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metal-powder.net January 2007 M P R 11 Euro opportunity knocks for research institutes WITH budgets always under pressure, institutions that engage in applied research are always seeking sources of funds. Germany’s Fraunhofer has glanced toward the European Union’s coffers for inspiration. The EU revenue of the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft has risen from 32 million to roughly 47 million over the past three years. The EU will invest even more in research activities in the course of its 7th Research Framework Program. A large amount will go to applied research. “The 6th Research Framework Program was an unmitigated success for Fraunhofer institutes,” says Cathérine Gröger at the Fraunhofer Brussels office. “The 7th Research Framework Program will have an even higher budget for applied research topics.” The European Commission in Brussels has been granted a total of 54.5 bil- lion, which are to be invested in research and development over the next seven years. This constitutes an increase of 40 per cent. The 7th Research Framework Program, FP7, is divided into four major categories: “ideas”, or cutting-edge research, “people” – measures to pro- mote training and mobility, “capacities” – which includes fostering research in small and medium-sized companies, and “co-operation”, the general heading for collaborative research. Roughly two thirds of the total budget – 32 billion - has been made available for the co- operation program. “This distribution of funds shows how important applied research is to the Commission,” says Ms Gröger. The program’s “co-operation” cat- egory offers a wealth of new project opportunities for Fraunhofer, and prob- ably for others. The topics covered in the 7th Research Framework Program range from life sciences to information and communications technology, nanote- chnology, energy and the environment, and security research. “Many of these research areas were already funded in the previous Research Framework Program. “Continuity is an important ele- ment. This is good news for the research- ers who were actively involved in the 6th Research Framework Program, as they can now build on their experience and contacts” she says. “Continuity will play a particular role in the various promotion instruments: As before, there will be networks of excel- lence as well as research projects, and latter ones will be drawn together in collaborative projects.” Ms Gröger also regards the extension of the program duration as a positive development. The FP7 covers a period of seven years instead of the previous four. There will also be more money available this time, with non-profit research organisations such as Fraunhofer being granted 75 per cent of project costs in future, rather than the former 50 per cent. EPMA appoints new technical director THE European Powder Metallurgy Association has appointed a new techni- cal director. Olivier Coube will take up his new job on March first to begin a two-month handover from the outgoing technical director, Peter Brewin, who retires on April 30. EPMA executive director, Jonathan Wroe, said: “The EPMA Council and Secretariat are looking forward to working with Dr Coube, who has been involved in the association’s activities over a number of years.” A PhD engineer with 12 years’ experi- ence of research and development of powder forming processes, Dr Coube (37) has managed numerous projects with European industrial partners and since 1998 has been active in European Networks in the PM field. He is currently working for Plansee in Austria, where he is co-ordinator for PM development projects supported by numerical simula- tion for the three divisions of the Plansee Group – Plansee (high performance materials) Ceratizit (hardmetals and tools) and PMG (formerly Sinterstahl; fer- rous structural parts). Olivier Coube is a French national and studied for his first degree and doctorate at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and at the Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik in Freiburg. His thesis on Modelling and numerical simulation of powder die compaction with consideration of cracking took a distinction with the panel awarding the highest French honour - Trés honourable avec félications du jury. One distinction earns another, and Dr Coube also has a Doctorate of the European Community (Doctor Communitatis Europae). The quality of the PhD thesis however was only one factor, for the award was also an acknowledgement of his involve- mentof his activities in both France and Germany during his research . Fluent in three languages, he enjoys swimming, jogging and tennis and is fond of historical strategic games. Of his decision to apply for the post with the EPMA he said: “The position of technical director is for me both a logical evolu- tion of my career and an exciting challenge because I want to be part of the adventure of the PM community at a level where I can bring synergies together. “I very much enjoyed being involved in PM Modnet and later as a working group leader in the Dienet Network. It gave me the opportunity to second Peter Brewin in his co-ordination tasks in the network and to have an overview of the job of techni- cal director in this context. So when Peter announced his intention to retire this spring, it was a natural decision to apply.” Olivier Coube

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Page 1: Euro opportunity knocks for research institutes

metal-powder.net January 2007 MPR 11

Euro opportunity knocksfor research institutesWITH budgets always under pressure, institutions that engage in applied research are always seeking sources of funds. Germany’s Fraunhofer has glanced toward the European Union’s coffers for inspiration.

