The international Functional Materials and Nanotechnologies – 2020 (FM&NT-2020) conference was postponed in the hope that the global epidemiological situation would improve and it would be possible to hold a traditional or partly digital conference. But it was not meant to be, so this time it was new experience and challenges in organization - an entirely online conference which took place on November 23-26.
Researchers from the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia participated and presented the institute as well as the CAMART2 project. CAMART2 advanced partners – Latvian-Swedish collaboration platform was presented by Dr. Qin Wang.
Within the CAMART2 project a long-term strategic relationship has been established with the Swedish partners - the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE). A strong part of the regional effort was devoted to establishment of a collaboration and technology transfer platform for applied materials physics research and innovation. The platform aims to enable high-tech developments of industries in the region, promote new products and start-up enterprises as well as to strengthen collaboration through close interactions between students, scientists and entrepreneurs.
The Latvian – Swedish collaboration platform increases visibility of involved organizations in the region, broadens networks and facilitates the contact with scientists and stakeholders, increases the number of collaborative projects on research and innovation with academic and industrial partners, makes stronger offers to stakeholders in the region including complementary competences and shared infrastructure as well as attracts public and industrial funds.
Up till now, the collaboration and technology transfer platform has borne fruit in many different ways – an active scientist-to-scientist collaboration, exchange of ideas, workshops and much more. Currently, the Latvian - Swedish consortium consists of 3 participants of the CAMART² project – ISSP UL, KTH and RISE - while in the future, it is planned to expand cooperation with any relevant partner organization, according to the cooperation goals.
The following topics were included in the program of the International FM&NT conference:
- Functional Materials and their properties – synthesis and characterization of advanced inorganic, organic, ionic, hybrid materials and composites;
- Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies – novel methods of design, fabrication techniques and investigation of nanoparticles, nanostructures, 3-D printing, thin film and coating technologies;
- Theory and modelling – multiscale and multiphenomenal material modelling and computer simulations;
- Sustainable energy – novel materials and technologies for renewable and hydrogen energy generation and storage, fuel cells, organic and inorganic photovoltaics, piezoelectrics, thermoelectrics, LEDs, OLEDs.
