RETINA will master the challenges in the border region between Austria and Slovenia by building a network of established laboratories with competencies in materials science and by providing a "single entry point" for research centres and enterprises to facilitate access to the network. This improves the chances of reaching the critical mass of R&I institutions in the region, stimulates businesses to invest in R&I, and thereby contributes to the improvement of competitiveness in the disadvantaged border region.
The field concerned in the programme is struggling with high fragmentation of the research and innovation (R&I) capacities. Consequently, most businesses in the border region do not have good access to the entire R&I infrastructure, they are not innovative and are experiencing limited growth of value added. This is especially true in the area of new materials development for industrial applications. Even though the potential market for products based on functional materials is extremely diverse (energy storage, electronics, pharmaceuticals, aviation and aeronautics, etc.), businesses in the border region cannot make efficient use of the available R&I infrastructure for the development of new products.
The main outputs of the project will be informational events, visits to laboratories, pilot campaigns conducted in cooperation of industry and research centres, and feedback to authorities with the aim of maximising the effect in view of different groups (research partners, knowledge communicators, industries and decision-makers).
A highly fragmented R&I infrastructure in the field of materials science prevents reaching the project objectives at the regional and national levels. A cross-border initiative is therefore essential to the successful implementation of the proposal. An interregional network with a "single point of entry" makes the project unique compared to other cooperation initiatives which frequently operate at the local level.
Funding information:
Project Title: Opening of research laboratories for innovative industrial applications
Lead partner: niverza v Novi Gorici
Further project partners: Kemijski inštitut (KI), Primorski tehnološki park d.o.o. (PTP), Technische Universtät Graz (TU Graz), Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH, Montanuniversität Leoben (MUL), SAL (Silicon Austria Labs GmbH, formerly CTR Carinthian Tech Research AG)
Priorities: Strengthen cross-border competition, research and innovation
Project period: 1 June 2017 until 31 May 2020
Go to project homepage:RETINA
Contact: DI Renate Reumüller
Webpage Interreg
