Eight researchers from the LUT University from Lappeenranta, Finland, visited the University of Miskolc as part of the CiRCLETECH week between February 9 and 15.
The week started with a very useful Horizon Europe proposal writing training where the trainer was Karthikeyan Natarajan, who is a funding advisor from the LUT University. The researchers and grant management staff of the University of Miskolc participated in these events together with the Finnish guests.
During the three-session training, the participants could discover the secrets of proposal writing together, and in the final day they could present their own project ideas and planned collaborations.
The CiRCLETECH week was made colorful by the laboratory visits, in the framework of which the Finnish researchers were able to gain an insight into the Raw Material and Waste Preparation Laboratory with the presentation of the institute director Dr. Márton Sándor Nagy and his colleagues and also into the Thermo-mechanical Physics Simulation Laboratory with the help of Dr. László Kuzsella.
We also visited the laboratories of the Robert Bosch Institute of Mechatronics: Dr. László Rónai in the Hydraulics and Pneumatics Laboratory, József Lénárt in the Modular Mechatronics Laboratory and Drive and Robotics Laboratory, and Pálma Kapitány in the Sensor Technology Laboratory guided us around in the framework of interesting presentations.
With the help of Judit Kovács and Abd al al Sahm alden Anis Mohammad, we were get an insight into the world of the Welding Technology Laboratory, where we were admire, among other things, the welding robot equipped with a CMT power source, a plasma arc welding machine and a virtual welding simulator.
Prof. Dr. György Czél presented for us the equipment park of the Polymer Technology Laboratory and the researches going on there. Among other things, we had a glance into the world of the universal material testing equipment, the pendulum impact testing machine, the polymer mixing equipments and the injection molding machines used for researches and education.
As part of the “Meet the researchers”- meetings, the researchers from the University of Miskolc met with researchers from the LUT University and discussed joint publications.
On Tuesday, we visited the Ongropack Kft., one of the Hungarian market-leading plastics companies, where they manufacture and distribute PVC products. The company complies with the guidelines of the circular economy, a significant part of the waste generated during production is recycled. HR and communications manager Endre Nagy took us on a tour of the site, where its own solar farm also contributes to covering the plant’s electricity needs.
The next factory, whose everyday life we were able to gain insight into, was Robert Bosch Power Tool Kft. The company, which employs 4,000 workers, deals with the assembly of electric hand tools, garden tools, and their associated batteries, as well as woodworking professional electric tools, and the development and production of eBike batteries. The basic principles of the factory include environmentally friendly design, extending the life cycle of products and reusing materials and parts. Dr. József Kakuk, the director of the Engineering Department told us about the cooperation possibilities between the university and the company, the dual education and research works.
We ended the day at Metal Shredder Hungary Zrt. (Miskolc), where they deal with the collection of e-waste containing precious metals and the extraction of precious metals from them, the processing and recycling of discarded X-ray films, complex waste management, technological development and determination of chemical compositions.
The “Innovation opportunities for forming the circular economy” workshop was held on February 14. The event was opened by the presentation of Dr. Imre Gombkötő, the scientific leader of the CiRCLETECH project, who presented how the project supports the circular economy.
Then Karthikeyan Natarajan shared his thoughts and experiences with us on the topic of “Good practices for establishing university-company collaborations to support the circular economy”. He was followed by Zsolt István’s report on the industrial collaborations of the University of Miskolc, and then the participants could hear lectures from industrial representatives of the circular economy.
Árpád Helmeczi from Hajdu Zrt. gave a captivating presentation on Environmentally conscious product design at HAJDU Zrt, then Fanni Mészáros, the company manager of APPLiA Hungary Association shared her thoughts with us online with the title of “Right to repair or repair it right?”.
The presentations were closed by Péter Györkös from Mohu Zrt., who spoke about the Hungarian waste management system in connection with the development of the circular economy. At the end of the event, the participants could discuss their questions with the speakers and explore opportunities for cooperation.
All in all, during the CiRCLETECH week, the guests from LUT University, as well as the researchers, colleagues from the University of Miskolc and the industrial participants were take part in an eventful, colorful and useful series of programs, where business cards, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers changed hands, the cooperations have started.
