Within the framework "Implementation of marketing activities in the target country India" initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the network BalticNet-PlasmaTec and BIOMATEG are presenting their field of research and development. Together with academic and non-academic science and research institutions they will market innovative technologies and new research areas, at a 2-day workshop in the picturesque location of Lavasa, which is near Pune. A preview .

The BalticNet-PlasmaTec registered association stands for international technology and market-oriented cooperation of science, research and economics in the field of plasma technology and adjacent disciplines. The network has set down the aim in this project to increase the perception of the German plasma technology in India. The network also supports Indian partners to join the German market and start joint education activities. The international competitive ability of Germany thereby should be increased by the development of new markets for already existing and new products, services and procedures.

The main focus of this activity lies on contact initiation with innovative and ready-to-innovate enterprises in the fields of metal working, medical technology, environmental protection and the corresponding university facilities. The interest of the participating institutions ranges from the project-related cooperation up to the acquisition of joint venture partners. The cooperation with Indian research facilities is also of great interest particularly for the adjustment of the technologies in consideration of the local peculiarities. Furthermore, the institutes have interest in cooperation in the field of further education.

The partners would like to establish medium- and long-term lasting cooperation in different levels of the Indian scientific landscape. The constancy of the marketing activities should be realised by a systematic integration of Indian partners in bilateral and international activities.

BIOMATEG is a strategic alliance of companies and research organisations which develop, manufacture and promote innovative biomass plants and technology. It targets the Indian market and focuses on waste-to-energy projects especially on the biogas sector. BIOMATEG is also a conduit for international partners to the European market.

BIOMATEG's strategic interest is twofold: First, the alliance is seeking R&D partners with core competencies in biomass technology who are interested in collaborative projects on the development of new biomass plants. As for the second, the entrepreneurial approach of BIOMATEG focuses on the analysis of the specific needs of the Indian market, the marketing of state-of-the-art biomass plants in the power range of 100 kW-1.5 MW, and on the identification of competitive systems and potential business partners.

The BalticNet-PlasmaTec part of the workshop will focus on the different applications of plasma technology. Five different partners will present the wide-ranging scientific landscape in Germany at the workshop in Lavasa. One partner will be the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) with the main research interests in applications of plasma in the surface technology. The used plasmas are low temperature, low-to-medium pressure ones, enabling a gentle and controlled surface processing. This way they are able to etch surfaces, e.g., to clean them, or to graft new chemical functionalities onto the surface. It is also possible to polymerise a thin film onto the surface, providing such functions as scratch-resistance, dirt-repellency, or corrosion protection.

Another partner is the University of Kiel. In the working group Plasma Physics/Plasma Technology from the university, intensely applied research is pursued beside basic research, (e..g.,. of complex plasmas), including among other things experimental research in the field of plasma wall interaction and to edge layer phenomena of process plasmas. For example, the group measured the power influx from the plasma on the worked substrates as an important parameter for the optimisation by etching and coating processes. In addition, the development and testing of technological plasma processes are in the foreground including the modification of micro particles and powders, but also the use of atmospheric pressure plasmas. BalticNet-PlasmaTec and all partners see a large potential for the plasma technology in India in different fields of application. There are already companies, which are using plasma, but the technology and the application are still developable.

The BIOMATEG part of the workshop will focus on the benchmark and comparison of Indian and German biogas technology. A specific topic will be strategies for the biological pre-treatment of waste and residues for an efficient conversion process of biomass into bioenergy.

BIOMATEG is seeking R&D partners who are interested in collaborative projects on the development of new biomass plants and waste-to-energy projects. BIO-MATEG is seeking business partners who are interested in selling, manufacturing, servicing and/or operating biogas plants.

The 2-day workshop in Lavasa, near Pune, starts on the 31st of October in the evening with an ice-breaker party and a famous Indian musician in attendance. The 1st of November is earmarked for the plasma technology workshop. There will be speakers from Germany as well as from India. At the end of the day all participants can talk about further cooperation and further projects during the conference dinner. The 2nd of November starts with the biogas topic. Dr Sukhwinder Singh from the Department of Bioenergy - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research will give a lecture about R&D in utilisation of organic waste materials and energy crops for bio energy production. The end of the 2nd November will be again about plasma technology and further steps for cooperation between Indian and Germany. Both projects are partly financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Contact:

BalticNet-PlasmaTec:

Katherina Ulrich
Email: ku@balticnet-plasmatec.org
Phone: +49 3834 550 105
Fax: +49 3834 550 111

Alexander Schwock
Email: bnpt@balticnet-plasmatec.org
Phone: +49 3834 550 102

BIOMATEG
Matthias Pohl
Email: matthias.pohl@vemas-sachsen.de
Phone: +49 371 5397 1817
Fax: +49 371 5397 1729