Debrecen University to participate in EU HORIZON space R+D

Researchers at the University of Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, are participating in a 3 million EU HORIZON project to develop and produce polymer aerogels that can be used for thermal insulation in space, the university told MTI on Friday.

Project manager József Kalmár said a goal of the project is to establish production of aerogels in Europe, so it is not reliant on their supply from the United States or China.

The University of Debrecen will work on the project, to launch in November, in a nine-member consortium led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Private sector partners in the consortium include ArianeGroup and Thales Alenia Space. About 60 experts are participating in the project, including four from Debrecen.

The University of Debrecen already has a pilot plant that can produce aerogels and has cooperated on research with the DLR since 2019.