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Activity Funded

Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation

Centro de Tecnologia Mecânica e Automação

Reference
UIDP/00481/2020
Project Start Date
2020-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017/2018) - Financiamento Programático

Abstract

10.2 Summary in English for general dissemination purposes For the period between 2018 and 2022, the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA) will focus its research on three major projects, designated in the following as "Mobilizer Projects". This strategic approach is consensually considered within the research unit as the optimal path to enhance and capitalize the teamwork and its diversity in technical competencies, fostering high-quality research of multidisciplinary nature. The first project, entitled “Sustainable Manufacturing Solutions”, takes advantage of the interventional character of mechanical engineering in the industrial sector, emphasizing innovation in the manufacturing sector and promoting the sustainability of the involved resources, leading to cost-effective, high added-value, high-quality services and products. The second mobilizing project, “Technologies for the Wellbeing”, aims to contribute to the society quality of life, with engineering systems providing solutions to people and their needs, together with the corresponding societal challenges. While these two mobilizing projects represent the near future path of TEMA research unit, a third mobilizing project - the Research Infrastructure - has already started, involving members of TEMA as a unique and coherent group, being a project that is to be continued during the next years. The Research Infrastructure aims at a rational and efficient management of material and human resources of TEMA (including its 12 laboratories), its vast array of scientific equipment in a large diversity of areas to be used towards the Society needs, making the Research Infrastructure an “open facility” for a number of end-users (academic, research and industry). This strategy is aligned with the high level project goals of the “National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Relevance”, a roadmap in accordance with the European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), where TEMA was classified with the highest rating by the Portuguese National Science Foundation (FCT), being considered as an example of an infrastructure that “have demonstrated high scientific potential and high strategic regional and national relevance". 10.3 Summary in English for evaluation For the period between 2018 and 2022, the Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA) will focus its research on 3 major projects, designated in the following as "Mobilizer Projects" (MPs). This strategic approach is consensually considered, within the research unit (RU), as the optimal path to enhance and capitalize the teamwork and its diversity in technical competencies, fostering high-quality research of multidisciplinary nature. The MP1, entitled SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS, takes advantage of the interventional character of mechanical engineering in the industrial sector, emphasizing innovation in the manufacturing sector and promoting the sustainability of the involved resources, leading to cost-effective, high added-value, high-quality services and products. The second mobilizing project (MP2) - TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE WELLBEING - aims to contribute to society quality of life, with engineering systems providing solutions to people and their needs, together with the corresponding societal challenges. While these two MP represent the near future path of TEMA research unit, a third mobilizing project - the Research Infrastructure (MP3) - has already started, involving members of TEMA as a unique and coherent group, a project that is to be continued during the next years. The Research Infrastructure MP aims at a rational and efficient management of material and human resources of TEMA (including its 12 laboratories), its vast array of scientific equipment in a large diversity of areas to be used towards the Society needs (https://www.ua.pt/tema/page/21974), making the Research Infrastructure an “open facility” for a number of end-users (academic, research and industry). This is aligned with the high level project goals of the “National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Relevance”, a roadmap where TEMA was classified with the highest rating by the Portuguese National Science Foundation (FCT), being considered as an example of an infrastructure that “have demonstrated high scientific potential and (...) high strategic regional and national relevance" (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/equipamento/roteiro/index.phtml.en). The future activities of TEMA research unit are grounded in three major pillars: A) FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED RESEARCH, with special attention to financial sustainability, training of highly qualified human resources, quality in publication (rather than quantity) in international journals of high impact and the development and promotion of national and international networking. A focus is posed on combining research and technology development with perspectives for innovative application (patents and software registries; involvement in industrial projects), including dissemination, marketing actions and promotion of the unique skills of TEMA to the commercial sector; B) INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO THE SOCIETY, to promote the link between the research from TEMA, the industrial sector and the Society in general. This will increase the capacity of technology transfer, from the University to Industrial and Business stakeholders. This is to be carried out by means of offering support to products and processes development, aiming to improve the competitiveness and excellence in business areas such as: i) development of new computational tools; ii) study and development of new materials and engineering systems; iii) innovative engineering products, including biomechanical devices; iv) innovative, improved and sustainable manufacturing technologies; v) design of equipment and prototypes; vi) nanoengineering applications; C) CONSULTING, TRAINING AND SERVICES, a pillar that is a natural evolution from the previous ones, coming from the accumulated knowledge in the support of solutions to the Society (Industrial and Scientific). The knowledge and know-how of TEMA is also grounded on its laboratorial facilities, and therefore this pillar aims to address the needs and demands of a wide variety of client profiles among a number of expertise areas, namely: i) mechanical trials, essays and prototypes; ii) material characterization at micro and nano scales; iii) industrial automation; iv) energy systems, energy efficiency and fluid mechanics; v) transportation systems, environmental impact assessments and life-cycle analysis; vi) optimization of manufacturing processes; vii) moulding technology; and viii) specialized training and consulting.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade de Aveiro Centro de Tecnologia Mecânica e Automação (UA TEMA)
  • Universidade de Aveiro (UA)

Funding 418.750,00 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

418.750,00 €