News Archives — NICKEFFECT

26 Sep

ANSYS at FEMS Euromat 2025 sharing NICKEFFECT progress

ANSYS, a key partner in the NICKEFFECT project, participated in the 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes (FEMS Euromat 2025), held in Granada, Spain, from September 14–18, 2025. The event gathered the materials science community across Europe, and provided an excellent platform for ANSYS representatives, Pascal Salzbrenner and Davide Di Stefano, to present their work, exchange ideas, and foster new connections. Pascal Salzbrenner's presentation focused on the specialized work carried out as part of the NICKEFFECT project. His deep dive into the research garnered significant attention from the audience, leading to several fruitful discussions. The interest expressed by attendees, from both academia and industry, was strong, encompassing both the scientific outcomes of the project and the innovative simulation tools developed during the process. Davide Di Stefano also presented during the congress, contributing further to the dissemination of ANSYS's innovative work in materials and process simulation. While both presentations...

25 Sep

VUB at the 76th ISE Annual Meeting

by Laura Cyrne

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The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a key partner in the NICKEFFECT project, represented the consortium at the 76th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE). Held in Mainz, Germany, from September 7 to 12, 2025, the meeting brought together leading experts to discuss the latest advancements in electrochemical science and technology. Members of VUB’s Sustainable Materials Engineering (SUME) group contributed to the meeting with inspiring talks and posters, showcasing their diverse and crucial expertise in electrochemistry and sustainable materials. A highlight of VUB's presence was the presentation of NICKEFFECT-related research. Parisa Molaei presented a dedicated NICKEFFECT poster detailing "3D current density distribution simulations and experimental studies of electro-deposited porous Ni-W on fiber cloth substrates". This work is vital for the NICKEFFECT project, as it effectively bridges advanced computational modelling with practical experimental results. Understanding the distribution of current density is crucial for optimizing the electro-deposition process, which in turn enhances...

08 Sep

Data Management for Safe and Sustainable Innovation in NICKEFFECT

by Laura Cyrne

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Designing next-generation materials that are not only high-performing but also safe and sustainable is an inherently complex task. It requires navigating a landscape marked by interdisciplinary data, multiple stakeholder needs, regulatory constraints, and the urgency to make early-stage design decisions with lasting consequences. In the NICKEFFECT project, these challenges are being met with a powerful data management and decision support infrastructure designed to foster collaboration, improve traceability, and accelerate safe and sustainable innovation. At the heart of this infrastructure lies a dedicated Materials and Processes Information Management System (M&P IMS), deployed using the Ansys Granta MI platform [1], and a modular Decision Support System (DSS). These tools provide secure, structured access to critical information—ranging from experimental performance data to risk assessments and environmental impacts—enabling researchers, sustainability experts, and regulators to make informed choices throughout the R&D process. [caption id="attachment_7429" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Figure 1. The NICKEFFECT M&P IMS interface accessible via browser with...

28 Aug

Smarter, Faster, More Transparent: Active Learning and AI in Materials Design

by Laura Cyrne

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Materials design remains a very complex challenge in science and engineering, owing to the virtually infinite number of variables such as material composition and synthesis parameters. Traditionally guided by expert intuition and iterative experimentation, the process often involves navigating a multidimensional design space with only fragmentary knowledge, which can be compared to exploring a vast territory with a map that covers only a few percent of the terrain. As a result, identifying optimal material candidates frequently requires extensive trial-and-error, consuming significant time and resources before reaching a viable solution. To accelerate this process, materials scientists are increasingly turning to models based on data to guide their research by prioritizing the next materials to study or synthesis parameters to use. In the last decade, machine learning (ML) has gained popularity in materials design thanks to its efficiency and modularity in using a wide range of datasets, whether theoretical or experimental, large or...

28 Jul

Cracking the Code of Clean Hydrogen

by Laura Cyrne

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How a common metal like Nickel could replace Platinum in electrolysers and accelerate the EU's green transition Imagine trying to replace the world’s best performer with a budget alternative—and not just match it, but get close enough to change the game. That’s the challenge facing scientists working to reduce the use of platinum in hydrogen production. And it’s the bold mission of the Horizon Europe project NICKEFFECT. Why Hydrogen, and why now? Hydrogen is a key pillar of the European Union’s plan to decarbonise its economy and reach climate neutrality by 2050. Produced through water electrolysis, hydrogen offers a clean energy carrier—especially when powered by renewables. The EU has set an ambitious target: installing 40 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, which would produce millions of tonnes of green hydrogen annually. But there's a catch. The most efficient technology for hydrogen production—Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers (PEMWE)—relies on rare and expensive platinum group metals...

18 Jul

Webinar recap: revolutionising Memory with Nitrogen Magneto-Ionics

by Laura Cyrne

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NICKEFFECT recently hosted a webinar, “Magneto-Ionics for Energy-Efficient Brain-Inspired Memory Devices,” on 16th July at 10:00 CET. This insightful session, presented by Jordi Sort, a NICKEFFECT project partner from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, explored the innovative field of nitrogen magneto-ionics and its transformative potential for energy-efficient memory and computing. The presentation delved into how magneto-ionics, the control of magnetic properties through ion motion, offers a compelling solution for developing energy-efficient memory and computing systems. A key highlight was the unique advantages of nitrogen magneto-ionics in transition metal nitrides, which enables faster and more efficient magnetic switching at room temperature compared to traditional oxygen-based systems. The discussion also covered how nitrogen ion transport in thin films allows for precise tuning of magnetisation and coercivity, opening new avenues for in-memory computing, synaptic devices, and neuromorphic systems. Attendees gained valuable insights into the remarkable planar, wave-like migration of nitrogen, an ideal characteristic for designing...