The EU revenue of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has risen from �32 million to roughly �47 million over the past three years. The EU will invest even more in research activities in the course of its 7th Research Framework Program. A large amount will go to applied research.

“The 6th Research Framework Program was an unmitigated success for Fraunhofer institutes,” says Cathérine Gröger at the Fraunhofer Brussels office. “The 7th Research Framework Program will have an even higher budget for applied research topics.”

The European Commission in Brussels has been granted a total of �54.5 bil-lion, which are to be invested in research and development over the next seven

years. This constitutes an increase of 40 per cent. The 7th Research Framework Program, FP7, is divided into four major categories: “ideas”, or cutting-edge research, “people” – measures to pro-mote training and mobility, “capacities” – which includes fostering research in small and medium-sized companies, and “co-operation”, the general heading for collaborative research. Roughly two thirds of the total budget – �32 billion - has been made available for the co-operation program. “This distribution of funds shows how important applied research is to the Commission,” says Ms Gröger.

The program’s “co-operation” cat-egory offers a wealth of new project opportunities for Fraunhofer, and prob-ably for others. The topics covered in the 7th Research Framework Program range from life sciences to information and communications technology, nanote-chnology, energy and the environment,

and security research. “Many of these research areas were already funded in the previous Research Framework Program. “Continuity is an important ele-ment. This is good news for the research-ers who were actively involved in the 6th Research Framework Program, as they can now build on their experience and contacts” she says.

“Continuity will play a particular role in the various promotion instruments: As before, there will be networks of excel-lence as well as research projects, and latter ones will be drawn together in collaborative projects.” Ms Gröger also regards the extension of the program duration as a positive development. The FP7 covers a period of seven years instead of the previous four. There will also be more money available this time, with non-profit research organisations such as Fraunhofer being granted 75 per cent of project costs in future, rather than the former 50 per cent.

EPMA appoints new technical directorTHE European Powder Metallurgy Association has appointed a new techni-cal director. Olivier Coube will take up his new job on March first to begin a two-month handover from the outgoing technical director, Peter Brewin, who retires on April 30.

EPMA executive director, Jonathan Wroe, said: “The EPMA Council and Secretariat are looking forward to working with Dr Coube, who has been involved in the association’s activities over a number of years.”

A PhD engineer with 12 years’ experi-ence of research and development of powder forming processes, Dr Coube (37) has managed numerous projects with European industrial partners and since 1998 has been active in European Networks in the PM field. He is currently working for Plansee in Austria, where he is co-ordinator for PM development projects supported by numerical simula-tion for the three divisions of the Plansee Group – Plansee (high performance materials) Ceratizit (hardmetals and

tools) and PMG (formerly Sinterstahl; fer-rous structural parts).

Olivier Coube is a French national and studied for his first degree and doctorate at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and at the Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik in Freiburg. His thesis on Modelling and numerical simulation of powder die compaction with consideration of cracking took a distinction with the panel awarding the highest French honour - Trés honourable avec félications du jury. One distinction earns another, and Dr Coube also has a Doctorate of the European Community (Doctor Communitatis Europae). The quality of the PhD thesis however was only one factor, for the award was also an acknowledgement of his involve-mentof his activities in both France and Germany during his research .

Fluent in three languages, he enjoys swimming, jogging and tennis and is fond of historical strategic games. Of his decision to apply for the post with the EPMA he said: “The position of

technical director is for me both a logical evolu-tion of my career and an exciting challenge because I want to be part of the adventure of the PM community at a level where I can bring synergies together.

“I very much enjoyed being involved in PM Modnet and later as a working group leader in the Dienet Network. It gave me the opportunity to second Peter Brewin in his co-ordination tasks in the network and to have an overview of the job of techni-cal director in this context. So when Peter announced his intention to retire this spring, it was a natural decision to apply.”

Olivier Coube