ALF - Aerogel Launch Factory

Abstract

Aerogels form a class of materials with fascinating properties. Their applications go far beyond the well-known classical applications in the field of thermal insulation. Completely new areas of interest have been identified such as biomedical, sorption/filtering, sound insulation, biodegradable packaging, thermal and electrical energy storage and many other applications where aerogels are superior to conventional materials. Within the project ALF an incubator will be built up. ALF, the Aerogel Launch Factory, will operate as a central facility for technology transfer from laboratory scale to production. ALF supports technology-driven startups and innovative young companies that find assistance in demonstrating pilot production to prove the feasibility of their ideas and overcome the "valley of death". In this way, startups succeed in convincing investors and in acquiring the necessary financial means for the establishment of industrial production. The basis for this will be the unique bundling of expertise from research, transfer and production. The independent research institution German Aerospace Center (DLR) intends to operate ALF. For this purpose, the Brainergy Park Jülich offers sustainable opportunities not only for the settlement of research and transfer, but also for industrial companies with attractive production conditions and expansion opportunities. The "aerogel community" is invited to participate in ongoing scientific projects to continually generate and transfer new aerogel developments into future applications. Within the presentation, an overview of the concept of ALF will be given. What challenges are expected and what are the opportunities for the global aerogel community. Acknowledgement: Funding opportunity of the project “ALF” by WIRTSCHAFTS- UND STRUKTURPROGRAMM FÜR DAS RHEINISCHE ZUKUNFTSREVIER (RG-1-038) is provided gratefully acknowledged.