Summary
- Profile Type
- Research & Development Request
- POD Reference
- RDRCH20250715002
- Term of Validity
- 16 July 2025 - 16 July 2026
- Company's Country
- Switzerland
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- Austria
- Brazil
- Luxembourg
- Belgium
- Turkey
- Czechia
- Switzerland
- Germany
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General information
- Short Summary
- A Swiss research institute in materials science seeks industrial partners for an IraSME-funded R&D project on advanced ceramic processing. Expertise includes CNC, 3D printing (implants), ceramic–metal joining (laser, SPS), sealing glasses, refractories, and cutting ceramics. Partners should work in ceramics, materials, joining, or additive manufacturing and contribute to co-development, testing, or application integration.
- Full Description
-
Overview and Context:
Ceramic materials are critical for high-performance applications across a range of industries, including biomedical devices, energy production, aerospace engineering, and advanced manufacturing. Their exceptional properties, such as thermal stability, wear resistance, chemical inertness, and mechanical strength, make them indispensable in environments where metals or polymers fall short. Despite these advantages, the processing and integration of ceramics, particularly when combined with metals or formed into complex shapes, continue to pose significant technical challenges. These difficulties limit the full exploitation of ceramics in innovative, high-value applications.
This project aims to overcome these challenges by advancing state-of-the-art ceramic processing and joining techniques. Key areas of focus include:
• CNC machining of dense ceramic materials to achieve precise geometries and surface finishes;
• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of ceramics, with an emphasis on producing custom biomedical implants tailored to patient-specific anatomy;
• Joining ceramics to metals using advanced methods such as laser joining and spark plasma sintering (SPS) to enable multifunctional component integration;
• Developing specialized sealing glasses that ensure hermetic and durable seals in harsh environments;
• Creating high-performance refractories and cutting ceramics that meet the demanding conditions of energy and manufacturing sectors.
Through these innovations, the project will enable the production of ceramic components that are more reliable, cost-effective, and efficient. These advancements will support both traditional ceramic applications and emerging technology fields, driving industrial competitiveness and technological progress.
Objectives:
The primary objectives of this project are to:
• Enhance the performance and functional integration of advanced ceramic materials in complex, real-world applications;
• Investigate and optimize novel forming and joining techniques that improve manufacturability and component reliability;
• Support innovation within key industrial sectors such as medical technology, energy generation, and high-precision manufacturing through applied research and technology transfer.
Programme:
This initiative will be submitted under the IraSME programme, a transnational funding scheme designed to promote collaborative R&D projects between SMEs and research institutions across participating countries. IraSME specifically supports practice-oriented projects that bridge the gap between scientific research and industrial application.
Framework Conditions:
• Funding is provided via national innovation agencies of participating countries;
• The consortium (CH condition) must consist of at least two SMEs from any two member countries/regions and one research organization from either of the consortium partner countries;
• The project must focus on applied, market-driven R&D with clear industrial relevance;
• Open to diverse technological domains within ceramic materials and processing.
The Partnership:
The lead partner is a Swiss R&D institute with expertise in ceramic additive manufacturing, CNC machining, high-temperature joining (laser, SPS), glass formulation, refractory materials, and industrial technology transfer.
Requested Partners:
We seek industrial partners, preferably SMEs, that develop or use ceramic-based components, including biomedical implants, cutting tools, sealing systems, or high-temperature materials. Additionally, research institutions or universities with complementary capabilities in materials development, joining technologies, additive manufacturing, or application-specific testing are invited to join.
Partner Roles:
• Collaborate on co-development of components and processing techniques;
• Provide real-world application scenarios and access to testing infrastructure;
• Contribute to dissemination activities and the industrial validation of results. - Advantages and Innovations
-
• Thermal stability
• Wear resistance
• Chemical inertness
• Mechanical strength - Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
-
Industrial partners (preferably SMEs) developing or using ceramic-based components, such as biomedical implants, cutting tools, sealing systems, or high-temperature materials.
Research institutions or universities with expertise in materials development, joining technologies, additive manufacturing, or application-specific testing. - Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
The specific area of activity of the partner:
Ceramic components, biomedical implants, and energy-related applications.
• Industrial partners (preferably SMEs) developing or using ceramic-based components, such as biomedical implants, cutting tools, sealing systems, or high-temperature materials.
• Research institutions or universities with expertise in materials development, joining technologies, additive manufacturing, or application-specific testing.
The tasks to be performed by the partner sought:
The SME partner will collaborate in defining application requirements, co-developing and testing advanced ceramic components, and validating prototypes under real-world conditions. They will provide feedback on performance and manufacturability, support technology transfer from lab to industrial scale, and contribute to commercialization planning, including identifying potential markets and use cases. - Type and Size of Partner
- SME <=10
- SME 11-49
- SME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Call details
- Framework program
- Innovation in SMEs
- Call title and identifier
-
36th Call for Proposals.
Countries / Regions participating in the 36th call:
- Austria
- Brazil
- Czech Republic
- Flanders (Belgium)
- Germany
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Wallonia (Belgium) - Submission and evaluation scheme
-
Call deadline: 24 September 2025.
- Coordinator required
-
No
- Deadline for EoI
- Deadline of the call
- Web link to the call
- https://www.ira-sme.net/current-call/
- Innovation in SMEs
Countries / Regions participating in the 36th call:
- Austria
- Brazil
- Czech Republic
- Flanders (Belgium)
- Germany
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Wallonia (Belgium)
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 02007003 - Ceramic Materials and Powders
- 02002008 - Jointing (soldering, welding, sticking)
- 3D printing
- 06001013 - Medical Technology / Biomedical Engineering
- 02007007 - Glass
- Market keywords
- 05003003 - Surgical implants
- 08003007 - Other industrial equipment and machinery
- 08001013 - Ceramics
- 08001009 - Speciality/performance materials: producers and fabricators
- 06008 - Energy Storage
- Sector Groups Involved
- Renewable Energy
- Health
- Creative Industries
- Targeted countries
- Austria
- Brazil
- Luxembourg
- Belgium
- Turkey
- Czechia
- Switzerland
- Germany