Achievements of the Geosumat project were presented during the M-ERA.NET conference

The M-ERA.NET conference had a fairly challenging program, as achievements from 40 projects were presented during 8 sessions, and 31 successful stories were shared through poster presentations. Participants were from various fields, ranging from medicine to building materials technology and battery production. The event began with announcements of new calls and research directions to be funded in the upcoming years, followed by sessions featuring project success stories, poster presentations, and coffee breaks for establishing new contacts. During the conference, Iveta established connections to new potential project partners from Luxembourg, Dr. Carlos Fuentes Rojas from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Germany, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Spickenheuer and Dr.-Ing. Cristina Scheffler from Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, and several others.

Within the poster session, several posters addressed topics related to the GEOSUMAT project, particularly 3D-FOAM, presented by Marek Hebda, and MAR-WRECK, represented by Thomas Grab, both of which involved the Cracow University of Technology.

A match-making platform was available during the event, and Iveta was invited to several meetings during the rest of the event week. Finally, newly established contact with Christina Scheffler from the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden led to a visit to the institute and a laboratory tour.

The Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden is a leading actor in polymer research, working on the development of various fiber types and techniques for their utilization. During the tour, we saw a production of glass fibers, a laboratory for mechanical testing of single or bundle fibers, particularly tensile strength and modulus of elasticity testing. The last stop of the excursion was at a laboratory developing knitted elements with polymer coatings that are used for various purposes, ranging from the aviation industry to leisure activities, such as bike parts. This material may be currently expensive for civil engineering, but with the rapid evolution of construction design and technological advancements, it could be a perfect fit for future research.