The National Centre for Research and Development

Acronym: ASCEND     

Programme Component Operator: Gdańsk University of Technology       

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Empa; Siloxene AG

Polish Programme Component Partners:  -

Total project cost (PLN): 4470897,59 

Total project cost (CHF): 996900,10

Total project funding (PLN): 4357879,36

Total project funding (CHF): 971699,82 

Duration: 1.07.2025 - 31.12.2027

www: mostwiedzy.pl/en

Project summary: 

This project aims to develop sustainable next-generation materials for lithium-ion battery anodes, moving beyond silicon/graphite combinations. At its core is a new hybrid material, called Si/Sn@SiOxCy, consisting of silicon and tin within a silicon oxycarbide matrix, which offers a promising anode alternative thanks to its unique structure and chemistry. Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), developed using versatile chemistry from the Swiss partner Siloxene AG, can act as a robust active host material to support alloying nanoparticles of (semi)metals like silicon or tin, which can store far more lithium than conventional graphite. However, alloying elements expand dramatically during charging cycles, which damages the structure and reduces battery life. Therefore, they must be integrated into a stable, nanoporous framework that can absorb the stress of expansion. A carbon-rich SiOxCy matrix produced through a polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) process provides this solution. It creates a robust host where metallic nanoparticles are uniformly distributed and well-supported. This not only prevents structural breakdown but also boosts the electrochemical performance compared to traditional graphite anodes. The result is a new generation of high-performance, durable, and more sustainable lithium-ion battery anodes. 

Acronym: BreadBiotic           

Programme Component Operator:  Rebread Alcohol & Bevereges Ltd  

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich     

Total project cost (PLN): 3831526,52            

Total project cost (CHF): 854 336,09            

Total project funding (PLN): 3 252 009,14     

Total project funding (CHF): 725 117,98     

Duration: 01.07.2025 – 30.06.2028

www: rebread.com

Project summary: 

Led by the consortium of Rebread and the Laboratory of Food Systems Biotechnology (FSB) at ETH Zurich, this project aims to pioneer the development of probiotic and postbiotic non-dairy beverages, utilising surplus bread as a unique growth substrate for fermentation. The approach integrates principles from food microbiology, food engineering, gut microbiota research, and biotechnology, aligning with circular economy principles to reduce food waste and promote sustainable food practices.
The project progresses through distinct stages: initially, formulating surplus bread into a consistent fermentation substrate involves developing bread suspensions capable of sustaining the growth of probiotic strains. These strains will be rigorously screened to select the best candidates with high biomass yield on this unconventional substrate, production of anti-inflammatory molecules, and survival through the oral, gastric, and intestinal environments. Comprehensive research will evaluate the effects of the fermented mixtures—both live probiotics and non-viable postbiotics—on the gut microbiota, emphasising their potential to mitigate inflammation-mediated dysbiosis.
Efforts will then concentrate on formulating a beverage that maintains sensory properties and stability while preserving probiotic and postbiotic qualities throughout its shelf life.
Validation will occur at a pilot scale within a production setting to ensure consistent beverage quality and feasibility.
Ultimately, the project aims to deliver a market-ready non-dairy beverage that meets consumer demands for innovative probiotic solutions, promoting improved gut health and sustainable food systems, while advancing scientific understanding of probiotic and postbiotic applications in food and beverage production.

Acronym: DEPOION         

Programme Component Operator: Łukasiewicz Research Network - Poznań Institute of Technology      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Bern University of Applied Sciences, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology             

Polish Programme Component Partners: The Batteries Sp. z o.o             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 462 565,15            

Total project cost (CHF): 995 042,17            

Total project funding (PLN): 4 185 209,15     

Total project funding (CHF): 933 198,61     

Duration: 01.06.2025 - 31.05.2027

www: linkedin.com/company/lukasiewiczpit/

Project summary: 

