Impact

Technological and Societal impact: The technological and societal impact of SSLiP is significant as it aims to establish superlubricity as a scalable technology for both industries and the public. It will focus on high load applications under boundary-lubrication and potentially dry conditions, advancing to lab demonstrators at TRL3/4 level. Achieving this ambitious objective will bring disruptive advancements, enhancing energy efficiency, reliability, and endurance of existing technologies, while also enabling the development of new ones. SSLiP's success will pave the way for improved performance and expanded possibilities in various applications.

Improving existing technologies: Friction reduction through SSLiP can revolutionize various sectors, such as automotive and wind energy. In the automotive industry, where one-third of fuel is consumed to overcome friction, a 20% reduction could save 120B Euros annually and cut CO2 emissions by 290M tonnes. This aligns with long-term sustainable transportation goals. Wind turbines, limited by mechanical stress during strong winds, can benefit from low friction in high-load and low-speed conditions, extending their operation range and lifetime. Overall, friction reduction will be a milestone in Europe and the world's journey towards sustainability, supporting initiatives like The European Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Disruptive technologies: Macroscale superlubricity introduces transformative possibilities, especially in harsh environments like space exploration and aviation, where traditional lubrication methods are challenging. Additionally, superlubricity enables advancements in manufacturing technologies that require high-precision moving parts, minimizing pollution risks. The knowledge gained from SSLiP can also be applied to MEMS, for example, enhancing the performance of hard-disk drives in heat-assisted magnetic recording.

Potential for future social or economic impact: SSLiP will carefully monitor its research impact through an advisory board comprising representatives from both industry and academia. This ensures continuous oversight, evaluation of technological potential, and alignment with the project's long-term vision. Collaborations with leading industrial networks further strengthen the project's impact potential. By partnering with groups like the Advanced Storage Technology Consortium, International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, and European Factories of the Future Research Association, SSLiP gains visibility and can share its technological possibilities associated with superlubricity during annual meetings, fostering future social and economic benefits.

To promote the uptake of project results and to share insights generated throughout the project, results have been shared broadly with scientific and industrial end-users throughout workshops, conferences, seminars and public talks.