The European Research Council (ERC) announced last Monday 7th February the projects awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept Grant 2022, among whom was the ICREA Prof. Daniel Maspoch, group leader at ICN2. With €150.000, the SAFE-ON project will further develop the pioneering research carried out thanks to previous ERC funding (InanoMOF, ERC CoG) and plan its transference to the industry and market.
ICREA Prof. Daniel Maspoch, leader of the ICN2 Supramolecular NanoChemistry and Materials group has obtained a €150,000 grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This is the fourth ERC grant he has received, after an Advanced Grant in 2021 for his project CLIPOFF-CHEM; a Consolidator Grant in 2014 with which he developed new methodologies to synthesise nanocomposites from MOFs; and a Proof of Concept in 2019 to transfer the results to industrial applications related to water purification.
The new ERC project called SAFE-ON will focus on approaching a newly patented antimicrobial coating technology into the pre-commercial stage, with the aim of demonstrating its breakthrough innovation potential. In it, we will design, fabricate and evaluate two innovative prototypes (catheters and door-handle covers) incorporating our patented iodine delivery platform, with the aim to assess the commercial viability of antimicrobial SAFE-ON coatings (one based on hydrogels and the other on silicone), accelerate their market entry and, ultimately, commercialize and further develop antimicrobial coatings and other biocide products based on their technology.
Worth €150,000, the ERC Proof-of-Concept grants are meant to help researchers bridge the gap between the results of their pioneering work and the early phases of its commercialisation. The Proof of Concept grant scheme, which are part of the EU's research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, is open only to researchers who are or have been previously funded by the ERC through one of the other schemes: Starting, Consolidator, Advanced or Synergy grants.
Congratulations Prof. Daniel Maspoch!
