NICKEFFECT highlights sustainable innovation in Ni-Based Materials at SICT 2025

NICKEFFECT was represented by its Project Coordinator, Aliona Nicolenco, from CIDETEC, at the 9th International Congress on Surfaces, Coatings, and Interfaces, held from 23 to 25 April in Albufeira, Portugal. The event served as a platform for leading researchers and industry stakeholders to exchange knowledge on the latest developments in surface and coating technologies.

 

On 24 April, during the FreeMe project workshop dedicated to Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) coating solutions, Aliona Nicolenco delivered a keynote presentation titled: “Boosting the Research and Development of Safe and Sustainable-by-Design Ni-Based Materials for Energy Applications”

 

Her presentation highlighted how NICKEFFECT is leveraging advanced modelling tools, digital twin methodologies, and CRA/LCA-LCC analyses to develop high-performance, Ni-based materials for PEM water electrolysers. These efforts are aimed at enhancing material efficiency, reducing reliance on critical raw materials, and enabling industrial scalability — all while supporting Europe’s green energy goals.

 

The FreeMe workshop featured contributions from several Horizon Europe projects addressing sustainable coatings, including FreeMe, NOUVEAU, CoBRAIN, and NICKEFFECT. The session was chaired by Prof Luca Magagnin from Politecnico di Milano, a key partner of the FreeMe project, and included technical presentations and discussions around innovative, SSbD approaches to coatings in various application domains.

 

NICKEFFECT is a proud member of the 4SEE cluster, alongside FreeMe, NOUVEAU, and MOZART — all funded under the CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-01-12 call. This cluster aims to foster synergies between projects working toward more sustainable, efficient, and safe material solutions for European industry.

 

Learn more about the 4SEE cluster in https://nickeffect.eu/4see-cluster/