RADON delivers a state of the art programme which addresses the needs of both research and industry communities working on the advancement of the methods for controlling irradiation-driven nanofabrication, whilst simultaneously training research and innovation staff capable of exploiting modern computational and experimental tools in this area of research and technology. Exposure of a system to radiation results in changes in the system's morphology, electronic, mechanical and catalytic properties. Irradiation of nanosystems especially during their growing or fabrication phase and con-trolling them with the nanoscale resolution is a considerable challenge but if achieved opens enormous op-portunities and will lead to creation of novel and efficient technologies. Currently such technologies provide controlled fabrication of nanostructures with nanometer resolution, although the control of various proper-ties of such structures remains rudimentary. RADON aims at deeper understanding of the underlying molec-ular interactions and the key dynamical phenomena in irradiated nanosystems that will help to improve these nanofabrication technologies RADON brings together well-established academic and enterprise partners employing both experienced and early career research and innovation staff and provides them with a unique opportunity to gain new research and technical knowledge on atomistic level insights into the key physico-chemical processes behind the irra-diation driven nanofabrication. Assembling and exploiting such knowledge is crucial for the required tech-nological breakthrough necessary for developing controlled nanofabriacation and bringing it to the market place. Progress in this critical field of research will be achieved by utilization of modern computational and modelling tools combined with the experimental studies to validate such simulations.

Smart windows for zero energy buildings (SWEB) will rely on a variety of innovative smart windows (SW) solutions and products to meet the market growth potential and address the global environmental challenges faced by the EU to achieve and sustain zero energy buildings market. We propose the development of non-toxic, abundant, long-term functional SW materials (photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, transparent conducting), implemented in parallel with cost-effective, robust, and industrially scalable technologies for fabrication of low-cost thin-film SW and chromogenic devices with flexibility in design, such as photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic and self-powered SW – the basis for zero energy buildings in smart cities. SWEB aims to recruit members of the ERA-Chair team that will bring complementary knowledge to the existing core team, thereby enhancing scientific excellence, increasing visibility, and bridging the gap between research to technology transfer. This will positively contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, European targets for Clean Energy for all Europeans, the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Latvia, and contribute to the European Research Area. The short-term aim is to create a functional ERA Chair team that can implement the strategies defined in the scope of the ERA Chair, and ensure sustainability after the end of the project. The long-term goal of the SWEB is to strengthen the Thin Films Laboratory and the Institute of Solid State Physics in achieving high scientific and innovation results and enhance stakeholders’ networks. With the support of the ERA Chair, ISSP is planning to establish the Briefing Demo Centre for renewable energy in Latvia as well as the EU joint graduate school on SW and zero energy buildings. Completion of these tasks will contribute to the EU becoming a climate neutrality flagship. The main task of the ERA Chair is to converge R&D&I, stakeholders, policymakers, and society.

Real cell membranes are essentially asymmetric and non-planar. Outer leaflets of the plasma membranes contain neutral lipids and glycolipids, while the inner leaflets host practically all anionic lipids and phosphoinositides. In addition to asymmetric composition the membranes are usually curved due to spontaneous curvature of the membrane lipids and an influence of membrane proteins and cytoskeleton. There are many cellular phenomena, which are influenced by the asymmetry and the membrane curvature such as formation of synaptic vesicles, blebs and apoptotic bodies, membrane fusion and splitting, budding of enveloped viruses, endo and exocytosis, etc. In this work we propose comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the influence of membrane asymmetry and curvature on the functioning of integral membrane proteins and the transmembrane transport of therapeutic compounds (such as cisplatin and its derivatives). The goal is to reveal major physical factors, which distinguish asymmetric and curved membrane environment and govern interactions, orientation and diffusion of the small molecules (drugs) and large integral proteins. The combination of experimental methods (“wet” biochemistry and molecular biology, enhanced infrared and Raman spectroscopy) and computer simulations (coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry) would be used in the project in complimentary manner.

The FeLow-D project at the Institute of Solid-State Physics of the University of Latvia (ISSP UL) aims to boost research in low-dimensional ferroelectric (FE) materials for electronic and biomedical applications. This research field is now burgeoning due to multiple discoveries of novel functionalities and various applications of FEs in ambient energy harvesting, flexible sensors, smart implants, piezocatalytic devices, scaffolds for tissue regeneration, and many more. This initiative plans to establish ISSP UL as a leader in this field by creating a state-of-the-art research laboratory and making structural enhancements for sustainable growth. By appointing an outstanding ERA Chair holder, Dr. Andrei Kholkin (h=66), FeLow-D will attract top talents, prevent brain-drain, and promote open knowledge sharing within Research & Innovation system. Focusing on industry collaboration and intensive transition from lab innovations to market viability, the project will significantly contribute to European Research Area objectives. Through its dedication to advancing low-dimensional ferroelectrics, FeLow-D will ensure the development of novel FE materials and structures with exceptional performance, providing pathways to next-generation technologies for localized energy sources, smart biomedical systems, wearable sensors, piezoelectric scaffolds, etc., which will have a significant impact on scientific and technological development in Latvia and Europe. The development of FE devices will definitively improve the European position in the corresponding markets and bridge the gap between fundamental research, technology development, and practical applications of low-dimensional ferroelectrics.

PHORMIC establishes a European platform for next-generation programmable photonic chips with a low adoption threshold for product developers in diverse application domains. The PHORMIC platform consists of three tiers. The first tier is a 200 mm wafer-scale fabrication flow that augments an established world-class silicon photonics platform with transfer-printed III-V optical amplifiers and compact low-power MEMS actuators. The devices are encapsulated in wafer-scale hermetically sealed cavities that will also be used for on-chip gas cells to calibrate the tunable lasers built in PHORMIC. The combination of high-speed silicon photonics, broadband optical gain and low-power MEMS tuners is a true enabler for new applications. The process flow will be supported by a design kit for building complex photonic circuits. The second tier supplements the photonic chips with modular packaging processes and driver electronics (including highspeed drivers), and the packaging and connectivity logic are integrated in the design kit. This provides a low-threshold entry point for building complex photonic chip-based systems with active control and programmability. The third tier builds on this to create a multipurpose programmable photonic processor, which can control the flow of light in an analogue way through a software interface. This chip, together with its electronics and programming framework, forms a true “photonics development kit”. This enables an off-the-shelf use model like that of electronic FPGAs, reducing prototyping time for new concepts from >1 year to weeks. The PHORMIC consortium has all expertise to establish a full supply chain, including a migration path to a European industrial 200 mm foundry. The application potential of the three tiers of the platform is validated through three demonstrators, in datacenter communication, sensing and mm-wave wireless beamforming. For each case, a customdesigned chip will be compared to the multipurpose photonic processor.