Projects

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.

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.

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.

The objective of the project is to conduct a feasibility study on welding in space in cooperation with the European Space Agency and the company Moliri OÜ. This includes the analysis of target materials and joints, a study of human user requirements and control methods, a literature review and comparative analysis of welding processes suitable for the space environment, and the preparation of a preliminary plan for testing, qualification, and validation of welding in space.

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.

The project “Feasibility Study on the Mechanical Recycling of Wind Turbine Blades” addresses the growing environmental and technological challenge related to the increasing volume of end-of-life wind turbine blades. The objective of the project is to study these complex fibre-reinforced composite materials (primarily glass fibres and epoxy resins, as well as metallic fasteners, sensors, and other components) and to assess the feasibility of their mechanical processing and selective separation. The study is primarily focused on demonstrating the fundamental feasibility (proof-of-concept) of mechanical recycling, identifying whether and in which direction further technological development is justified. The project evaluates the applicability of different mechanical treatment and separation methods and establishes an initial methodological basis for future development. The work builds on existing laboratory experience and aims to identify general processing principles and technological potential rather than to develop a final industrial solution. The obtained results will provide guidance for further research and enable the initiation of larger-scale R&D projects aimed at developing integrated recycling technologies and their commercialisation. In the long term, the project contributes to the development of resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable recycling solutions, supporting circular economy principles, creating new value chains, and reducing landfill disposal of composite materials.