• Partners Information ...
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, France
    • The laboratory for "Aggregates, Interfaces and Materials for Energy" (directed by Dr. D. Jones)of the Institute Charles Gerhardt, is a joint CNRS-University Montpellier 2 research unit, labelled as a Carnot Institute by the French Ministry of Research in recognition of its very high quality levelcollaborative research with industry.
    Since the early days of the European JOULE projects this group, currently comprising 12 staff members and 10 post-docs and doctoral students, has contributed to novel approaches to intermediate and high temperature fuel cell membranes, and to the development of new concepts for hybrid and composite membranes, as well as to the understanding of degradation mechanisms leading to membrane and MEA failure.
    The group has participated in FP6 IPHE-GENIE, CARISMA and Autobrane, in which Dr D. Jones was coordinator of the Membranes sub-project, and Coordinator of the CARISMA European Coordination Action on High Temperature Membrane Electrode Assemblies. These projects all ended in 2009. The group is a partner in French national projects on polymer, composite, and proton ceramic membranes, and their ageing phenomena, and in FCH-JU contract KEEPEMALIVE. This laboratory initiated and organises the international conference series "Progress on materials for medium and high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells". There are recent excellent collaborations with CNRITAE and FuMA-Tech through Autobrane and CARISMA.
  • Funktionelle Membranen und Anlagentechnologie GmbH (FUMATECH, Germany
    • FUMATECH-Tech Functional Membranes and Plant Technology combines the important tasks of providing energy and water, and is a member of BWT-AG best-watertechnology, the leading water technology group in Europe. FUMATECH-Tech is engaged in the fields of battery and fuel cell and membrane separation technologies. The company has more than 15 years experience in polymer and membrane production and in membrane separation technology. From a technological viewpoint, FUMATECH-Tech has comprehensive skills that range from the synthesis of raw and auxiliary materials, to their conversion to membranes and their application in industrial membrane separation plants. Polymer synthesis, manufacturing experience in membrane production as well as the operation of these membranes in industrial products have provided the know-how for the development and serial production of proton-conductive polymers and membranes for all known electro-membrane applications including electrodialysis, acid and base dialysis, electrolysis, batteries and fuel cells.
    The main area of FUMATECH-Tech's competence lies at the heart of the fuel cell, namely the proton-conductive membrane, FUMATECHpem®. The fuel cell strategy of FUMATECH-Tech is to supply all fuel cell industries with (a) ionomers in bulk powder or solution, (b) membranes from fluorinated ionomers, nonfluorinated ionomers and hybrid organic-inorganic composites for electrolysis, hydrogen fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells. Furthermore, As the sole supplier worldwide, FUMATECH-Tech currently offers a range of highly efficient fuel cell membranes based on conventional fluorocarbon polymers fumion® F, and newly developed, modern, recyclable hydrocarbon polymer compounds Fumion®.
  • Centro Ricerche FIAT (CRF), Italy
    • Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF) was established in 1976 to fulfil the innovation,research and development needs expressed by FIAT Group.
    CRF uses innovation as strategic lever and attributes value to the achieved results promoting,developing and transferring the innovative content which raises the product competitiveness. The development of effective, creative and competitive costs solutions is matched with the technology transfer realised by the training of experts. From this perspective, CRF supports the technological growth of Fiat Group, of its partners and of the Regions, in sectors related to vehicles and components, energy, environmentally friendly and safe mobility. Priority areas of R&D at CRF include Energy and Environment, Safety and Well-Being and Sustainable Growth. The core competence of CRF is centred on land transportation: advanced vehicles and propulsion systems, innovative components with associated manufacturing processes and methodologies for product development. Besides the competences of the people working there, CRF offers several fully equipped labs (EMC, noise, laser, optoelectronics and micro- and nanotechnologies, fluidodynamics, engines test and virtual reality). CRF is located close to Torino (Orbassano) but it's active in Italy by its 4 branches (Bari, Catania, Trento e Foggia) and controls a company in Udine as well. CRF currently has approximately 980 employees. It cooperates with more than 750 industrial partners and 150 Universities all around the world. The Group Materials Labs of CRF have the mission of monitoring of the knowledge base and application of materials, including research and innovation activities and choices taken during product development and maintenance. Nanomaterials department has a permanent staff of 30 researchers having a widescope expertise on chemistry, physics, material science and engineering, electronics, molecular biology and computer science.