The ISSP UL is proud to announce the launch of Smart Windows for Zero Energy Buildings (SWEB), a new initiative to establish a high-quality researcher and expert team by synergistically merging chromogenic smart windows materials and complementary competencies at ISSP UL and bridging the gap between research and technology transfer, as well as provide a significant contribution to the efficient and sustainable energy use.
The project aims to develop world-leading research on functional materials and their SWEB applications, advance teaching capacity and foster institutional governance changes towards excellence and sustainability.
ISSP UL believes the SWEB project will positively impact research excellence, the visibility of the institute and the attractiveness of Latvia to technology investors. In addition, these ambitious research and innovation goals aimed at developing the new generation of chromogenic smart windows will lay the foundations for further technical development and innovative production of SWEB in other regions of the EU. In addition, society as a whole will benefit from excellent job opportunities for specialists, attracting youth to prestigious technology, engineering-oriented higher education and creating a bridge between research and development.
ISSP UL’s Thin Film Laboratory is committed to providing the ERA team led by outstanding researcher Dr. Smagul Karazhanov with the resources and support necessary to ensure the success of the SWEB project. To this end, the laboratory, led by Prof. Dr. Juris Purans, has assembled a core team of experts to successfully implement the project within five years.
The project received much attention beyond academic society due to the EU’s broad perspective on climate-neutral development and Green Deal. Thus, SWEB was endorsed by the Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, whose representatives took part in the kick-off meeting on the 26th of January 2023 at the ISSP UL. Minister of Economics Ilze Indriksone, in her video message, also emphasized the broad prospects of the project’s mission and its “importance for the common further development of the country”.
The introductory part of the event was followed by the first meeting of the SWEB project steering committee, during which ISSP UL management, the SWEB project team and steering committee members, Prof. Dr. Aline Rougier (CNRS - Centre national de la recherche scientifique, France) and Dr. Volker Sittinger (Fraunhofer Institute, Germany) discussed project’s roadmap, highlighting opportunities to establish strong collaboration with industrial partners across European Union.
The project is funded by the European Union (#101087367).
