SINTEF is named as winner of EARTO Awards 2011

The European Association of Research and Technology Organisations has awarded the Innovation Prize 2011 to SINTEF for the development of a Superconducting Induction Heater. This innovation will be the first commercial application of the 1987 Nobel Prize winning high-temperature superconductor technology, consisting of an energy-saving heater for the metals industry.

The EARTO Innovation prize aims to reward innovations developed by research and technology organisations (RTOs) that show originality, economic or social relevance and practical application and viability.

This year’s winner, the SINTEF Superconducting Induction heater, represents a major breakthrough for establishing superconductors as a key technology for sustainable power engineering. The technology increases energy efficiency by 50% and pushes up productivity by 25% in the production of aluminium parts, making the process faster, cheaper and more energy efficient.

Two other innovations were highly commended by the judging panel. The first, Fast Atomic Layer Desposition (F-ALD) has applications in high-quality thin layer production by increasing desposition rates one hundredfold. The second, Hyperspectral, is a detection system used to determine Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) for recycling purposes, reducing recycling cost and incrementing the value of the materials.

Additionally it was announced that Jan Mengelers has been elected the new President of EARTO. Mengelers is President of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). After his election he thanked his predecessor, Erkki KM Lappävuori, and expressed his belief that the Eurpean Commission's Horizon 2020 proposals would be 'an exciting opportunity'. He said he was honoured to serve as the voice of the 350 RTOs at a time of great challenges for knowledge, technology and innovation.

Click here to access the EARTO website.

Published: Thursday, 8th December 2011 by Ellen Haggan