: 1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027

Project partner institutions: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover - Germany, Wikki Gesellschaft fur Numerische Kontinuumsmechanik mbh - Germany, Gicon-Grossmann Ingenieur Consult gmbh - Germany, Instytut Budownictwa Wodnego Polskiej Akademii Nauk - Poland, BM Sumer Muhendislik Danismanlik Egitim Arastirma Gelistirme Sanayi Veticaret Limited Sirketi - Türkiye, Niras as - Denmark, Aquatera Atlantico sl - Spain, Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta s Coop - Spain, Politecnico di Torino - Italy, Universiteit Gent - Belgium, Sintef Ocean as - Norway, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet - Denmark

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The field of Mixed-Integer Optimal Control (MIOC) is growing, but it still faces unanswered questions due to its complexity and inefficiencies. The ERC-funded SCARCE project aims to enhance optimal control and decision-making for dynamic nonlinear processes occurring on network structures. It delves into complex themes such as decomposition, relaxation, approximation, homogenisation, limiting processes, and weak topologies. Its goal is to discover efficient methods for estimating direct costs, developing nonlinear solvers, and creating decision policies capable of handling uncertainty in critical control tasks with societal impact. SCARCE aims to introduce new theories, develop numerical approximation methods, implement algorithms in software, and conduct proof-of-concept studies. The applications of this research extend to various fields, including energy networks, logistics, disease spreading dynamics, and biomedicine.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101087662.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Christian Kirches, Institut für mathematische Optimierung

Project duration: 1 July 2023 - 30 June 2028

Project partner institutions: single institution grant

Further information on the project

Many Earth system processes involving multi-physics, multi-phase conditions extend over several orders of magnitude in length- and timescales. Engineering science, in pursuit of deeper process understanding and solution-oriented design, has used scaling theories to address scale-afflicted, complex processes through experimental work in laboratory environment at reduced scale. The standard scaling approach, the Buckingham π-theorem, is especially deficient when multi-physics and multi-phase processes require the choice of more than a single non-dimensional number, resulting in severe scale effects and typically meaning that accuracies at reduced scale are inadequately quantified. Hence, we choose a demonstrably complex multi-physics, multi-phase process for the investigation of scaling accuracies – the progressive collapsing of residential buildings and the associate debris transport, evolving from extreme flow events from natural hazards, such as flash floods or tsunami.

ANGRYWATERS seeks to achieve a breakthrough in modelling these complex processes by deriving novel scaling laws that will be developed in the framework of the Lie group of point scaling transformations. Scaling requirements will be applied to the combined fluid-structure interaction at various scales, developing sophisticated building specimens; here, we employ 3D-printing and appropriately engineered materials to match the scaling requirements. We conduct a comprehensive experimental campaign, using medium- and large-scale facilities, subjecting the specimens to extreme flow conditions in the form of dam-break waves. We consider sub-assemblages, single and multiple buildings, enhancing the understanding of energy losses and debris production upon collapse, elaborating reduced scale accuracies. High-fidelity numerical modelling will complement our experiments, deepening our process understanding; a depth-averaged model with novel debris advection model crucially enhances predictive capabilities.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101123732.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Nils Goseberg, Leichtweiß-Institut für Wasserbau – HYKU

Project duration: 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2029

Project partner institutions: single institution grant

Further information on the project

To meet the high demands of quantum technologies, Kroker and her research group at TU Braunschweig are investigating optical resonators, the components that make laser systems the most precise instruments available. In laser design, the finesse of the resonator, combined with the stability of the mirrors, determines how precisely the beam delivers the desired wavelength. Until now, each wavelength not only requires its own optical resonator, but also a lot of space on optical tables in special laboratories with few sources of interference. The new metamirrors of MightyMirrors will make a decisive difference. The project is tackling the integration of macroscopic, sensitive laboratory equipment on stable microchips. An entire grid of parallel meta-mirrors will be used to generate several laser wavelengths in a single resonator.

This will support the regional quantum technology systems such as the optical clocks of the Cluster of Excellence QuantumFrontiers or the quantum computer of Quantum Valley Lower Saxony, which require highly stable lasers with potentially millions of wavelengths.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101170022.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Stefanie Kroker, Institut für Halbleitertechnik

Project duration: 1.5.2025 - 30.4.2030

Project partner institutions: single institution grant

To date, the battery market is dominated by lithium-ion (Li-ion) chemistries, as the energy density has more than doubled and their costs have dropped by a factor of at least 10. However, conventional Li-ion batteries (LIB) are reaching their performance limits in terms of energy density and facing safety issues, is required the development and production of new battery generations, such as Solid-State Batteries (SSBs), to create a new industry value chain in Europe towards their commercialization. Consequently, high-energy-density EU-made SSBs will ensure the supply of, among others, the automotive sector. To do so, the development and deployment of new manufacturing technologies, enabling the large-scale production of SSBs, is crucial. Indeed, among the overarching themes to develop and produce sustainable batteries in the future, the BATTERY 2030+ roadmap4 considers manufacturability as a cross-cutting key area. Innovative and scalable manufacturing techniques to produce SSBs will accelerate cost reduction, energy savings, and enhanced safety.

