The Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia (ISSP UL) continues to expand its international impact by landing three significant projects under the European Union's research and innovation program, Horizon Europe. The new projects – CIRCULOOP, iNEMESIS, and STACK-UP – address major European technological challenges in fields such as green energy and battery recycling, smart sensors, and printed electronics.
CIRCULOOP: Innovative Approach to Direct Battery Recycling
As Europe rapidly develops energy storage technologies and expands battery production in large factories, a new challenge arises: up to 10% of the production volume ends up as manufacturing scrap and defects. Currently used recycling methods (pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy) are energy-intensive and economically unviable for batteries with low raw material value, such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP).
To address this issue, the CIRCULOOP project has launched with the support of the BATT4EU partnership. Its goal is to develop a novel direct battery recycling platform capable of recovering over 90% of cathode materials and restoring their electrochemical properties while preserving the original structure of the material.
The technological process will include cold gas delamination, separation using eco-friendly solvents, and redox regeneration. In this project, ISSP UL researchers will provide critical support during the electrode delamination, solvent separation, and cathode material regeneration stages. Led by the Head of the Laboratory of Energy Materials, Gints Kučinskis, the ISSP UL team will develop 10-15 practical design guidelines for battery manufacturers for direct recycling (Design for Direct Recycling – DfDR), which will comply with the new EU Battery Regulation.
iNEMESIS: Smart Sensors and Next-Generation Memory Devices
In modern technologies, data processing and transmission consume enormous amounts of energy. The Twinning project iNEMESIS focuses on nanoscale devices capable of sensing, storing, and processing information locally. This would drastically reduce the need to transfer large volumes of data, thereby improving device response times and energy efficiency.
Under the leadership of Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Thin Films, Ilze Aulika, the ISSP UL team will work on a joint experimental and data interpretation system for several types of analog memory elements (voltage-controlled ferroic and magneto-ionic systems, redox-based memristive devices, and optically active materials). Over the course of three years, the project will be implemented in collaboration with the National Institute of Metrological Research of Italy (INRiM) and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).
STACK-UP: From Innovative Ink to Printed Electronics
Printed electronics is a rapidly growing industry that enables the production of flexible and lightweight electronic devices. The goal of the STACK-UP project is to develop a full production cycle at ISSP UL – from the development of a functional material and printable ink to a finished, tested device prototype. As a result, two demonstrator devices will be developed: a flexible, self-powered ultraviolet radiation dosimeter with a visual indicator, and a self-powered indoor environmental monitoring platform (temperature, humidity, air quality).
In this Twinning project, special attention will be paid to the printing of multilayer structures, laser processing, and layer compatibility. The scientific leader of the project at ISSP UL is Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Thin Films, Boriss Poļakovs, and it will be implemented in collaboration with the Swedish research institute RISE and KU Leuven in Belgium.
All three projects will not only develop new technologies and foster international collaborative ties with leading research centres and industry partners across Europe, but also strengthen the human capital and institutional capabilities of ISSP UL. Within these projects, our researchers, doctoral students, and specialists will participate in international training, mobilities, and mentoring programs, opening doors to new achievements in the fields of advanced materials and smart technologies.
