Technology Districts

 Imast S.c.a.r.l.

 

Piazzale Enrico Fermi, 1
Loc. Granatello
80055 Portici (Neapel)
(Campania)

Telephone:
0039 081 7769241
Fax:
0039 081 7760741
URL:
www.imast.it

President:
Domenico Martorana
Director:
Evelina Milella
Contact:
Evelina Milella
Email:
segreteria@imast.it

Main points

ICT:
Software (use of programs for the collection and analysis of data); Microelectronics (organic materials for the realisation of memories and displays); Mechanical Engineering (integrated planning and realisation of structures made from innovative composite materials for various branches of industry); Aerospace (development of materials and technologies for the realisation of innovative space sub-systems);

Life Sciences and Materials:
Biotechnology (tissue polymer); Diagnostics (study and realisation of composite structures for the positioning of patients in magnet resonance diagnosis systems); Nanotechnologies (new materials with nanoparticles and commensurate technologies for their application in transport); Materials (multi-functional composite materials for the following industrial sectors: aerospace, vehicle technology, biomedicine, shipbuilding, civilian buildings, polymer electronics, rail technology); Fire (development of digital and experimental methods for the realisation of special facilities for testing and qualifying materials and the effects of fire); Adhesives (development of structural adhesives as an alternative bonding technique to the traditional bonding methods [welding, riveting, nailing and screwing]).

Brief description

The polymers and composite materials segment is relatively broad and its growth rate is considerable. For the world market with a current trading volume of over 61 billion dollars, a growth rate is estimated for the period 2004 to 2009 of 3.2 to 5 percent. Compared to other new materials, this market offers enormous potential for technological advances. What has emerged from a feasibility study conducted by McKinsey is that the public and private research activities in the Italian Region of Campania in the polymers and composite materials field with polymer matrix at national and international levels have an outstanding leading position: in Campania, 580 scientists are active, of whom 440 work in public institutions and 140 in private companies; 25 percent of the Italian scientific publications originate from scientists in Campania. These contributions on these topics are published in the best-known specialist journals. The scientific production of Campania in the polymers and composite materials segment is recognised worldwide. A wide-ranging network exists with the most important international scientific facilities.
The above named aspects formed the basis for the foundation of the Campania Technology District. On 17. July 2003, the Minister of Education, the Universities and Research, Letizia Moratti, and the President of the Region of Campania, Antonio Bassolino, signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the realisation of a Technology District in the Engineering of Polymers and Composite Materials and Structures field; on 11. February 2004, the administrative company for the District for the Engineering of Polymers and Composite Materials and Structures – IMAST S.c.a.r.l. was founded; on 09. March 2005, the Framework Programme between the Italian government and the Region of Campania was signed, by which the initiative for the Technology District was implemented.
The task of IMAST is to draw research, training and technological innovation together in a system, where the knowledge and expertise are used primarily for the industrial products and processes of the member companies.

Companies:
11
R&D facilities:
3

Sectors

    • ICT and Industry
      • Microelectronics
      • Mechanics
      • Aerospace
    • Life Sciences und Materials
      • Biotechnology
      • Diagnostics
      • Nanotechnology
      • Materials Science

Services

    • Research and Development
    • Human Resources
      • Organisation of conferences, courses and seminars
      • Staff training
      • Staff recruiting
      • Partnerships with universities and other research institutes
    • Business
      • Consultancy related to intellectual property
      • Access to venture capital
    • Administrative services
      • Consultancy for dealing with public administration
      • Administrative services for located companies
      • Technical support in the selection of locations by companies and laboratory facilities
    • Other services
      • Territorial marketing
      • Location marketing

Data and Facts

Key data

  • Founded in: 2004
  • Companies: 11
  • Research facilities: 3
  • Bank: 2
  • Public Administration: 1

