The University of Malaga has been selected for the first time ever to coordinate an innovation project under the Horizon Europe - European Innovation Council (EIC), `Pathfinder Challenges’ programme, which promotes initiatives that "open new scientific frontiers and revolutionise technology." In total, 31 of the
415 proposals submitted from 48 countries, will be funded. Eight have been granted in Spain.
'X-SeeO2' an international consortium, in addition comprising, the universities of Bath and Manchester (United Kingdom), and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, France) intends to hasten the use of cements as carbon dioxide 'sinks', in order to reduce emissions of this pollutant, whilst maintaining the properties of concrete and without affecting the durability of the resulting infrastructures.
Led by professor of inorganic chemistry at the UMA, Miguel Ángel García Aranda - who also received the prestigious
ERC Advanced Grant
from the European Research Council last year – the project will benefit from a financial boost of more than 4 million euros for its development over 4 years.
In the "Cement as Carbon Sinks" challenge of the latest Horizon Europe call, only six projects out of a total of 80 submitted, are eventually to be funded. "The success rate for this call was 7.5 percent, which reflects the scientific and technical rigour demanded," notes the University of Malaga scientist.
Global leaders
This is a new challenge that, as García Aranda states, firmly sets the
UMA Cement Sciences Group “as global leaders in research into concrete curing mechanisms with both water (H
2O) and carbon dioxide (CO
2)”.
'Real-time X-ray diffraction and microstructure imaging, accelerating the transformation of cementitious materials into CO₂ sinks, will provide unique tools for cement decarbonization and smart concrete carbonation.
Enabling technology
'X-SeeO2' has been selected as an 'enabling technology', meaning that the advanced analytical techniques that have already made the UMA a benchmark in X-ray powder diffraction (PD), synchrotron and laboratory techniques, and micro-computed tomography (mCT) will be used to accelerate and improve the products and technologies of the other innovation projects that have been selected within this same challenge in this latest EIC Horizon Europe call.
“The knowledge generated by X-SeeO2 will be fundamental to the other proposals of our ‘challenge’ and to the advancement of the science and engineering of construction materials,” explains García Aranda, who also adds that the top priority is research aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting the circular economy by upclying waste.
To another of its researchers, UMA professor María de los Ángeles Gómez de la Torre, “this project will enable an unprecedented collaboration model to be established, where the consortium's knowledge will be shared with the other projects selected by the EIC under the same challenge, with all the synergies that this implies”.
Revolutionary technology
To date, within the current Horizon Europe framework, the University of Malaga is involved in two other projects from this same program:
'Zeus' and
'BioRobot-MiniHeart'. Another proposal was also granted in the previous H2020 program: 'SONICOM'. In these three instances, the UMA acts as a partner in each international consortium.
With 'X-SeeO2', the University of Malaga will, for the first time, take on the role of coordinator of the European consortium, leading the scientific team, which will include "the world's leading experts" in cement science and synchrotron techniques.
The ‘Horizon
EIC Pathfinder Challenges’ programme awards grants to those projects exploring new technological areas, particularly "deeptech"
– those based on
a scientific discovery or significant engineering innovation
– which have the potential to become radically innovative technologies in the future and generate new market opportunities. The overarching goal is to nurture the innovation market with revolutionary technologies and bring them to the proof-of-concept stage.
Miguel Ángel García Aranda has been a professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Malaga since 2011. He graduated in chemistry in 1988 from the UMA and obtained his doctorate in the same specialty in 1992, also awarded by the Malagan institution.
His line of R&D is based on the study of cement curing (hydration/carbonation) to improve its performance. His research focuses on developing cements with a carbon footprint of at least 50 percent lower, replacing part of the Portland cement with other, much less polluting materials.
As Scientific Director of the ALBA synchrotron, on secondment from the UMA (2013/01-2019/02), he coordinated the user assistance program, as well as the future scientific use of the facility, in addition to supervising a group of more than 75 scientists and technologists of 15 nationalities.
He was also Chairman of the Council of the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility), the European synchrotron in Grenoble . This synchrotron is funded by a collaboration of 21 nations (13 Member States and 8 Associated States) and has a staff of over 800 people.
María de los Ángeles Gómez de la Torre has been a professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Málaga since July 2022 and has an outstanding career in cement research.
A chemistry graduate from the UMA in 1999 and PhD in 2003, she has focused her scientific work on the study and development of cementitious materials. Initially, she worked on the quality control of these materials using X-ray powder diffraction. Subsequently, she focused her research on the study and development of techniques to understand and control cement hydration, with the aim of reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to climate change mitigation.
He has directed four national research projects and another four funded by the Andalusian Regional Government, in addition to leading contracts with companies in the sector, including the American company CTS - Cement Manufacturing Corporation. Since 2024, she has been a member of the scientific evaluation panel for the ALBA synchrotron in Barcelona.
This project has been selected through the European Union's Research and Innovation Programme, Horizon Europe, with Grant Agreement 101161465, which is in preparation.