ADVAGEN will develop a new lithium metal (LiM) battery cell technology based on a safe, reliable, and high performing hybrid solid-state electrolyte (LLZO-LPS based), gaining a competitive advantage over the worldwide (mainly Asian) competition. This will sustainably strengthen the EU as a technological and manufacturing leader in batteries as specified in the ERTRAC electrification roadmap and SET-Plan Action Point-7. ADVAGEN consortium contains key EU actors in the battery sector, from industrial materials producers (SCHT, CPT, ABEE), battery manufacturer (ABEE) to R&D centers (IKE, CEA, IREC, TUB, CICe, POLITO, INEGI, UL, FEV) and the automotive industry (TME), covering the complete knowledge and value chain. By developing high-performance, affordable and safe batteries, ADVAGEN aims to re-establish European competitiveness in battery cell production.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101069743.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Arno Kwade, Institut für Partikeltechnik

Project duration: 1 August 2022 - 31 July 2026

Project partner institutions: ABEE Avesta Battery & Energy Engineering – Belgium (Coordinator), INEGI - Instituto de Ciencia e Inovacao em Engenharia Mecanica e Engenharia Industrial - Portugal, Politecnico di Torino - Italy, FEV Europe gmbh - Germany, Commissariat a l Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives - France, Centro de Investigacion Cooperativa de Energias Alternativas Fundacion, CIC Energigune Fundazioa - Spain, Fundacio Institut de Recerca de l'Energia de Catalunya - Spain, Toyota Motor Europe nv - Belgium, Univerza v Ljubljani - Slovenia, Euroquality sas - France, Techconcepts bv - Netherlands, Ceramic Powder Technology as - Norway, Ikerlan s. Coop – Spain

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Green hydrogen as a fuel offers the possibility to significantly reduce or even eliminate all of aircraft’s greenhouse gas emissions. When liquid hydrogen (LH2) is used in fuel cells (FC) for power generation, this results in no CO2, no SOx and no NOx emissions. The best way to achieve this solution is to develop a hydrogen propulsive FC system as an integral part of a new LH2 aircraft concept. This means moving away from the current “plug and play” (separate motor development and aircraft architecture) philosophy towards a disruptive integrated way of development, which requires a co-creation approach of the propulsion system and the aircraft. FAME follows this approach by collaborative research and development between on one hand partners involved in development of the needed systems of the fuel cell and on the other hand Airbus as and aircraft designer, manfacturer und integrator. Thereby it is ensured that on all levels from material over component and sub-system up to propulsion system on aircraft level an optimization is realized.

The focus of FAME is on developing a complete compact high-efficiency full electric propulsion system based on LH2 as energy source for short to medium range (SMR) aircraft. FAME will develop all the subsystems which are needed and integrate these in a MW FC Propulsion System ground demonstrator with the vision to scale it up to aircraft level (sufficient for SMR aircraft). FAME shows the feasibility of a multi-MW FC Propulsion system for hydrogen-powered SMR aircraft. The system will provide the basis for Clean Aviation in phase 2 to undergo a system flight test.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101140559.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Jens Friedrichs, Institut für Flugantriebe und Strömungsmaschinen; Peter Scholz, Institut für Strömungsmechanik; Steffen Heinke, Institut für Thermodynamik;

Project duration: 1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026

Project partner institutions: Airbus Operations gmbh – Germany (Coordinator), Airbus Operations sas - France, Airbus Operations sl - Spain, Airbus Helicopters - France, Aerostack gmbh - Germany, AVL List gmbh - Austria, Diehl Aviation Gilching gmbh - Germany, Diehl Aerospace gmbh - Germany, Diehl Aviation Laupheim gmbh - Germany, Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse sas - France, Liebherr-Electronics and Drives gmbh - Germany, Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik gmbh & co kg - Austria, Moteurs Leroy-Somer - France, Smartup Engineering srl - Italy, Woodward Poland Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia - Poland, Woodward L'Orange gmbh - Germany, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft - und Raumfahrt ev - Germany, Technische Universiteit Delft - Netherlands, Politechnika Rzeszowska im Ignacego Lukasiewicza prz - Poland, Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II – Italy

Europe faces a pressing challenge: securing a sustainable and eco-friendly transition while revolutionising its battery manufacturing sector. To meet ambitious 2030 targets, the EU must accelerate its battery production from 60 GWh to a staggering 900 GWh. This endeavour demands cutting-edge solutions that reduce emissions, boost battery performance, and ensure circularity. In this context, the EU-funded GIGABAT project will focus on developing GEN3b (Li-ion) batteries, requiring innovative, energy-efficient machinery designed for Gigafactories. Pilot plants will validate these systems for real-world applications. But GIGABAT goes beyond machinery. It promotes sustainability, reduces carbon footprints, and digitalises Europe’s battery production. It is a collaborative effort that brings together academia, technology centres, equipment manufacturers and recycling experts.

This project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101104094.

Contact at TU Braunschweig: Arno Kwade, Institut für Partikeltechnik; Christoph Herrmann, Institut für Werkzeugzeugmaschinen und Fertigungstechnik;

Project duration: 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2026

Project partner institutions: Fundacion Cidetec – Spain (Coordinator), Powerco se - Germany, Manz Italy srl - Italy, Verkor - France, Izertis Sociedad Anonima - Spain, Comau spa - Italy, Excelitas Noblelight gmbh - Germany, Matthews International gmbh - Germany, Jagenberg Converting Solutions gmbh - Germany, Kampf lsf gmbh & co kg - Germany, Lebbing Automation and Drives gmbh - Germany, Rise Research Institutes of Sweden ab - Sweden, Ferroglobe Innovation sl - Spain, Zeppelin Systems gmbh - Germany, Netzsch Trockenmahltechnik gmbh - Germany, Liplanet e.v. - Germany, Fondazione Icons – Italy

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