The ACORN consortium consists of three research partners (TWI, CTC and the University ofGothenburg) and four SME partners. The research partners will develop the new coatings and the SME partners will be commercialising the technology.
The foreground IPR generated in the project will be owned by the SME participants, thus ensuring that added value is realised by them either through supply of coatings or by license revenue from global partners. Hence, the project is strongly aligned to the purpose and scope of FP7 Research for the Benefit of SMEs.
ACORN Consortium Members enjoying a Lab Tour at CTC in Santander after their March Progress Meeting
The research partners have been selected for the background expertise in the various technologies required to develop the ACORN coatings:
· TWI Ltd is a private research and technology organisation. TWI has been conducting research in thermally sprayed aluminium (TSA) coatings for the oil and gas industry several decades, and is a leading authority in thermal spray coatings technology and TSA in particular.
· Professor Elwing’s research team at the University of Gothenburg has been researching anti-fouling coatings for over 15 years, and has been active in developing environmentally friendly post-settlement-inhibition (PSI) antifouling materials.
· CTC is a privately funded research and technology organisation with the necessary expertise in materials and modelling for selecting, testing and validating the cavitation resistant coatings. TWI will deposit the selected coatings for CTC.
The SME partners have the necessary technical and market background to effectively commercialise the new coating technologies to be developed within the project:
· Wave Dragon is has developed a pioneering large scale ocean energy solution for bulk electricity generation, and has an interest in cavitation resistant coatings for future wave generator designs.
· Tocardo Tidal Turbines is a producer of tidal and free-flow water turbines, and has an interest in cavitation resistant coatings for its future wave tidal designs.
· Alphatek Hyperformance Coatings Limited, founded in 1993, offers thermal spray and other coatings services to a wide range of industries. Alphatek has in-depth knowledge and experience of delivering TSA and other coatings to many industries including the offshore industry.
· DEGIMA, established in 1997, is a large SME that specialises in the technical management and execution of welding and boiler making projects. Degima works in the industrial, civil, maritime, naval and energy sectors.