SPACE CARBON

Partners

The project brings together six partners from five European states.

SpaceCarbon is a collaborative project built by 6 entities, coming from 5 European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria and Greece). One research institution (INEGI), three large companies (Airbus ASE, AVIO and FISIPE), one SME (AAC) and one university (NTUA) will contribute with their complementary background. These complementarities allow the consortium to perform work not possible at an individual level. The project assembles the necessary critical mass of activities, expertise and resources to achieve the objectives in a timely and cost-effective manner.

List of participants.

Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI)

INEGI is an industry-oriented Research and Technology Organization (RTO). Its organizational structure relies on three pillars of activity in different technology readiness levels, maintaining a strong competence matrix element: Research (with a special focus on applied research); Innovation and technology transfer and Consulting and advanced engineering services.
The Research activity covers the areas of new technologies for advanced production processes, experimental mechanics, applied mechanics, energy, new materials and the development of new products and systems.
The Institute’s research activity is integrated in the national network of research funded by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and has consistently been evaluated has excellent. INEGI is considered one of the most effective RTOs in transforming R&D investment in economic and social value. More than 50% of its total turnover of 6.5 million euros comes from R&D and innovation projects funded by the industry. INEGI’s research infrastructure includes a broad set of well-equipped laboratories and an extensive engineering tools base for supporting its research and development activity as well as to support the production of industrial or commercial prototypes.

SGL Carbon

FISIPE is an acrylic fibre manufacturer with plant at Lavradio, Portugal, operating since 1976. Besides standard textile fibres, FISIPE produces special acrylic fibres, namely pre-dyed fibres, functional fibres and fibres for technical applications (including carbon fibre precursor). FISIPE has 340 employees. In 2016 produced 45128 ton fibre with about 91.1 million EUR turn over. FISIPE exports more than 99% of the present production to several worldwide markets. In 2012 FISIPE was acquired by SGL Group with the aim to produce carbon fibre precursors for the SGL Group carbon fibre plants in USA and UK. SGL Group has a joint venture with BMW to supply carbon fibres for the models BMW i3 and i8.

Airbus Defence and Space Systems (ASE)

ASE is acknowledged as the reference prime contractor in Spain. It focuses its business in space systems and subsystems for any kind of satellites and launchers in the market. It was in 1966 that first activities of CASA (now Airbus Defence and Space Systems Espana) in space business started. The so-called Space Division was settled in 1974, and the company joined the EADS group in 1999, a worldwide leader in the aerospace and defence sector, and in its related services. The company was then promptly awarded internally as Centre of Excellence in composite materials for satellites and launchers structures.
Between 2003 and 2014, CASA Espacio was part of EADS’ business unit Astrium, within the division Earth Observation, Navigation & Science. In 2014, EADS changed its legal name to Airbus Group and restructured internally, maintaining CASA Espacio as part of the Airbus Defence and Space division, within Space Systems area.
ASE is a medium size company, shareholder of Arianespace, Hisdesat and Infoterra Spain. The company has a permanent staff of around 400 employees, involving very highly qualified personnel of whom more than 65% are Engineers or Technicians.

Avio S.P.A. (AVIO)

The AVIO Group is an aerospace company cooperating in the space launcher and spacecraft propulsion sector. It carries out design, development, production and integration of space launchers (Vega in its base and empowered C and E versions); solid and liquid fuel propulsion systems for space launchers (Ariane 5 and Ariane 6, Vega family); solid fuel propulsion systems for tactical missiles; liquid fuel propulsion systems for satellites and R&D.
AVIO’s directly employed workforce in and outside Italy consists of more than 800 highly qualified employees, 15% of whom work in Research and Development. In Italy, AVIO has its operational headquarters in Colleferro (Rome) and other sites in the Regions of Campania and Piedmont, with a total workforce of more than 700 employees. AVIO also has operational plants outside Italy, located in France and French Guiana.

Aerospace & Advanced Composites GmbH (AAC)

The Aerospace & Advanced Composites GmbH (AAC) was founded in 2010 as a spin-out from the ARC/AIT (Austrian Research Centers, then renamed Austrian Institute of Technology) during restructuring. AAC specifically acts as a service provider in the field of application-oriented research and technology development, combining a broad interdisciplinary catalogue of skills with specialised know-how. The technology areas in which AAC is active are Space testing of materials and components; Polymer Composites; Inorganic Composites; Structural Health Monitoring (SHM); Microstructural Analysis and Mechanical Testing.
AAC is a coordinator of European and national research cooperation projects and networks in aeronautics and space and is in close cooperation with the association of the European aerospace research institutions.

National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

The National Technical University (NTUA) is the oldest and most prestigious educational institution of Greece in the field of technology, and has contributed unceasingly to the country’s scientific, technical and economic development since its foundation in 1836. It is closely linked with Greece’s struggle for independence, democracy and social progress.
In Greek, NTUA is called the “Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion” which stands for National Metsovion Polytechnic. It was named “Metsovion” to honor the donors and benefactors Nikolaos Stournaris, Eleni Tositsa, Michail Tositsas and Georgios Averof, all from Metsovo, a small town in the region of Epirus, who made substantial donations in the last half of the 19th century.

SpaceCarbon aims to develop European-based carbon fibres (CF) and pre-impregnated materials for launchers and satellite applications!