Projects aim to improve energy and resource efficiency / State Secretary Dr. Böhler: "Business-oriented institutes translate research into marketable applications"
The Institute for Applied Building Research Weimar (IAB) today received funding commitments for two technology projects from the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs. State Secretary Dr. Katja Böhler handed over the two notices for a total of a good 1.3 million euros to Institute Director Dr. Ulrich Palzer. The funds come from EU-REACT funds and could be applied for by Thuringia's business-related research institutions as part of the "WINAFO Invest" call for competitions. In total, 12 projects from industrial research institutions throughout Thuringia will be subsidized with almost 7.4 million euros in this funding round.
"The business-related research institutions transfer research results into marketable applications," said Böhler. The current call for competition was mainly about technologies and processes for a more sustainable use of energy and resources. "The funded projects will also contribute to the more efficient use of energy and materials at the IAB." For example, the institute will install a new test bench that can be used to test gas valves to see whether they are also suitable for transporting hydrogen and carbon dioxide; this will help to provide technical support for the conversion of the existing natural gas infrastructure to green hydrogen. On the other hand, the IAB is developing a pilot plant for the CO2-neutral calcination (deacidification) of binders for cement production.Both projects will allow the IAB to acquire further research and development projects in the future and to develop new, improved products and processes for industry in this context.
There are a total of ten business-related research institutions in Thuringia with 900 employees and a turnover of 90 million euros, which have joined forces in the Research and Technology Association Thuringia (FTVT) e.V. Its main task is to quickly transfer research results into economic applications and thus to strengthen the innovative capacity of SMEs. The research profiles of these institutes range from microsensor technology, medical technology and biotechnology, manufacturing technology, construction and materials research, materials research, textile and plastics research to applied hydrogen research.
(REACT = "Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe" is an initiative of the European Commission to continue and expand measures to address the economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.)