2nd Open Innovation Workshop
Second workshop
18th September 2025 (11:30-15:30 CEST)
@NanoInnovation 2025, Rome / online
Interested in latest innovations in multifunctional and advanced materials?
REPOXYBLE second Open Innovation Workshop addressed this topic sharing insights with experts from large industries, SMEs, startups, and research organizations involved in material design and manufacturing.
As part of the NanoInnovation 2025 Conference and Exhibition, the event is co-organized by REPOXYBLE, its partner AIRI, and ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development). It is titled High-performance multifunctional materials in aerospace, automotive and energy, divided into two parts:
- Multifunctional, high performance, recyclable composite materials, led by REPOXYBLE
- Advanced materials and processes for Additive manufacturing, led by ENEA
Part 1 (11:30 – 13:00)
Composite materials display enhanced physical and chemical properties, allowing for lightweight tailored physical-chemical properties, thus multi-functional and high performant even in extreme applications. The versatility of these advanced materials finds applications in various sectors.
Introducing biobased components, developing more efficient processes, exploring reuse and recycling technologies are some of the most innovative routes explored in the field. Starting from the experience of the Horizon Europe Repoxyble Project (www.repoxyble.eu) the session will highlight case studies, as well as will discuss the importance of managing IPR issues to facilitate public-private cooperation in the field.
Part 2 (14:00 – 15:30)
Additive manufacturing technologies (AM) are constantly growing over the recent years and can be considered competitive with traditional manufacturing processes for applications characterized by low production volumes, high levels of customization and complex geometries.
Advanced 3D printing technologies and related products, based on innovative and high-performance materials (metals, ceramics, techno-polymers), are emerging as very promising solutions in key industrial sectors, i.e.aerospace, automotive, energy, biomedical. The relationship between microstructure and final properties of 3D-printed components is of paramount importance to unlock the full potential of AM.
Highlights
Trough REPOXYBLE experience, the morning section discussed the most innovative routes explored in advanced materials, such as the introduction of biobased components, the development of more efficient processes, and the exploration of reuse and recycling technologies. In addition, the importance of managing IPR issues to facilitate public-private cooperation in the field has been highlighted.
Claudio Voto from DAC (Campania Aerospace District) and REPOXYBLE partner opened the session presenting the application of composites in Urban Air Mobility platforms, one of the possible REPOXYBLE applications. Then, the coordinator Elvira Villaro from Avanzare Innovación Tecnológica gave an overview of REPOXYBLE, focusing on Safe and Sustainable by Design additives for multifunctional composites. She has been followed by the partners Ainhoa Chivite from ONYRIQ, diving into chemically recyclable thermosets based on cleavable hardeners, and Paul Spencer from Gurit, talking on the upscaling and adoption of bio-based closed-loop chemically recyclable epoxy composites.
Finally, Christian Bilotta from Bugnion spot the light on IPR issues in collaborative research project, presenting best practises to go from research to engineering and commercialization.
In the afternoon section, Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies has been outlined as a growing market that can now compete with traditional manufacturing processes for applications characterized by low production volumes, high levels of customization and complex geometries. Speakers dived into emerging technologies to fully unlock AM potential, like advanced 3D printing and innovative and high-performance materials (metals, ceramics, techno-polymers), in key industrial sectors like aerospace, automotive, energy, biomedical.
Simone Cuscito, from Roboze Italia, talked about advanced polymer science for regulated industries; Sergio Galvagno, from the co-organizer ENEA, presented advanced method to produce high-quality AM powders; Daniele Tonetti, Akshay Ashok Benni, and Barbara Previtali, from Polytechnic of Milano, discussed laser metal deposition of a novel construction steel and sensor integration; Leonardo Fransesini, from RINA Consulting, talked about development and optimization of novel alloys; finally, Daniele Mirabile Gattia, also from ENEA, discussed additive manufacturing of metal alloys for sustainable applications.
Learnings and outcomes
The integration of innovative materials into existing value chains and industrial ecosystem, the application of advanced production technologies, and the protection of knowledge has been identified as a strategic focus for the competitiveness of European industry, in line with the challenges of sustainability, digitalisation and security. Thus, collaboration along the value chain is fundamental, and in a framework of circularity should also be open to actors from other sectors: advanced materials must be designed to be multifunctional, for adapting to different needs and sectors, and recyclable, for recovery and reuse of raw materials both in primary market and in secondary market.
It is a paradigm shift strengthen by advanced manufacturing innovation, like Additive Manufacturing, which allows improved production efficiency and flexibility, as well as materials quality and performance; AM is rapidly expanding its application, even concerning printing complex geometries on a large scale (e.g., in the field of architecture) and the defence sector.
To round off the technical discussion, intellectual property management importance has been addressed to ensure the industrial exploitation of innovations, highlighting the need to establish between partners agreements consistent with European guidelines and appropriate protection strategies.
