Advancing Research & Innovation of FORTH in Green Soft Matter

A broad range of widely used industrial products, consist of complex Soft Matter systems (polymers, colloids, emulsions, etc.) made-up of synthetic ingredients of high environmental footprint.

Urgent societal needs, embodied in the European Green Deal, require the replacement of synthetic components by Green, environmentally-friendly counterparts.

The transition to Green materials is of vital importance for the transformation towards a sustainable eco-friendly production and a highly needed circular economy and sustainable growth.FORGREENSOFT aims at advancing the Research Capacity of FORTH in the area of Green, bio-based soft materials by transferring knowledge from three world-leading Institutions in the field of Green Chemistry (Max Planck of Colloids and Interfaces) as well as in specific experimental and computational methods (Max Planck for Polymer Research and University of Vienna).

The later are vital in a leading research activity in Green Soft matter, but are lacking in the Host Institute.

FORGREENSOFT research objectives will be achieved by a well-balanced training and personnel exchange program as well as a collaborative research program focusing on two key applications: Green antifouling coatings and water desalination membranes.

In parallel, FORGREENSOFT aims at enhancing the networking activities of FORTH and improving its capacity to successfully participate in a wider range of EU calls, to attract industrial funding, and to promote innovation.

These objectives will be reached by transferring expertise from the leading partners, via the training of FORTHs personnel in soft skills, and by local restructuring measures such as the creation of an Industry-Academia Liaison office focused on Green Soft Matter applications.

Moreover, the leading partners will benefit by establishing new scientific collaborations with FORTH on promising research directions, and by extending their expertise in fields, in which FORTH has an established research record.