Objectives

  • Growth in the region
  • Achieving the international peak level in research: Attracting leading competence figures in the field of engineering in the polymers and composite materials field; focusing the research activity on the topics most important to industry and from which internationally significant results with the great economic impacts emerge
  • Support of a new technological industrialism: Support of innovative projects in the local companies; attracting internationally leading companies; activation of funding of new companies with risk capital; support and assistance with the foundation and development of new technology companies
  • Attracting and training talented young specialists: Formation of a centre of excellence, which attracts the young specialists and scientists and trains them; advanced training possibilities in mixed public-private research facilities after their degrees
  • Creation of new jobs
  • Foundation of new companies
  • Extension of new research activities
  • Location marketing
  • Economic exploitation of scientific results
  • Technological consulting for companies and institutions
  • Intensification of the relations between universities and companies
  • Enhancement of the technological level of companies and facilities

Network

  • ADiTe (Italian Association of Tecnology Districts)

Members

IMAST is a modern Corporate Research Centre, in which leading Italian companies, universities and public research facilities work together on research activities in the field of Engineering of Polymers and Composite Materials.
IMAST acts as the holding company for industry and publicly owned laboratories and organises working groups with government and private industry scientists for specific research projects.

Location

Location and Environment

Name
Inhabitants
Distance

Location

Naples

975.139

10 km

Salerno

146.500

40 km

STP

Consorzio Technapoli

22 km

STP Salerno

40 km

University

Seconda Università di Napoli

20 km

Università di Napoli Federico II.

15 km

Cluster

CRdC "New Production technologies"

16 km

CRdC "Transportation"

16 km

Infrastructure and links

Name
Distance

Airport

Airport Capodichino di Napoli

15 km

Railway Station

Portici-Ercolano

200 m

Naples Main Station

10 km

Harbor

Naples

11 km

Salerno

38 km

Technology transfer

Activities

  • IMAST carries out measures for the industrial implementation of the research results and supports the generation of new spin-offs. An example is the firm OPTOSMART Srl, which was founded in 2005 from the cooperation of some researchers. This new company manufactures demodulators for Bragg gratings, optoelectronic accessories and Bragg gratings, refractometer and process control systems
  • Support of the small companies with technology transfer: Measures 3.17 of POR 2002/2006 (6.3 million Euros to IMAST for research and development for small companies)
  • Participation in the rail technology programme between the Region, major companies, small companies, relevant facilities and the Technology District

Internationale Cooperation

International cooperations already exists:

  • The Boeing Company
  • Memorandum of Understanding with Innovation Cluster of Kyoto-Japanese

Yes, we are interested in international cooperations. In particular for:

  • Study of the behaviour of materials (in particular, composite materials with polymer matrix) in fires
  • Structure adhesives
  • Nanotechnologies

Research and Development

PIROS

Description

As part of the project, innovative technologies for the realisation of components made from multi-functional composite materials such as Liquid Molding Processes (RTM, RFI, VARTM, RIFT), are developed and applied. In addition, the nanometric dispersion process of the batches in resin is developed further with the aim of achieving a uniform, controlled and repeatable dispersion.

Aim

The aim of the project is the development of materials and structures in a digital experimental laboratory for testing and qualifying materials and structures and the effects of fire.
Target Group: other companies in the Technology District and sub-contractors.
Benefits: gaining expertise in the fire sector emerges from the necessity of having to know the behaviour of innovative composite materials and the effects of fire and be able to predict this behaviour as these are materials of organic or synthetic origin, which are as such inflammable. The insights gained in the laboratory can hence be applied in all branches of industry with a fire risk and the materials used must be qualified with respect to their fire behaviour.

MANTA

Description

The subject of the project is the development of new modified composite materials with a proportion of inorganic or metallic nanoparticles and carbon nano-tubes and the commensurate production technology, which enable, on the basis of the polymers developed or specially modified matrices, innovative structure adhesives to be obtained and new comments with wide-ranging performance characteristics to be produced.

Aim

The aim of the project is the study and optimisation of polymer systems with innovative functional and structural characteristics, which result from the inclusion of nanoparticles.
The target groups of the project results are companies in the strategic sectors such as aerospace and vehicle and rail engineering. Materials with nanometric particles are for these companies extremely promising, with regard to a solution of the criticalities, which currently restrict the use of composite materials in certain applications for adhesives, foams and thermoplastics with long or continuous fibres.

Incubator and Incentives

Regional

  • POR Campania 2000/2006

National

  • Law 297
  • Law 388 (FIRB)

EU-Level

  • FP7 (subject 4, subject 7)