Sustainability has traditionally been a prioritized area for the surface treatment industry and today this type of initiatives is often handled as individual, separate projects, in small constellations. However, with the increased need for a rapid change and transition to meet the climate challenge, a more efficient approach is required. Therefore, an initiative has been taken to create a competence center for a sustainable surface treatment industry: SurfCenter.
A planning project is now underway where we invite you to an open workshop in April, where interested parties are welcome to participate and shape the center.
A long-term excellent research environment
During 2021, RISE initiated an effort to set-up a competence center for a sustainable surface treatment industry: SurfCenter. The SurfCenter initiative understands a competence center as a group of actors, with a common vision and strategic idea for building a long-term excellent research environment where the results can be shared between the parties and promote the creation of new innovations.
– The purpose with SurfCenter is, by a comprehensive effort, to overcome the sustainability challenges faced by the surface treatment industry with a long-term perspective of ten years. This applies to economic as well as social and ecological challenges, says Charlotte Ireholm, researcher at RISE who leads the work with SurfCenter.
The foundation for the center is emerging
The first step in creating the SurfCenter was the approval of planning grants in the form of funding from Vinnova to run a one-year planning project1 with the aim of building a consortium and developing the competence center’s ideas for a sustainable long-term competence center.
– The planning project is expected to result in a competitive application for the upcoming Vinnova call for the Competence Center, which opens in the autumn of 2022. During the first half of the planning project, we will lay the foundation for the center by identifying the surface treatment industry’s common challenges and building a strong consortium, says Charlotte.
During the second half of the year, the work will focus on defining and conceptualizing the competence center and writing the application to Vinnova.
Planning workshop in April
– Building a competence center is a major task that requires an interdisciplinary group representative from companies and research organizations who can define a vision and a strategy for the center. Therefore, we invite everyone interested to participate in a first planning workshop for SurfCenter which will be held on April 21, 2022 in Mölndal, says Charlotte.
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