The manufacturing of solid state batteries and obtaining a successful cell performance is of paramount importance when meeting sustainability targets. Also combining cutting-edge research while preserving market competitiveness will aid to achieve breakthroughs in advanced solid state battery technologies. In a battery cell, the performance is dependent not only on material used for the electrolyte and electrodes (layers), but also on the manufacturing process. Whereby the microstructure, stoichiometry, phases, and electrolyte thickness play decisive roles. In general, a state of the art solid electrolyte is optimized to have superior ionic conductivity, negligible electric conductivity, dense, 1 to 2 um thin, and, have negligible contact resistance losses at interfaces. In this project, the manufacturing of solid state layers and cell assembly is tackled using novel methods, which when combined, could deliver that next leap in the renewable energy space. A collaboration between The Batteries Sp. z o.o (a polish startup) and academic partners in Switzerland and Poland, with careful consideration on a particular market niche will allow to solve this challenge. In this project we will prove that the combination of MAR-HiPIMS for thin film deposition, laser processing methods for layer shaping and removal of unused material, and a novel fast sintering technique for target manufacturing used in deposition methods; will deliver electrolytes with ionic conductivity of ~10-6 S cm-1. That is to say, complex manufacturing methods incorporated in a production line, will improve the quality of the electrolyte and deliver a battery cell with superior performance of more than 5000 cycles.

Acronym: FEMTOSHAPE         

Programme Component Operator: Fluence Technology Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Bern University of Applied Sciences             

Polish Programme Component Partners: -             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 484 395,02            

Total project cost (CHF): 999 909,69            

Total project funding (PLN): 3 756 418,86     

Total project funding (CHF): 837588,93     

Duration: 01.07.2025 - 31.12.2027

www: fluence.technology

Project summary: 

The interaction between dielectrics and semiconductors with ultrashort laser pulses is highly complex, involving multiple phenomena, transient states, and dynamics that span from femtoseconds for electron absorption to microseconds for lattice relaxation. Nonlinear effects, such as multi-photon ionization (MPI), enable various laser processes, including intra-volume modification, drilling, and cutting of bandgap materials with ultrashort pulses. Optimal pulse durations, peak intensities and temporal pulse shapes depend on the bandgap width and material-specific nonlinear coefficients. To address MPI and avalanche ionization separately, with their distinct time constants for heating free electrons in the conduction band, more flexible temporal pulse shapes are needed. Experimental methods like a discrete superposition of multiple pulses using birefringent crystal splitting and recombining with defined delays approximate tailored temporal pulse shapes but lack the flexibility for industrial applications. Currently, no industrial-grade femtosecond laser system offers a turnkey solution for variable pulse shapes necessary for direct process development. The Femtoshape project aims to overcome these limitations. With interaction simulations, ALPS will identify the most beneficial temporal pulse shapes for specific processes and bandgap materials. Fluence will implement a flexible pulse shape generator into their laser sources. In the project's first phase, a laser source with a flexible delay of femtosecond and picosecond pulses will be realized. In the second phase, the laser will be installed in the ALPS lab to validate superior process control for microelectronic market applications.

Acronym: IMAGEUP   

Programme Component Operator: Institute of Geodesy and Cartography

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Gamma Earth Sarl

Polish Programme Component Partners: -             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 377 117,25  

Total project cost (CHF): 975 989,39

Total project funding (PLN): 3 977 718,85

Total project funding (CHF): 886 933,38

Duration: 01.05.2025-30.04.2028

www: igik.edu.pl/en/science-and-research/research-projects/project-image-up-calibration-and-validation-of-the-super-resolution-reconstruction-method

Project summary: 

The goal of the IMAGE-UP project is to calibrate and validate the super-resolution reconstruction method, with the aim of further applying it to analyses dedicated to three customer sectors: precision agriculture, energy infrastructure managers, and urban space management institutions.
Super-resolution reconstruction involves increasing spatial resolution through the use of mathematical models. This procedure allows us to obtain greater image detail and is able to monitor objects much smaller than in the initial image. The project will use the super-resolution reconstruction method developed by Gamma Earth from Switzerland. This method allows for an increase in the resolution of Sentinel 2 images by up to 10 times. This means that the resolution of the original image of 10 m (a pixel is 10 by 10 m) is increased to 1-2 m.
The project hypothesizes that super-resolution reconstruction affects the accuracy of the spectral response of objects recorded by the satellite. In other words, the image after super-resolution reconstruction may contain incorrect information. To estimate the error and calibrate this method to reduce the error to a level acceptable to end users, the resulting images will be calibrated, meaning the model will be retrained for dedicated application areas, known as use cases. This will improve reconstruction accuracy, and the finished satellite images will therefore achieve higher analytical value.
Based on the calibration and subsequent validation (testing with end users), three algorithms, tailored to aforementioned end users, will be delivered. This process will increase end users' confidence in this method, intensify the use of the Copernicus programme, and contribute to achieving the SDGs through the use of EO-based technologies.
The project's results will consist of four new and commercially viable key results: a validated super-resolution reconstruction method and three algorithms based on this data, dedicated to the indicated sectors.

