FEDER
Within the framework of the PULSATE project, an international collaboration network has been launched to facilitate European SMEs to implement additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing based on laser technology in their processes.
The consortium brings together the most relevant organizations in laser technologies, additive manufacturing, and digital laser tools in Europe.
Over the four years the initiative has been developed, one hundred companies from 19 different countries have benefited from this program. In total, more than 4 million euros have been allocated to directly finance the execution of 59 technology transfer projects.
O Porriño, June 18, 2024.- AIMENTechnology Centre has presented today in Brussels the results of the PULSATE project, an initiative that has allowed the launch of an international collaboration network to facilitate European SMEs to implement additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing based on laser technology in their processes.
Additive manufacturing and advanced laser technologies play a decisive role in different industrial sectors and are considered a "Key Enabler" for the European Commission. However, European companies, especially SMEs, have not widely adopted these types of technologies due to, among other reasons, the high investment they require, the complexity of the technologies, and the preparation of the companies to incorporate these tools.
With the aim of overcoming these barriers and supporting SMEs so they can adopt these technologies, the PULSATE initiative has generated a support structure consisting of knowledge, infrastructures, and services. This network brings together the most relevant organizations in laser technologies, additive manufacturing, and digital laser tools and provides potential users of these innovative technologies a single entry point where they can access a complete catalog of services.
Over the four years the project has been developed, one hundred companies, including end users and technology developers from 19 different countries, have benefited from this program. In total, more than 4 million euros have been allocated to directly finance the execution of 59 experimental technology transfer projects and adopters of use cases that allowed their evaluation in real manufacturing environments. The companies that have been able to technically evaluate the advantages of lasers in their processes cover a wide range of sectors such as automotive, industrial machinery, medical equipment, aerospace, electronics, biotechnology, energy, railway, mining, or photovoltaic, among others. Additionally, experiments have been conducted in the manufacture of less common products such as kitchen materials, orthodontics, personal hygiene, and even the creative arts world.
In the coming months, PULSATE will continue to support innovation in laser manufacturing and its introduction into small manufacturing companies through its digital AGORA and its service marketplace open to all industrial users.
European Consortium
The PULSATE project consortium is formed by six Competence Centers: AIMEN (Spain), FTMC (Lithuania), MTC (United Kingdom), SINTEF (Norway), Fraunhofer (Germany) and CEA (France); two service community and market providers: Fundingbox Accelerator (Poland) and Clesgo (Germany); and a photonics industry association EPIC (France). AIMEN coordinated the project at all levels: organizing the initiative's foundations, collaborating in the launch and management of opencalls, and supervising the proper execution of the selected experiments.
Additionally, it actively participated in the deployment of the service offer, generated tools and mechanisms to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, and contributed to raising awareness among the European industrial sector about the potential benefits of using these advanced laser technologies.
PULSATE, funded by the European Commission under the H2020 Program, was developed between 2020 and 2024 and had a total budget of 8 million euros.
