Turning ambitious research into industrial solutions
At ICS, innovation is driven by collaboration. We take part in regional, national and European funded R&D projects alongside leading industrial partners, universities and research organisations.
These projects allow us to tackle demanding challenges in advanced coatings, thin-film technologies, materials engineering and next-generation manufacturing, while accelerating the transition from scientific research to industrial application.
Through each collaboration, ICS brings its expertise in coating development, process engineering, simulation and surface technologies to develop solutions that push technological boundaries and create lasting industrial value.
Our Collaborative R&D & Funded Projects
3 Ongoing Projects
7 FInished projects
LiThinovate (Ongoing)
Revolutionizing Lithium Anodes through Magnetron Vacuum Deposition
In collaboration with AGC Glass Europe, ICS is developing an innovative approach to producing metallic lithium anodes for next-generation batteries. By combining thermal evaporation and magnetron sputtering, LiThinovate aims to manufacture thin, homogeneous and resource-efficient lithium coatings with precisely controlled interfaces, paving the way for lower production costs, improved coating quality and scalable manufacturing for Generation 4 and 5 batteries.
The project is supported by Wallonia and co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF (FEDER) as part of the En Mieux programme.
M2DESCO (En Cours)
Sustainable High-Performance Coatings by Design
M2DESCO brings together 12 industrial and research partners from across Europe to accelerate the development of next-generation high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings with exceptional wear and corrosion resistance while significantly reducing the use of critical raw materials, rare earth elements and potentially harmful substances.
By combining AI and machine learning, computational modelling, high-throughput characterization and Safe and Sustainable by Design principles, the project aims to dramatically accelerate the development and optimization of advanced PVD coatings. M2DESCO targets more durable and sustainable coating solutions while reducing development time, manufacturing costs and material criticality.
ICS contributes its expertise in PVD coating development and process engineering to the consortium, supporting the transition from computationally designed materials to high-performance coating solutions.
M2DESCO is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme, within the HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01 call.
IITP (Ongoing)
Advanced Irradiation Targets for Medical Radioisotopes
The IITP project aims to develop innovative and more sustainable manufacturing processes for solid irradiation targets used in the production of medical radioisotopes.
The project explores vacuum deposition technologies, particularly magnetron sputtering, as well as hybrid sputtering/electrodeposition processes to manufacture high-purity, homogeneous irradiation targets while reducing the use of solvents, hazardous chemicals and critical materials.
A major technological challenge is the production of exceptionally thick and highly adherent sputtered coatings. Building on a successful proof of concept achieving an 110 µm yttrium coating by magnetron sputtering, IITP targets coating thicknesses of 100–200 µm while maintaining the adhesion, purity and performance required for irradiation.
The project initially focuses on target technologies for the production of Zirconium-89, Germanium-68 and Astatine-211, with the ultimate objective of delivering industrial, ready-to-use irradiation targets manufactured according to controlled quality standards.
Cathoplasm (Ongoing)
Plasma-Engineered Materials for More Sustainable Li-ion Batteries
The CATHOPLASM project, bringing together ICS, UNamur and ULiège, focuses on developing advanced plasma treatments for materials used in Li-ion battery electrodes, with the aim of enabling more sustainable, water-based electrode manufacturing processes.
At the heart of the project is an innovative low-pressure PECVD process, developed and patented by ICS and UNamur, to deposit ultra-thin carbon layers onto NMC cathode materials and conductive carbon additives. These coatings are designed to protect active materials from degradation in contact with water, improve their dispersion and preserve the electrical and electrochemical properties required for high-performance batteries.
The technology combines materials science, plasma processing and advanced characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM and XPS with electrochemical testing to establish the relationship between plasma treatment, material properties and final battery performance.
Ultimately, CATHOPLASM aims to demonstrate a high-rate and scalable plasma technology capable of supporting more cost-effective and environmentally friendly Li-ion battery manufacturing, with the potential to process cathode powders at industrial scale.