Imagine if your high-tech lab equipment worked like a Lego set, where you could swap out specialized parts easily to see things at an atomic level. Instead of buying a whole new machine for every different experiment, this project creates a universal 'plug-and-play' system for electron microscopes. It allows scientists to move samples between different types of scanners without losing precious data.
Current electron microscopes are often rigid, making it difficult to combine different analysis methods or move samples between machines without damage. This slows down R&D in high-stakes sectors like energy and health.
A standardized, cartridge-based platform (e-CAT) for TEMs, new electron source prototypes, adaptive optics, and AI-driven remote access software.
If you are a battery manufacturer dealing with degradation in new electrode materials — this project developed in-situ sample environments that allow you to watch materials behave in real-time. This helps you identify exactly why a battery fails at the atomic scale.
If you are a biotech company dealing with the precise structure of nano-carriers — this project developed e-CAT cartridges that enable correlative experiments across different instruments. This ensures your drug delivery particles are mapped accurately across multiple scales.
If you are a chip designer dealing with microscopic defects in circuitry — this project developed new electron source prototypes and adaptive optics. This provides higher brightness and clearer imaging to spot flaws that current commercial microscopes miss.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, as the solutions are being co-created through a Pre-Commercial Procurement process.
The project aims to deliver solutions at technology readiness level 8, which indicates a high level of readiness for industrial integration and use.
Based on available project data, the project uses a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) model to co-create solutions with companies, though specific licensing terms are not detailed.
The project focuses on creating a standardized platform based on common interfaces to ensure interoperability, though specific installation timelines are not listed.
The project period runs from 2023-02-01 to 2028-01-31, suggesting full availability toward the end of this window.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring 25 partners across 12 countries. With an industry ratio of 24% (6 companies, including 5 SMEs), there is a strong link between the 11 research organizations and the market. The involvement of 7 universities ensures a pipeline of trained personnel to operate the new TRL 8 systems.
Contact the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Italy.
Contact us to identify the specific SMEs winning the PCP tenders for e-CAT cartridges.