18 Jul

CAE revolutionizes Ni-based Porous Electrode Manufacturing

by Laura Cyrne

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Last month, the NICKEFFECT project hosted a webinar titled "How CAE Improves the Manufacturing Process of Ni-based Porous Electrodes". Organized by project partner VUB, the session featured a presentation by Florin Muntean, Senior Engineer at Elsyca, who demonstrated the transformative power of advanced simulation tools in optimizing electrodeposition processes. During the session, Florin Muntean showcased Elsyca’s specialized software, which is capable of simulating current distribution during the electrodeposition of porous nickel-based electrodes. He elaborated on how this powerful tool precisely predicts where and how much metal will deposit on complex electrode structures. This crucial capability allows researchers and engineers to identify regions with excessive or insufficient coating, enabling them to make timely adjustments to process parameters. The presentation underscored the practical application of simulation within the NICKEFFECT project, where these innovative porous electrodes are being developed for various energy-related applications. The software demonstration highlighted several key capabilities: Detailed visualization: the ability to...

11 Jul

Kick-off workshop for Electrochemical Characterisation standard

by Laura Cyrne

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The NICKEFFECT project was a key partner in the CEN/CENELEC kick-off workshop held on June 18th, which focused on “Electrochemical characterisation at laboratory scale of non-noble porous metal-based electrodes for hydrogen generation in acidic medium”. This workshop marked the launch of a new CEN Workshop aimed at developing a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) to standardise critical electrochemical characterisation procedures for non-noble porous metal-based electrodes. This initiative is particularly relevant to the NICKEFFECT project, which seeks to advance hydrogen production technologies by exploring alternatives to platinum-group metals (PGMs), addressing significant economic and sustainability challenges. The current lack of standardised laboratory protocols for non-noble metal-based electrodes leads to inconsistent data and difficulties in comparing results across research. This CEN Workshop aims to bridge this gap between research and industrial application by defining harmonised laboratory-scale testing protocols for non-noble electrodes used in hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) in acidic media. Workshop objectives and initial proceedings The CWA...

22 Jun

NICKEFFECT at “Donostia is Science” with talk on Brain-inspired Memory Devices

by Laura Cyrne

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Professor Jordi Sort, an ICREA Professor from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and a key partner in the NICKEFFECT project, delivered a compelling Plenary Talk at the international conference “Donostia is Science”, held from May 28–30, 2025. The event, proudly co-organised by project coordinator CIDETEC, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), a cornerstone of scientific research and innovation in the region. The Donostia is Science conference brought together a distinguished assembly of scientists and professionals from across Europe and beyond, fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas across diverse research areas, including energy efficiency, biomedical applications, spintronics, catalysis, sustainable materials, polymer science, and neuromorphic computing. Notable attendees included Nobel Laureate Albert Fert, a pioneer in spintronics, and vice-directors from CIDETEC, a leading technological centre renowned for its cutting-edge applied research. In this dynamic scientific environment, Jordi Sort presented his latest innovative...

11 Jun

NICKEFFECT participation in the EUIndTech 2025 in Krakow, Poland

by Laura Cyrne

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The NICKEFFECT project successfully showcased its innovative work at the EU-flagship EUIndTech 2025 event, held in Krakow, Poland, from June 2nd to 4th, 2025. Representing the project were Danijel Pavlica and Laura Cyrne from F6S Innovation, who engaged with a diverse audience of researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers. NICKEFFECT's participation was prominently featured in the event's Poster Session, specifically within Session V: "Advanced Materials and Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Development", which took place on June 3rd. This session provided an excellent platform for NICKEFFECT to present its advancements alongside other innovative European projects dedicated to fostering sustainable solutions. The team at the poster session engaged in fruitful discussions, sharing insights into the project's objectives, methodologies, and preliminary results. The interest and positive feedback received further validate the importance and potential impact of NICKEFFECT's contributions to advanced materials and sustainable development. The EUIndTech 2025 event was a good opportunity for networking, knowledge exchange, and...

News

ANSYS at FEMS Euromat 2025 sharing NICKEFFECT progress

VUB at the 76th ISE Annual Meeting

Data Management for Safe and Sustainable Innovation in NICKEFFECT

Smarter, Faster, More Transparent: Active Learning and AI in Materials Design

Cracking the Code of Clean Hydrogen

Webinar recap: revolutionising Memory with Nitrogen Magneto-Ionics

CAE revolutionizes Ni-based Porous Electrode Manufacturing

Kick-off workshop for Electrochemical Characterisation standard

NICKEFFECT at “Donostia is Science” with talk on Brain-inspired Memory Devices

NICKEFFECT participation in the EUIndTech 2025 in Krakow, Poland

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