Acronym: IntraMotionOCT

Programme Component Operator: Wrocław University of Science and Technology

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Zaamigo AG

Polish Programme Component Partners: -             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 310 785,67

Total project cost (CHF): 961 199,08

Total project funding (PLN): 3 967 877,63

Total project funding (CHF): 884 739,03

Duration: 01.10.2025-30.09.2027

www:

Project summary: 

The project aims to develop the first dental Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanner suitable for clinical use. This groundbreaking device will enable fast, full-arch, high-resolution 3D surface and volumetric imaging in under one minute, addressing major limitations of current OCT prototypes—namely, high sensitivity to motion, low scanning speeds, and the lack of accurate metric measurements.
The research will focus on designing a high-speed OCT system capable of scanning up to eight times faster than current solutions. It will also involve the integration and miniaturization of the OCT device with an AI-driven pose-tracking sensor. A central innovation lies in synchronizing and interpolating volumetric OCT data with surface tracking data from moving targets. The project will investigate methods to estimate OCT poses from surface data and use these poses to redistribute and correct OCT scans in space, effectively eliminating motion distortion and delivering precise, clinically relevant 3D reconstructions.
This interdisciplinary research brings together Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland) and Zaamigo AG (Zurich, Switzerland). A team from Wrocław will focus on OCT hardware development, leveraging extensive expertise in laser systems and biomedical optics. Zaamigo will contribute advanced capabilities in AI, computer vision, and dental imaging, supported by experience in developing commercial intraoral scanners.
Beyond scientific and technological innovation, the project is expected to generate a significant societal impact. By enabling accurate, fast, and non-invasive diagnostics, the technology could improve early detection of oral diseases, reduce treatment costs, and enhance access to quality dental care. Results will be widely disseminated through academic publications, conferences, and open-access channels, reinforcing the project’s commitment to open science and international collaboration.

Acronym: MAUN         

Programme Component Operator: Sieć Badawcza Łukasiewicz-Przemysłowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarów PIAP      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Inveel GmbH; The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne             

Polish Programme Component Partners: -         

Total project cost (PLN): 4 483 994,61            

Total project cost (CHF): 999 820,41            

Total project funding (PLN): 4 336 470,69     

Total project funding (CHF): 966 926,21     

Duration: 01.07.2025-30.06.2028

www: piap.lukasiewicz.gov.pl/badanie/projekt-maun

Project summary: 

The MAUN project focuses on developing an intelligent robotic system capable of generic object grasping and estimating their position and orientation before, during, and after the grasp. The system uses multimodal inputs, visual data, and AI algorithms. The core of the solution is a humanoid hand with an innovative polymer skin equipped with pressure, temperature, and distance sensors.
As part of the project, a specialized grasp library and a dataset will be created, supported by a virtual simulation environment. The hand will be integrated with multimodal sensors and tested in laboratory conditions on various objects. Grasping trajectories will be optimized with human involvement through teleoperation and operator hand tracking.
The tests will be automated, and the hand will serve as the end-effector in the robotic system. An open dataset will be developed to enable precise object position estimation, enhancing manipulation reliability. The entire solution will be verified for grasping efficiency and estimation accuracy.

