40. Call Production of the Future, Cooperation Austria – Chinese Academy of Sciences, China (7th bilateral call with CAS)

FFG is prepared to provide selected Cooperative R&D Projects with financial support for a maximum of 3 years. The total call budget for the Austrian project partners is EUR 1 million (equivalent to around CNY 7,8 million). The funding amount for Austrian partners in a joint project must be between EUR 100.000 and EUR 1.000.000. The budget provided by FFG can only be used to cover costs related to the project parts carried out by the Austrian project partners. The funding regulations for Austrian project partners are laid down in the respective call documents.

The Cooperative R&D Projects must address at least one of the following topics

• Nano materials for thermal management (including thermal insulation, thermal transferring and thermal storage) in 5G era and related new energy applications
• Nanomaterials, including sensors, surfaces, electronics and 3D-printing as well as antibacterial and disinfectant nanostructural materials

Deadline for submission to FFG and to CAS

• FFG submission via eCall: July 29th 2021, 12:00 Central European Summer Time (C.E.S.T.)
• CAS submission electronically via CAS ARP system: July 29th 2021, 18:00 China Standard Time (C.S.T.)

Strategic Objectives of the Call

1. Increase the innovation performance of the national manufacturing industry by making better use of collaboration options to solve challenging interdisciplinary tasks, by motivating companies that have so far shown little or no innovation activity and by improving the industry’s access to relevant research expertise available at research institutions and organisations.
2. Built up research expertise in research institutions by establishing and expanding research and teaching capacities (e.g. through the establishment of endowed professorships).
3. Strengthen European and international collaborations and networks  by participating in ERA-Nets (European Research Area Networks) relevant to the manufacturing industry, by carrying out bilateral calls with selected non-EU countries or by organising research workshops with Austrian stakeholders from the manufacturing industry and production research in selected countries within and outside Europe.

Operative Objectives of the Call – relevant for Austrian participants

Objective 1: Efficient use of resources and raw materials and efficient production technologies
Objective 2: Flexible production
Objective 3: Manufacture of high-quality products

Sustainability

Future-oriented research and development seeks to achieve the current global, national and regional goals that are designed to put us on a path to a sustainable future. The call makes reference to the global Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs) and therefor requires applicants to address the key sustainability goals to which the proposed project makes a concrete positive contribution. General information on sustainability is available in the Call Guideline (see below) and on the FFG website (http://www.ffg.at/nachhaltigkeit-kriterien).