Ultra Conductive Materials
The UltraWire is a technology development and commercialisation platform, supporting a community of technology development leaders and industrial end-users working on nano-carbon and metal based conductive materials and composite applications. Use of these materials offer additional functionality with potential to significantly enhance the properties of products, including improved electrical, thermal and mechanical performance. There are a number of applications in industry such as energy, electronics, automotive and aerospace providing lightweight, cost effective and energy efficient solutions.
The aim of the Community is to bring together technology development and commercialisation leaders, and support them with up-to-date information on innovative solutions, market trends and partnership opportunities.
The UltraWire (Ultra Conductive Copper-Carbon Nanotube Wire) project was funded by European Commission 7th Framework Programme (EC FP7). The project started on the 1st October 2013 and finished on the 30th September 2016, it had the participation of 14 partners from leading industrial and research organisation across Europe. The aim of the project was to develop a novel copper nanocarbon composite material with improved electrical, thermal and mechanical performances. The UltraWire project also futured on the BBC News.
Cambridge Nanomaterials Technology (CNT Ltd), was responsible for management of exploitation and dissemination activities of the UltraWire Project. We have organised several UltraWire workshops, the first two, as part of the project to help exploitation and dissemination of results of the EC FP7 project UltraWire. The first Workshop took place in September 2015 in Cambridge, UK with 42 participants attending; the second, in September 2016 in Leuven, Belgium with 50 participants.
Since the end of the project, CNT has continued running workshops and exhibitions and organising networking dinners events, in order to build a community supporting commercialisation, by bringing together technology development leaders and industrial end-users.
The UltraWire workshops and networking dinners have been organised in the unique environment of the University of Cambridge colleges in the summer time. Three workshops have been in Cambridge, UK in July 2017, 2018 and 2019 with around 45-50 participants in those occasions. The workshops have also been organised as online events, bringing together many participants from different time zones around the world. In 2020, due to the global pandemic, the workshop took place virtually via ZOOM digital platform.
The topics discussed at the UltraWire workshops include advances in development and commercialisation of applications of nano-carbon and metal based conductive materials and composites, such as lightweight, anti-icing, sensing and structural health monitoring.
Participants who attended the UltraWire workshops, have come from leading multinational end-user companies, universities and research organisations. Some of the participating Companies are: Airbus, Rolls Royce, Prysmian Group, ArcelorMittal, Whirlpool Corporation, RTE, E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH, SH Wire, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe, International Copper Alliance, Aurubis, , ARUP, Safran Electrical & Power, Leidos, Infineon Technologies, BOSE Corporation,, Nissan Research Center-Russia, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe, Toyota Motor Europe NV SA, Robert Bosch GmbH, Argonne National Laboratory, Talga Technologies, MBDA, Coatema Coating Machinery, Versarien, DZP Technologies, Haydale Composites Solutions, TWI, Furukawa Electric Institute of Technology Ltd; Research Institutes such as: LEITAT, TECNALIA, Fraunhofer and IMDEA and, Universities such as: University of Cambridge, University of Surrey, University of Cranfield, Swansea University, University College London, Rice University, University of Singapore, Warsaw University of Technology, Chemnitz University of Technology and University of Nottingham.
UltraWire Online Workshop 2020
Cambridge Nanomaterials Technology Ltd organised, the UltraWire Workshop 2020 on 2nd July 2020 in order to support commercialisation of nano-carbon wire technology and development of nano-carbon materials and metal composites for a number of applications such as electrical energy transmission and transport, by bringing together technology development leaders and industrial end-users.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this workshop was rescheduled to be online.
Participants who attended this workshop, came from leading organisations such as: Whirlpool Corporation, Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI), MBDA, Coatema Coating Machinery, Argonne National Laboratory, SH Wire, Prysmian Group, DZP Technologies, Haydale Composites Solutions, European Copper Institute, SENERGY, Q5D, Furukawa Electric Institute of Technology Ltd, UltraConductive Copper Company Inc., TWI, TMBK Partners Sp. z o.o, Graphene Laboratories, Inc., Nanoscience Centre- University of Cambridge and Brunel Composites Centre.
More information on the UltraWire Workshop 2020 you can read at workshops dedicated page,
UltraWire on BBC News!
The UltraWire project was featured at the BBC News Click programme. The programme was shown on TV for the first time on 9 April 2016 on the BBC News and the BBC World News channels and few more times in following days and weeks. It was available for download and viewing in the UK until February 2017 on the BBC iPlayer through this link:
The EC FP7 UltraWire project ended on 30 September 2016; however, the project partners and other researchers around the world are continuing development of this exciting technology.