Acronym: MISAME         

Programme Component Operator: Cellis Sp. z o. o.      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: University Hospital of Zürich             

Polish Programme Component Partners: -             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 474 466,41            

Total project cost (CHF): 997 695,86            

Total project funding (PLN): 3 650 188,62     

Total project funding (CHF): 813 902,2     

Duration: 01.06.2025-31.05.2028

www: cellis.eu

Project summary: 

This project focuses on understanding the immune response to MDC-735, an innovative anti-glioma macrophage therapy, and aims to identify clinical and pharmacodynamic response markers in glioma patients. These markers are crucial for Phase I and II clinical trials (CT).
Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer, has a complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Our innovative macrophage therapy (MDC-735) is highly efficient against glioblastoma and not only kills cancer cells, but also activates the immune system and triggers immune
response and immune memory. Identifying biomarkers that indicate a positive biological response to MDC-735 is essential. Cytokines produced in the TME by immune and cancer cells are promising biomarkers
due to their non-invasive sampling, dynamic monitoring capabilities, and cost-effectiveness.
Current treatments like radiotherapy trigger immune responses that beneficially modulate the TME and promote "immunogenic cell death," releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines that play a key role in T-cell recruitment and are seen as indicators of a positive therapeutic response.
This project is critical for determining the outcome of early-phase (First in Human) CT, involving a small patient cohort. Demonstrating significant clinical outcomes is challenging at this stage, as the primary goal is to establish therapy safety. Biomarkers indicating potential
efficacy enhance the therapy's attractiveness and valuation.

Acronym: MOBIALD         

Programme Component Operator: Centrum Badań i Rozwoju Technologii dla Przemysłu S.A.      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: EMPA, Swiss Laboratories of Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures             

Polish Programme Component Partners: Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. St. Staszica w Krakowie; MeasLine Sp. z o.o.            

Total project cost (PLN): 4 646 320.32            

Total project cost (CHF): 1 036 015.05            

Total project funding (PLN): 4 478 140.32     

Total project funding (CHF): 998 515.05     

Duration: 01.04.2025-31.03.2027

www: cbrtp.pl/projekty/mobile-ald-system-for-in-vacuo-surface-science-measurements-mobiald

Project summary: 

The MOBIALD project wants surface and interface engineering by atomic layer deposition (ALD) to profit directly from high-end surface science characterization by a mobile ALD system able to perform surface modification by plasma and atomic layer deposition. The prime objective is twofold: (i) MOBIALD delivers a mobile ALD system demonstrator with in-vacuo sample transfer for scientific studies at exactly the place where high and ultrahigh vacuum (HV/UHV) measurement systems are installed – be it in specialized laboratories or national/international research facilities, and (ii) will provide proof of surface science measurements obtained with the mobile ALD system demonstrator. The surface science measurements include X-ray absorption spectroscopy (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and total electron yield measurement) conducted at the Polish SOLARIS synchrotron facility by the polish AGH partner as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies at an AGH laboratory-based instrument by the same group. The scientific goals comprise the characterization of the nucleation and early-stage growth of Al2O3, ZnO, and Cu-oxide on metal and hydroxylated surfaces, specifically how and to which extent adsorption and chemisorption of the ALD gas precursors occurs after every half-cycle of the sequentially supplied ALD gases. These measurements will inform about important aspects of the interface as well as the growing film, such as the oxidation state, the chemical and electronic state of the atoms, and the elemental composition. MobiALD achieves the prime goals by its consortium which unites complementary expertise in the fields of (a) ALD reactor simulations for uniform temperature and laminar gas flow (Swiss research partner EMPA), b) ALD gas and plasma process control and safety (Polish research partner CBRTP), c) surface science studies (Polish research partner AGH), and d) CAD manufacturing of tailored process reactors (Polish industry partner MeasLine).

Acronym: PIC4MIR         

Programme Component Operator: AIROPTIC SP Z O.O.      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: CSEM-The Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology; LIGENTEC S.A.              

