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ANNUAL REPORT 2019 WELCOME TO our world of plasticsTABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial 3 Our proposition 4 Our core business and relevance 6 Partnership in research 8 Research highlights 12 Additive Manufacturing 15 Sustainable Buildings 22 Lightweight Automotive 29 Corporate highlights 36 Facts and figures 40 Our partners 42 Publications 45 Colophon 49 3 Brightlands Materials Center is a rapidly growing research and development center with the mission to develop innovative materials solutions that contribute to a sustainable future. Brightlands Materials Center was founded March 2015 by TNO and the Province of Limburg. 2019 has been a year of further growth and expansion. We have increased the number of partners in various projects and programs, and we have enlarged our infrastructural footprint. We moved into a brand new pilot hall for our polymer processing and thermoplastic composites activities. Overall, our total floor space is now more than 1,200 m 2 . Our program teams, consisting of scientists, technicians, and BD managers, are working hard to develop new and innovative materials technologies. We have a young, and very ambitious team supported by quite a number of students! Our three programs, Lightweight Automotive, Additive Manu facturing, and Sustainable Buildings are continually in the picture with exciting new results, supported by demonstrator products. Highlights have been our own Partner Event and our presence at various industry fairs with our own stands, attracting many new contacts and leads for collaboration. The outlook for the coming year is promising with quite a number of new opportunities.We are excited to announce that we will launch a fourth program line on Circular Packaging early 2020. Our drive is to contribute to a sustainable society and to support the ambitions as laid down in the UN Global Develop ment Goals. We believe that collaboration between organizations, connecting people, sharing insights and ideas are crucial to build a sustainable society. This fourth annual report gives an overview of our progress over the last year. It also gives insight into the development of the roadmaps of our three existing programs. We look forward to hearing from you and to discuss opportunities for future collaboration. Peter Wolfs & Marnix van Gurp Managing Directors EDITORIAL 34 2. Collaborations in shared research programs Lower costs Lower risk in innovation 1. Application driven programs along the value chain Efficient problem solving Innovative idea generation BRIGHTLANDS MATERIALS CENTER our proposition5 4. A combination of entrepreneurial activities and fundamental knowledge build-up Accelerate your technology development 3. A network of global partners embedded in a regional innovation campus Inspiration Business opportunities 56 Polymeric materials innovations Functional demonstrators Market applications Sustainable developments BRIGHTLANDS MATERIALS CENTER our core business our relevance78 Mission The mission of Brightlands Materials Center is to develop innovative materials solutions for a sustainable future, with inspired talents and in collaboration with industry, academia and entrepreneurs. Shared Research Programs We develop innovative solutions meeting societal challenges and industrial needs in a limited number of shared research programs: Lightweight Automotive, Additive Manufacturing and Sustainable Buildings. In 2020 we will start a new program in the field of Circular Packaging. We use all available knowledge through our partnerships with academia and other knowledge partners to develop new and innovative application technologies required by our industry partners to bring sustainable products to the market. Business model Due to the increasing speed of development of new products and new technologies, R&D costs needed so we can stay ahead of the competition in the long run are more and more difficult to bear with the existing company revenues. Our vision is that combining efforts, investments and risks in shared programs is the new strategy to reduce time to market for new product generations. At Brightlands Materials Center partners complement their own in-house R&D with shared R&D, and with R&D projects, leveraging talents and know-how in a well-structured and professional R&D-like setting. Typically, Brightlands Materials Center results are shared on a non-exclusive basis with program partners according to customized agreements, tuned to each partner’s needs and situation. Whenever appropriate, Brightlands Materials Center also facilitates more dedicated research trajectories. PARTNERSHIP in research“Circular materials solutions will play a crucial role in our journey towards a sustainable society.” Marnix van Gurp - Managing Director 9Next >