COMP-ECO: TU Delft teams up with Polish composites ecosystem

TU Delft is partnering with Technology Partners Warsaw, TU Dresden, the Polish Air Force Institute of Technology and Warsaw University of Technology to strengthen the Polish Mazovia region’s position as a competence hub for multifunctional composites and smart structures. The Horizon Europe supported collaboration meets objectives from the Polish government and contributes to the European Green Deal as composites and smart structures can be used to make transport – aviation in particular – more sustainable. The project kicked off in January 2023.

The TU Delft faculty of Aerospace Engineering’s contribution will consist of giving technical and non-technical courses, sharing research areas of interest and by offering temporary positions for researchers from Poland. Dr. Otto Bergsma is one of the TU Delft materials researchers involved in the collaboration:

One great benefit of using multifunctional composites and smart structures is that it improves sustainability. In the aviation industry for instance the use of light-weight composites and smart structures – such as morphing wings – can reduce the weight and drag of aircraft and improve aerodynamic properties. This increases the aircraft’s energy efficiency and reduces its emissions.  

The project kicked off in January 2023. Otto Bergsma and Roger Groves travelled to Warsaw to attend the official kick-off meeting and to visit the laboratories of Warsaw University of Technology , the manufacturing facilities of Technology partners and the research facilities of Polish Air Force Institute of Technology. All participants from the faculty of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft are: Roger Groves, Otto Bergsma, Roeland de Breuker, Nathan Eskue and Julie Teuwen.