Polish Programme Component Partners: 5 325 933,25             

Total project cost (PLN): 1 187 552            

Total project cost (CHF): 4 380 105,35            

Total project funding (PLN): 976 655,67     

Total project funding (CHF):      

Duration: 01.06.2025-31.05.2027

www: Airoptic

Project summary: 

Processing industries require fast and accurate gas measurements for process control and emissions management. Reliable, high-performance sensors that are mass-producible and cost-effective are urgently needed for real-time field measurements. Direct spectroscopy with Tunable Laser Diodes (TLDs) has become the gold standard for industrial gas sensing due to its speed, accuracy, and sensitivity. The Mid-Infrared (MIR) region (~3.3 µm) shows strong absorption for many gases, including hydrocarbons (methane, CO₂, CO), VOCs, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides. However, compact, widely tunable, affordable MIR lasers are lacking; current solutions rely on multiple lasers, increasing size, cost, and complexity.

The PIC4MIR project aims to develop a miniaturized, tunable, room-temperature MIR laser by converting telecom band laser emissions to the MIR range via nonlinear optical processes on a small chip. Telecom lasers offer mature, cost-effective technology with narrow linewidth, high power, and broad tunability, but their nonlinear frequency conversion systems are bulky and inefficient. PIC4MIR proposes creating a frequency conversion module using advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), combining the nonlinear capabilities of Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) with low-loss Silicon Nitride PIC circuitry. 

Successful demonstration of the PIC4MIR module would result in a compact, all-in-one sensor greatly reducing deployment and ownership costs for applications such as combustion control, carbon capture, and hydrogen fuel purity monitoring in industrial settings.

Acronym: QCVCSEL         

Programme Component Operator: Lodz University of Technology      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: ETH Zurich            

Polish Programme Component Partners: Łukasiewicz – Instytut Mikroelektroniki i Fotoniki; Wrocław University of Science and Technology; Airoptic Sp. z o.o.             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 761 756,29           

Total project cost (CHF): 1 061 754,43            

Total project funding (PLN): 4 481 456,29     

Total project funding (CHF): 999 254,43     

Duration: 01.09.2025-31.08.2028

www:  

Project summary: 

In the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region ranging from 3 to 30 μm, many molecules have strong absorption lines. Miniaturized optical gas sensors using MIR absorption spectroscopy are ideal for industrial, environmental, and medical applications. Compact, low-power, singlemode lasers are essential for these sensors. Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), which use electron transitions in the conduction band for stimulated emission, are currently the best option. However, QCLs require high threshold current densities (≥0.5 kA/cm²) and dissipate significant power as heat (several watts), complicating their use in portable applications. To reduce the threshold current in conventional semiconductor lasers using electron-hole recombination, a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) configuration is used. VCSELs offer single-mode emission, a smaller footprint, and higher integration density. However, this configuration has not been possible for QCs due to the intersubband selection rule, which requires the optical mode's electric field to be perpendicular to the plane of the quantum wells. In this project, a QC VCSEL will be realized for the first time since Jerome Faist et al. demonstrated the first QCL 30 years ago. A QC VCSEL will feature a sub-wavelength grating integrated with the QC as one of the laser mirrors, enabling both stimulated emission and vertical light resonance. This development combines the benefits of VCSELs and QCLs, offering single-mode emission in the MIR spectral range with high-quality Gaussian beam profiles, minimal divergence, and a threshold current ten times lower than current QCLs. The goal is to use the QC VCSEL as a coherent light source in Airoptic gas analyzer system, facilitating cost-effective, power-efficient mid-infrared laser sources for high-volume gas sensing applications.

Acronym: SWIRLS         

Programme Component Operator: Wroclaw University of Science and Technology      

Swiss Programme Component Partners: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich             

Polish Programme Component Partners: Military University of Technology; VIGO Photonics S.A.             

Total project cost (PLN): 4 644 714,85            

Total project cost (CHF): 1 035 657,07            

Total project funding (PLN): 4 367 568,28    

Total project funding (CHF): 973 860,21     

Duration: 01.10.2025-30.09.2028

www:  SWIRLS

Project summary: 

The SWIRLS project (Sensitive Wideband Infrared Laser Spectroscopy) aims to develop a new class of optical devices for fast, broadband, and high-resolution laser spectroscopy in the mid-infrared range, where volatile substances with a negative impact on living organisms and air quality have their unique absorption features. For this purpose, microwave-modulated quantum cascade lasers and new infrared photodetectors based on type II superlattices will be used.