NanoKTN Announces EADS Innovation Works and the European Space Agency as Keynotes for HiPerNano 2011

Performance engineering industries face the challenges of ensuring product reliability and performance under a range of extreme environments such as temperature, pressure, friction, wear, corrosion, stress and impact. This one-day conference will bring together key players from the automotive, aerospace, energy, security, medical and nanomaterials industries and researchers to raise awareness of new developments in nano-enhanced materials solutions. Showcased technologies will include applications of nanocoatings, nanoparticulates and nanostructuring for metallics, ceramics and polymers.

HiPerNano 2011 will see presentations from industry leaders and renowned academics in the field, including EADS Innovation Works, the European Space Agency, dstl and the Universities of Durham, Loughborough and Southampton, who will discuss ways in which nanotechnology will enable advances in the commercialisation of nano-enhanced materials in extreme environments.

Dr Benjamin Farmer from EADS Innovation Works presented at the launch event of the HiPerNano focus group in 2008 where he described the Airbus strategy toward nanocomposite technologies defined as ‘nano-augmented’, ‘nano-engineered’ and ‘nano-enabled’. This strategy was illustrated by examples of projects running that aimed to improve material performance in extreme environments. Three years later Ben will critique these approaches by making an analysis and comparing the results to nature’s ‘baseline’, before describing a new long-term innovation at EADS Innovation Works.

A series of technology pitches will also update delegates on recent breakthroughs from BHR Group, Exilica, Micro Materials, Oxford Surfaces, Polyfect Solutions and Teer Coatings.

“Nanomaterials are beginning to have a major commercial impact within the performance engineering industries and the NanoKTN is building a UK community where automotive, aerospace, energy, security, medical and nanomaterialsindustries can discuss the benefits of nanomaterials in product reliability and performance under a range of extreme environments such as extreme temperature, pressure, friction, wear, corrosion, stress and impact.” explains Dr Martin Kemp, Theme Manager at NanoKTN.



Kemp continues, “Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the significant role that nano-enhanced materials are now playing in extreme environments and we look forward to the commercialisation of these ideas into viable applications in high performance engineering markets.”



In addition to the technical programme, HiPerNano 2011 will also be operating a partnering service andoffering academic poster presentations and exhibitor slots as both a platform for their ideas and as an opportunity to develop collaborative links with potential business partners.



HiPerNano 2011 is organised by the NanoKTN and supported by Surface Engineering Association, Composites UK, the Institute of Nanotechnology, the Aerospace & Defence KTN, FAC, IOM3 Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Committee, EPNanoNet, International Face, A|D|S Group and the Scottish European Green Energy Centre.



Established by the Technology Strategy Board, the NanoKTN is managed by Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, a leading technology development and consulting company.