Next Technology Tecnotessile (NTT) is a public/private research organisation founded in 1972 and located in the Italian city of Prato (one of the main textile districts in Europe), part of the National Research Register of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), which works for the improvement of technological innovation and the competitiveness of companies at product and process level.
Thus, this GRAPHERGIA partner is a point of reference for the productive world as regards the Research and Development services, and the improvement of competitiveness and innovation, through technological transfer and application of advanced solutions. In GRAPHERGIA, NTT is responsible for the optimization of the fluoropolymer deposition by PE CVD (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition), and is the Work Package 6 (WP6) ‘Life cycle assessment, sustainability and eco-design approach’ leader.
Daniele Spinelli, Project Manager at NTT, explains to us in this interview why they joined the GRAPHERGIA project, his involvement in our initiative and his vision about how graphene materials will revolutionise the European energy market. Keep reading to discover more!
Why did you join the GRAPHERGIA project?
We joined GRAPHERGIA because our organization is involved in innovative solutions for smart and electronic textiles, and we think that graphene-based innovations could support the European industries.
What does your organisation bring to the project? Can you describe your role in GRAPHERGIA?
NTT has a deep knowledge for textile coating methodologies using plasma technologies for surface functionalization. Our main role is related to process optimization conditions and textile properties validation. As the leader of GRAPHERGIA’s WP6 ‘Life cycle assessment, sustainability and eco-design approach’, we have four main WP6 objectives:
- To assess the environmental burdens through the identification/quantification of energy and raw materials, and benefits of material components and processing technologies employed.
- To determine Life Cycle Cost and cost-feasibility of the different stages associated with the development of the target products.
- To identify and assess social aspects and overcome any possible related issues.
- To define an eco-design strategy to minimize future waste in the technological development process.
What expectations do you have for the project from your personal/organisational perspective?
We expect to improve our knowledge for smart clothing development, propose an eco-design approach, and implement and validate the technology demonstrators.
Which impact will GRAPHERGIA have on industry and society in the short and long term?
We will work on the proposed e-textile architectures that will be optimized to combine reliable function for supporting multimodal sensing, and user comfort with emphasis on flexibility, stretchability, washability and aesthetics.
How do you see the power of graphene materials transforming the European energy markets? What benefits can it bring to science, economy and society in general?
Europe is the second largest region in the global graphene market. The European graphene market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 30.7% during the forecast period. The global market size is projected to grow from USD 432.7 million in 2023 to USD 2,957.9 million by 2030. The growing adoption of graphene has led key market players in the region to increase their R&D investments for introducing new products. It has a rising demand from automotive, electronics, aerospace, and other end-use industries due to graphene’s lightweight properties.