NewSkin OITB partner Antonio Rinaldi (NanoFaber) represented NewSkin OITB at Euro Nano Forum 2023 in Lund, Sweden. Euro Nano Forum is a major European conference on nanotechnologies and advanced materials, and provides a platform for scientists, researchers, policymakers, and industry representatives to discuss and exchange ideas on nanotechnology-related topics. The 2023 program is available here and you can still register (here) to see the keynotes.  In addition to key role of Advanced materials, nanotechnologies, and manufacturing for a sustainable and resilient Europe helping to meet key challenges (Green Energy: Clean tech and the Net-Zero Industry Act, Healthcare, Chips & semiconductors, Chemicals, Graphene and 2D materials, Quantum, Sustainable Packaging, Research and Technology Infrastructures), there was a focus on ‘Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)’ in Euro Nano Forum 2023.

NewSkin partner Nanofaber, presented a poster on their latest NewSkin OITB work in cooperation with colleagues from ENEA, NewSkin partners: Leitat and Technion and NewSkin facility user SPNano. The poster title is “Nanocoatings And Nano-Enabled Materials For Sustainability And Health – Demo Cases From The NewSkin OITB Project And From The «Microsponge» Drug Delivery Platform”. In this work, the research team presented their approach to rationale design and manufacturing of electrospun membranes of polysulfone (PSU) optimised via combinatorial factorial design tests and functionalised via an antimicrobial silver (Ag) nanocoating technology developed with ENEA. The results show the nanocoated membrane to have highly effective antimicrobial resistance to Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, applicable to improving antifouling behaviour and increasing the service life of these membranes in ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis water treatment. The amount of Ag used to create a percolating and conformal antibacterial network around the PSU microfibers is among the tiniest ever reported in literature.

As part of the NewSkin facilities, the Nanofaber team bring their expertise in advanced manufacturing and coating making via Electrospinning. Nanofaber acts as a technology provider in the field of functional nano-coatings, developing electrospinning and coating methods for anti-fouling resistance and durability of membranes. In the NewSkin facilities, newly designed membranes can be furthered enhanced in collaboration with other NewSkin partners, e.g. using plasma by Leitat, and rigorously evaluated in a wide range of scenarios by Technion in their NewSkin test facility for membranes used in, e.g., desalination, water purification, water-energy nexus and clean energy. Other NewSkin partners, e.g. GVFiltri, are able to support in prototyping and testing standard or custom cartridge module based on innovative membrane technologies that are scalable.

Thus, the EU-funded NewSkin Open Innovation Test Bed project is offering unique pilot scale prototyping, upscaling, and testing facilities as well as route to market services, and access to investors, to SMEs, start-ups, research labs and industry to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative nano-surface and membrane materials and technology across Europe. You can apply for access to this and other NewSkin Open Innovation Test Bed facilities through NewSkin OITB, more details on the services available on platform.NewSkin-OITB.eu.

The NewSkin services offered are expected to speed-up the launch of novel nanomaterials and membranes, and commercial or personal products using these advanced materials, to boost efficiency and to support industry, especially SMEs, in better and faster development of their products. To enquire about tailoring NewSkin OITB services to your particular application, please contact the team on info@NewSkin-OITB.eu. Applicants can request an NDA before discussions - please email info@NewSkin-OITB.eu to arrange this. You can sign up here to the NewSkin platform to keep up-to-date with the Open Innovation Test Bed.