The SIgMA proposal aims at designing and preparing composite nanostructured copper/silver conductors with high electrical conductivity (> 90% IACS) and high mechanical strength (> 1 GPa). The approach relies on the composite and nanostructuration effects with the unique combination of powder metallurgy process (cold spray, spark plasma sintering) and severe plastic deformation (wire-drawing). Many materials and process parameters, to be identified, are critical to tailor the micro and nanoscale design that will ultimately permit to obtain the required properties. Properties/microstructure/interface relationships will be established. Ageing behavior and lifetime under extreme conditions (severe mechanical constraints and high strain rate) will be investigated. Conductors will be prepared as a demonstrator for magnetoforming tools as well as for high magnetic fields (> 100 Tesla). In addition, SIgMA will establish a strong public/private partnership with a possible transfer of technology. The SIgMA consortium is composed of one industrial partner, I-Cube Research/Bmax and four academic laboratories CNRS-LNCMI, UP-Pprime, UT3-CIRIMAT, UBFC-ICB-LERMPS. Each partner provides complementary expertise in different areas: CIRIMAT and LERMPS in powder metallurgy process (powder synthesis, consolidation by Spark Plasma Sintering, consolidation by cold-spray); LNCMI in severe plastic deformation process, macroscopic characterization in static conditions and magnet testing in DC and pulsed configuration; Pprime in fine microstructural and micromechanical characterization; I-Cube Research/Bmax in high stress and high strain rate environments influence on metallic materials and industrial magnet testing. Such complementarities between partners are required for the SIgMA interdisciplinary project at the crossroads of materials science, materials processing and physics.

Specific raw materials become increasingly important to manufacture high level industrial products. Especially electronic equipment contains precious metals and a series of strategic raw materials. To date the material specific recycling is focused on mass stream concepts such as shredder processes and metallurgy to extract the high-value metallic constituents, i.e. copper, gold, silver. However, a series of critical elements cannot be recovered efficiently or is even lost in dust or residual fractions. The goal of ADIR is to demonstrate the feasibility of a key technology for next generation urban mining. An automated disassembly of electronic equipment will be worked out to separate and recover valuable materials. The concept is based on image processing, robotic handling, pulsed power technology, 3D laser measurement, real-time laser material identification (to detect materials), laser processing (to access components, to selectively unsolder these; to cut off parts of a printed circuit board), and automatic separation into different sorting fractions. A machine concept will be worked out being capable to selectively disassemble printed circuit boards and mobile phones with short cycle times to gain sorting fractions containing high amounts of valuable materials. Examples are those materials with high economic importance and significant supply risk such as tantalum, rare earth elements, germanium, cobalt, palladium, gallium and tungsten. A demonstrator will be developed and evaluated in field tests at a recycling company. The obtained sorting fractions will be studied with respect to their further processing and recovery potential for raw materials. Refining companies will define requirements and test the processing of sorting fractions with specific material enrichments. An advisory board will be established incorporating three telecommunication enterprises.

The two greatest obstacles to a wide spread adoption of superconductivity remain the limited understanding of its fundamental principles and the yet insufficient capability for large-scale, cost-effective deployment of the technology. Science rather than serendipity is the key to unlock the potentials of this alluring natural phenomenon. The proposed ITN integrates sound research projects aimed at learning to predict the behaviour of superconducting materials, at introducing innovative manufacturing techniques, at developing efficient cryogenic refrigeration techniques as key enablers for future applications and establishing these technologies as the new state of the art. The ambitious goals of this consortium are (1) making advanced superconductors fitter for the market, (2) assessing their innovation capacities and (3) equipping a new generation of researchers with the unique skills required to convert knowledge into products: Efficient grid power management, 21st century medical imaging, leaps in effectiveness of wind power generators, efficient electric propulsion systems and sustainable refrigeration for industry give an impression of the potential societal benefits that superconductor-based technologies can catalyze. This initiative under European leadership federates leading universities, research centres and industries, embracing a variety of science sectors, such as physics and mathematics, material sciences, process and mechanical engineering, refrigeration, cryogenics and innovation management. The intriguing blend of science and engineering, compounded by visionary application opportunities in companies, creates a fertile environment for innovative training of early-stage researchers. Significant training lead-times call for a dedicated action. This ITN will provide its fellows with a sound knowledge in the relevant fields along with business competences and prepare them for a broad spectrum of career opportunities in research and industry.

One of the great challenges of society is innovation through the development of new and advanced materials. Such tailored materials are needed in all key-technological areas, from renewable energy concepts, through next-generation data storage to biocompatible materials for medical applications and many of these future materials will be synthesized on a nano-scale. In order to reach these goals, state-of-the-art analytical tools are needed. High magnetic fields are one of the most powerful tools available to scientists for the study, modification and control of states of matter, and in order to compete on the global scale, Europe needs state-of-the-art high magnetic field facilities which provide the highest possible fields (both continuous and pulsed) for its many active and world-leading researchers. The European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL) is a legal entity in the form of an AISBL under Belgian law. Its current members are CNRS, HZDR and RU as facility operators and the University of Nottingham, the latter on behalf of the UK user community, funded through an EPSRC Mid-scale Facility Grant. It represents all high-field infrastructures in Europe and constitutes a distributed research infrastructure of global impact and importance, which was added to the ESRFI Landmark list in 2016. The ISABEL project aims to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the EMFL through the realization of three objectives : - strengthening the EMFL structure by enlarging its membership and by improving several organisational aspects, such as data management, outreach and access procedures. - strengthening the socio-economic impact of the EMFL, by bridging the gap with industry. - strengthening of the role of high magnetic field research in Europe.