RWTH Aachen On Board EU's Flagship
The decision was announced on January 28, 2013, in Brussels: two large projects were selected as "visionary research initiatives" of the European Union. Winners were one project to simulate the human brain, in order to be able to find ways to heal diseases like Alzheimer's, and the project Graphene, a new material, which is said to have revolutionary characteristics, for example when used for flexible and transparent electronics. RWTH Aachen is a project partner of both initiatives.
The European Union announced a funding program for "Future and Emerging Technologie" - the so called FET flagship program, in 2010. These large research platforms are to be funding with up to 100 million Euros each year for ten years. They are expected to markedly contribute to technological advancement, and promote scientific excellence and new collaborations in research and development. The goal of the flagship projects is tangible economic success. Six projects were chosen in the first round in 2011 and received funding of over 1.5 million years for one year. They had to construct an international partner network and solidify their proceses in a comprehensive research plan. Thanks to the EU funding, it is possible for European researchers to follow their ambitious goals for the long term.