Projects

Game-Changing MXene-Assembled Nanomaterials for Data Storage
Year: 2026 - 2030
The demand for advanced data storage is skyrocketing due to unprecedented growth of digital information, energy constraints, and cybersecurity concerns. We propose a scalable, robust, and cost-effective technology for the production of materials through the knowledge-based design of high-entropy MXenes, streamlined synthesis of MXenes functionalized Potassium Sodium Niobate(KNN) ceramics by controllable energy-efficient self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, and development of multilevel encoding technique leveraging different discretized signal intensity and temporal levels. For the first time, we propose a sustainable, clean and high-tech approach to production of HEMXenes added KNN for optical data storage, optical switchers and anticounterfeiting technologies. Integrating luminescence with photochromic properties presents an advanced approach for high-density, multi-level, and rewritable data storage. We provide a rational route from basic research to engineered applications.
Engineering Academy
Year: 2023 - 2029
The Engineering Academy is a project initiated by the Ministry of Education and Research and funded by the European Social Fund, with the goal of improving the quality of engineering education and reducing the labor shortage in technical fields. The project is led by the Education and Youth Board and is joined by five higher education institutions. The Engineering Academy includes 22 engineering-related study programs, of which ten have been selected as priority focus programs for development. The project has three focus areas: • Increasing the number of applicants • Improving the quality of education and Increasing alignment with labor market needs • Reducing dropout rates The Technical University has set a goal to increase admissions in the field of engineering by 15% each year. To improve the quality of education, the action plan includes a significant expansion of project-based and problem-based learning, curriculum development, quality enhancement, and infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, lecturers’ training and the recruitment of teaching assistants are planned. To reduce dropout rates, individual support for students will be increased, both during the first year and when completing their final theses. First-year students will also be offered additional mathematics courses. The goal is to significantly reduce dropout rates and increase the number of graduates.
New generation of bioactive laser textured Ti/HAp implants
Year: 2023 - 2026
Visible effects of society’s ageing is the reported increase in the necessity of orthopaedic implants boosting to a huge economical market. For a successful integration of any implant, bone regeneration, osseointegration at the interface bone and implant as well as mitigating inflammatory events are crucial aspects. The project aims at extending the biocompatibility and tribo-mechanical performance associated with a lifetime of surgical implants based on Titanium (Ti). The hypothesis states combining Ti alloy with hydroxyapatite (HAp), and medically active components (drug delivery function) in order to obtain excellent biomaterial supporting bone growth and eliminating the problem of loosening of the implant by its integration with bone. The project goes beyond the state-of-the-art by laser surface treatment, opening the underlying porosity improving the cell transport and cell growth. The result implant biomaterial, will reduce the number of removal surgeries in the future.
Development of a Semi-Industrial Prototype of a Separation–Grinding System for Clothing, Textile and Footwear Waste to Increase Recycling Potential in Estonia
Year: 2025 - 2026
The objective of the project is to develop a semi-industrial prototype of a milling and separation technology for the treatment of clothing, textile, and footwear waste, including waste streams containing plastic and metal fittings. The project scales up laboratory-developed technologies to semi-industrial level and establishes infrastructure for continuous process optimisation. The broader aim of the project is to support the principles of the circular economy, increase the value of textile waste, and advance research and development results toward a market-ready technology. The planned activities include engineering design, the development and integration of mechanical components, testing with various types of waste materials (including clothing, leather, plastics, and wool), as well as the evaluation of the technology’s reliability and separation performance. The creation of the prototype will help translate research outputs into practical application and will prepare the groundwork for subsequent technology licensing or product development.