NEWS

Driving Novel Approaches in Composite Manufacturing

Valencia, Spain | July 22–23, 2025 — The CARBOWAVE Project held its successful 2nd Consortium Meeting in Valencia, Spain, hosted by the University of Valencia (UVEG) at the picturesque Jardí Botànic de la Universitat de València. The two-day event marked an important step forward in the project’s mission to develop cost-effective, innovative composite materials using advanced microwave-based processing technologies.
Driving Novel Approaches in Composite Manufacturing

Partners from across Europe gathered to assess technical progress and set direction for the next project phase. CARBOWAVE is focused on delivering low-cost, high-performance composite solutions through novel, rapid, and energy-efficient microwave processing, targeting key industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace, and construction.

During the meeting, consortium members presented advancements across several work packages:

• ⚙️ Advanced Material Development
• 🔥 Microwave Heating Treatments and Functional Coatings
• 📢 Dissemination, Communication, and Impact Pathways
• 📊 Project Coordination and Risk Management

The in-person gathering enabled strategic discussions, hands-on collaboration, and alignment around CARBOWAVE’s innovation and manufacturing goals under the Horizon Europe framework.

CARBOWAVE is powered by a strong network of academic, research, and industrial leaders working together to revolutionize composite manufacturing using microwave-enabled technologies. Project partners include:

• Bernal Institute, University of Limerick (Project Coordinator)
• German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF)
• Universidad de Valencia (UVEG)
• Marilena Radoiu, MUEGGE Group
• Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF)
• Juno Composites Ltd
• ÉireComposites Teo
• Fraunhofer IFAM

Together, they are shaping the future of affordable and innovative material solutions in Europe and beyond.

Project showcases groundbreaking microwave and plasma heating technologies for low-emission carbon fibre production at CINEA-hosted industry event in Brussels.

Brussels, Belgium – The CARBOWAVE project took centre stage at the 1st Clustering Event on Efficient, Sustainable Energy Use in Industry: Unlocking Potential in Heat Conversion and Storage, organised by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
Representing the CARBOWAVE consortium, Anne Beaucamp Mc Loughlin delivered an impactful presentation highlighting the project’s innovative approach to reducing the energy footprint of composite manufacturing. CARBOWAVE aims to revolutionise carbon fibre production by integrating microwave and plasma heating technologies, offering a more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional methods.
The event brought together a diverse array of EU-funded research and innovation projects, each focused on accelerating the clean-energy transition in industry through advanced materials and clean-tech solutions. With growing emphasis on reducing industrial emissions and boosting energy efficiency, the event provided a vital platform for knowledge exchange and cross-project collaboration.
CARBOWAVE’s participation underscored the project’s commitment to supporting the European Green Deal and advancing climate-resilient, energy-efficient industrial practices.
The presentation attracted significant interest from fellow researchers, policymakers, and industrial stakeholders, highlighting CARBOWAVE’s potential to play a central role in Europe’s green and digital transformation.

At the recent JICI Conference, Natalia Cárdenas Vargas, a researcher specialising in advanced materials, presented new findings that could transform the manufacture of carbon fibre. In a paper entitled “Carbon-Based Suspensions for the Efficient Conversion of Polyacrylonitrile into Carbon Fibres via Microwave Heating,” Ms Cárdenas Vargas described how microwave-assisted processing, combined with carefully formulated carbon‐based suspensions, can accelerate and simplify the conversion of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) into high-performance carbon fibres.

Carbon fibre is prized in aerospace, automotive and renewable-energy applications for its strength-to-weight ratio, yet its conventional production is slow, energy-intensive and costly. By applying microwave heating, Ms Cárdenas Vargas and her colleagues have demonstrated a markedly faster and more energy-efficient route that also lowers environmental impact. Their method promises to reduce processing times, curb emissions and lessen reliance on fossil-based feedstocks, thereby advancing the development of lightweight materials essential to modern engineering.

The work aligns with the broader ambitions of European initiatives such as CARBOWAVE, which seek to deploy microwave and plasma technologies to cut energy consumption and emissions throughout the composites sector. Taken together, these efforts point to a future in which advanced materials can be produced at scale without sacrificing sustainability.

Industry observers will watch closely as the research moves from laboratory demonstrations to larger-scale trials—an important step towards making low-carbon, high-performance composites a mainstream reality.

Introducing CARBOWAVE

“Transforming Carbon Fibre Production with Science, Innovation, and Sustainability”