The program goal is to develop a highly skilled scientific expertise in the area of innovative materials, signal processing and information technology enabling the local companies to produce competitive products that are based on the knowledge established in Latvia wherewith promoting export and Latvia’s economic growth.
Considering that the development of new functional materials, signal processing and information technologies is not possible without the co-partnership of representatives of diverse natural sciences, computer sciences and engineering it is necessary for all of these multidisciplinary professionals to join in a close mutual collaboration. It can be carried out successfully when working on a single national research program and including the provided scientific research in five main tasks:
- The polyfunctional materials for radiation energy conversion, information record and keeping, carry and transformation as well as their efficient application in science-intensive equipment;
- Innovative signal processing technologies for wise and effective creation of electronic systems;
- Nanostructured, modifiers containing, self-reinforced polymer composites and the development of adequate technologies for applications in intelligent materials and equipment;
- New materials and technologies for biological tissue evaluation and replacement;
- New information technologies based on ontologies and model transformations.
In modern material sciences there is both a development of new nanostructured materials, and also studies of physical processes, which can be further used for information obtaining (sensors, spectral equipment and instruments), conversion (optical light cords), treatment (non-linear materials, elements of adaptive optics and holographic grids) and visualization (light emitters, non-organic and organic LED displays, transparent electrodes). New possibilities for information processing are opened up by quantum logic algorithms, for whose implementation coherent optical processes both in crystals, and gasiform environment are being studied.
Nowadays an important field is the production of an effective ecologically pure renewable energy. One of the priorities is a direct convergence of the solar irradiance into electrical energy using the photovoltaic effect. These solar elements are non-polluting and for that reason most countries of the world invest enormous resources to promote their scientific development, manufacturing and introduction in the social life. In its turn the solid oxide fuel cells realize the most advanced method for the direct conversion of chemical energy into electric one with a high efficiency and without any harmful emissions.
The recent decrease of manufacturing costs for numerous new nanostructured materials led several internationally recognized experts to the conclusion that in the nearest decade hybridstructured nanocomposite materials will significantly affect the development of electronics, informatics, biology and medicine as well as the formation of new functional and construction composites for mechanical engineering and building with such quality indices that can not be achieved using the traditional microheterogeneous systems.
The necessity of creating innovative signal processing technologies is determined by the ever increasing world market demand for intellectual and efficient electronic systems. The science capacity for this type of products depends on the processing algorithms used therein, as well as it is subordinated to the system’s capability to implicate its computational resources in analyzing the information arisen from environmental objects. Currently the main product competitiveness coefficients are wisdom of the devices, energy efficiency, mobility, communicativeness and compactness. The task of the program is to create and equip Latvian industrial enterprises with new, perspective, sufficiently developed and effectively usable signal processing technologies on the basis of which there can be produced products that are in demand in world market and have a high added value, this way increasing the competitiveness of Latvian informatics industry in the world. The use of innovative signal processing technologies in program activities, which are focused on the material science schools, can significantly improve the quality of both the research and the malleable materials.
The diverse application possibilities of modern biomaterials (metals, polymers and ceramics) from simple bioinert implant materials and implants with predictable bioactivity to bioresorbant implants with and without drug release progresses very rapidly. However, biomaterials are distinguished from construction materials by their need to continuously function inside the organism in vivo besides the functions must be controllable. Even in stomatology, where such a wide range of various materials are available, users are still often unsatisfied with the features of the products used.
The groups of scientists involved in the execution of the program have a worldwide recognized competence in the set problem solving as evidenced by previous publications on related topics in the international scientific literature, including a number of publications on the world's leading scientific journals (Physical Review Letters, Physical Review, Thin Solid Films, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Non-crystalline Solids, Journal of Applied Physics, etc.). Wide gratitude and popularity has been achieved by the annual international conference “Functional materials and nanotechnologies FMNT”, which began with the National Research Program “The development of advanced functional materials for microelectronics, nanoelectronics, photonics, biomedicine and constructive composites, as well as relevant technologies”.
The execution of the program is being provided by the recently greatly improved technical capacity: infrastructure and the tool’s park. It is important to note that the executors have access to the main necessary materially-technical equipment and facilities. The team of experienced researchers and new specialists, established and consolidated in length of time and representing a variety of material science fields (physics, chemistry, biology, mechanics and computer modeling), has an appropriate experience and the necessary basal technical equipment to complete the program tasks.
It is prescribed that the program will continue and expand the cooperation in material sciences with JSC “Sidrabe”, “GroGlass” Ltd., JSC “Alfa RPAR”, “PCT Ltd” Ltd., JSC “NEOMAT”, “Gamma-Rent” Ltd. and other small and medium-sized Latvian enterprises.
In the practical use of the information record are involved such companies as “Difra” Ltd. and “Hologramma” Ltd., which already have an experience with the manufacturing of diffractive optical elements. By contrast, the research results about information transfer are useful for the company “Z-Light Ltd.”
A number of manufacturers like “Evopipes” Ltd., “Baltic Rubber Factory” Ltd. etc. are already interested in the achievements of Latvian scientists in the field of innovative nano-composite’s development.
Within the framework of the program it is also prescribed to co-operate with national organizations, including the “National Road Transporter’s Association of Latvia” and “Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia”.
The approbation of new structured calcium phosphate-based biomaterials for medical implants into in vitro and in vivo models will be realized at the RSU Dental Institute and Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology.
Formerly as the Latvian IT business card served “GRADE”. As a result of the implementation of this program the new technologies “GRADE-2” and “Semantic Latvia” will take similar stands, whose potentialities have already been tested in real projects in co-operation with both “The Institute of Computer Science DIVI” Ltd., and The State Social Insurance Agency.
The commercialization potential of the signal processing technology created in Latvia has been proven in real life. There have been realized electronic systems for measuring the exact distance to the Earth Satellites, which due to the original scientific approach in recent years in point of fact have beaten the world's leading manufacturers and are widespread in the world. Due to the participation in the previous National Research Program RTU researchers have developed a new type of data transmission system and on a signal’s form’s resonance-based treatment methods and devices. Latvian companies JSC “SAF Tehnika”, “Hanza Elektronika” Ltd., “Arcus elektronika” Ltd., society LEBIC, “Micro Dators” Ltd., “Integris” Ltd. etc. are interested in using effective signal processing technologies.
Within the framework of the program not only groups of scientists from the leading Latvian institutions are successfully co-operating, they also actively participate in the accomplishment of European Union projects (TRANSNANOPOWDER, CarCrim, NANOCERAM, ReDSeeDS, MIND, NASA-OT, CATHERINE, F-BRIDGE, etc.). The three groups of scientists involved in the program already since the year 2009 are realizing the ERA-NET MATERA projects (within the framework of the projects partners are from Poland, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Israel) and 2 projects have been submitted to the 2009 appeal of ERA-NET MATERA+ program. It is also prescribed to participate in the collective technology initiatives ARTEMIS and ENIAC etc. One of the executors groups is involved in the NATO's program’s “Science for Peace” project SfP-978029 “Optical Electric Field Mapping”. It is planned to participate in the Europe’s Large Facilities program Solar Facilities for the European Research Area project (SCOPE), within which framework nanopowders will be prepared and ceramics synthesized using the solar irradiance energy.
Not less important program goal is to provide the competence and practical skill development of the higher educational establishments’ specialists and talented students inter alia to promote the formation of new innovative companies. The goal is achievable if students are involved in the implementation of the program tasks and if they work out the bachelor, master and doctoral dissertations.