SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ - KRAKOWSKI INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGICZNY

Their core work

Part of Poland's Łukasiewicz Research Network, this Krakow-based institute works on advanced high-temperature materials — developing, processing, and characterizing metallic alloys and composites designed to operate under extreme thermal and mechanical stress. Their documented H2020 work covers two complementary fronts: solid-state energy conversion materials (thermoelectrics and related devices) and oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys processed through additive manufacturing routes. In practice, they contribute materials science knowledge — from computational modelling to corrosion and oxidation testing — within international research consortia. Their work sits at the intersection of metallurgy, process engineering, and computational materials science.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first documented H2020 project (AMADEUS, 2017-2019), the institute worked on broad ultra-high temperature materials for energy storage and solid-state conversion devices — no specific processing method was highlighted. By their second project (topAM, 2021-2024), their focus had sharpened considerably: the emphasis moved to additive manufacturing as the processing route of choice, with ODS alloys as the specific material class and corrosion resistance as a key performance target. The trajectory is a narrowing from general high-temperature materials science toward a specific combination of advanced processing (AM) plus advanced alloy systems (ODS), backed by computational modelling.

They are building a focused niche in additively manufactured ODS alloys for extreme-environment applications — a combination that is directly relevant to aerospace, energy generation turbines, and advanced manufacturing sectors seeking heat-resistant structural components.

How they like to work

This institute participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, suggesting they prefer to contribute specialist materials expertise within larger, externally-led research teams. With 21 unique partners across 2 projects, their consortia are mid-to-large in size, consistent with Research and Innovation Actions that draw on distributed European expertise. There is no sign of repeated partnerships, indicating they are comfortable engaging with new networks rather than relying on a closed circle of familiar collaborators.

The institute has collaborated with 21 unique partners across 8 countries through just 2 projects, reflecting dense, well-connected consortia typical of RIA-funded materials research. Their geographic spread covers multiple European countries, though the data does not reveal a dominant partner nation.

What sets them apart

Within Poland's Łukasiewicz Research Network — Europe's third-largest applied research organisation — this Krakow institute occupies a specific niche in metallic high-temperature materials and their advanced processing, rather than the broader applied engineering remit typical of the network's other institutes. Their combination of ODS alloy expertise and additive manufacturing process knowledge is uncommon: most AM research focuses on conventional alloys, while most ODS research focuses on conventional powder metallurgy, making their intersection a genuine differentiator. For consortium builders targeting turbine components, fusion energy materials, or aerospace thermal protection systems, they bring both experimental characterisation and computational modelling under one roof.

Highlights from their portfolio

• topAM
  Represents the institute's most technically specific and recent work — bridging ODS alloy metallurgy with additive manufacturing, a combination with direct industrial relevance to turbine and high-temperature structural component makers.
• AMADEUS
  Their largest single EC grant (EUR 375,000) and entry point into H2020, covering next-generation materials for ultra-high temperature energy storage and conversion — a broad platform that established their European research credentials.