Capgemini and UC Berkeley are planning new methodologies to cut time to market for new materials. They will both investigate material surface properties and new methods for sustainable manufacturing. The aim is to future-proof engineering and enhance Intelligent Industry technologies.

For this project, focused on ‘Laser Processing for Accelerated Optical Materials Discovery,’ Ramon Antelo, Chief Technology Officer for Manufacturing and Industrial Operations at Capgemini Engineering, along with other experts at Capgemini will join forces with a team of researchers supervised by Professor Vassilia Zorba, Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. This collaboration will leverage advances in AI, nanomaterials and laser technologies to create a set of methodologies, tools and labs that will reduce the time to market of new materials.

Among different advanced material fabrication technologies, ultrafast laser processing plays a central role in creating new material properties, with cross-cutting applications such as energy harvesting, antibacterial and water-repellent surfaces, anti-corrosion, robust materials under extreme conditions, nuclear security missions, etc.

“Removing human intuition and intervention from the materials discovery process has been a long-standing challenge in the goal of accelerating the rate at which novel materials are found,” said Vassilia Zorba, Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. “Emerging capabilities such as state-of-the-art ultrafast laser technologies, automation, and the advent of machine learning are now bringing us a step closer to this goal. We are very excited to work with Capgemini and use these capabilities to screen thousands of materials and surface topologies in a high-throughput rate, in order to develop materials that lend themselves to cross-cutting energy applications.”

“Accelerating the use of sustainable manufacturing is crucial to help meet sustainability goals. Improving the performance of material is one of the key elements for this to happen,” stated William Rozé, CEO of Capgemini Engineering and Group Executive Board Member. “We are extremely proud to launch a new collaboration programme with UC Berkeley to tackle this important challenge within Intelligent Industry. Innovation is at the core of our DNA, and this new programme will further nurture our research programme strategy.”