Two APSE projects awarded NWO Demonstrator funding
Two APSE projects have been awarded NWO Demonstrator funding, supporting the development of innovations in photonics and non-antibiotic wound care.
Two academics from the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education (APSE) have been awarded NWO Demonstrator funding to help bring their research closer to practical application. The projects, led by Professor Andrea Fiore and Associate Professor Ana Sobota, are among eleven projects selected nationwide. Each project can receive funding of up to €200,000.
The Demonstrator programme supports researchers in translating promising scientific results into innovations with societal and economic impact. Funding is used to develop a demonstrator at the level of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and to increase the chances of successful implementation or commercialisation.
Scalable fiber-chip packaging
Professor Andrea Fiore has received funding for a project aimed at reducing the cost of packaging photonic integrated circuits (PICs). As demand for artificial intelligence and high-speed data communication continues to grow, so does the need for scalable photonic technologies. While the manufacturing costs of PICs have fallen significantly, packaging remains a major bottleneck.
Fiore and colleagues recently demonstrated a breakthrough method that enables the coupling of two-dimensional fibre arrays to photonic integrated circuits. The Demonstrator project will further develop and validate this technology for industrial deployment, helping to make next-generation photonic systems more scalable and cost-effective
Plasma-activated hydrogel for wound treatment
Associate Professor Ana Sobota has been awarded funding for the development of a plasma-activated hydrogel platform for non-antibiotic wound treatment. The technology combines plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species with hydrogel materials, creating a ready-to-use biomaterial for wound care applications.
The project will deliver a first Minimum Viable Product with reproducible reactive-species loading, defined stability and antimicrobial performance against wound-associated pathogens. In addition, the project will help prepare the technology for future regulatory approval, manufacturing and commercialisation. Beyond wound care, the platform may also enable a broad range of future biomedical and bio-based applications.
About NWO Demonstrator
Demonstrator is one of NWO's innovation accelerator programmes and is open to researchers at Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences. The programme supports the further development of research results towards market-ready innovations by funding the creation of demonstrators and related valorisation activities. A maximum of €200,000 can be awarded per project.