Two years ago the Province of Limburg decided to invest a second tranche of four million euros in AMIBM. This will help the institute to grow further into an independent and strong European, cross-border institute focused on the development of advanced bio-based materials.

Bordered

The Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials opened its doors at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen in 2016. A first cross-border institute in the field of new, bio-based materials, supported from both Germany and the Netherlands and with researchers from both countries. 'Quite unique therefore,' also knows Ermo Daniëls who, after a varied career at Maastricht University, became deputy director at AMIBM in 2018. 'There is a lot of talk about cross-border collaboration, but when it comes to funding there are still the necessary obstacles. Of course, there are also cultural differences, different legislation, and so on. Six years on, we can speak of a success. On average, there are now one hundred people walking around here each year, fifty of whom are employed by Maastricht University. The number of scientific publications is higher than expected, there are several spin-off companies, and our Master's program in Biobased Materials attracts students from all over the world. AMIBM is now nicely on the map and we can be grateful to our previous management for that. It is now up to us to consolidate and dot the i's.'

Top scientists

Consolidate, that doesn't sound very ambitious? Ermo Daniëls laughs. 'By that I mean that we have things in good order on the campus in Geleen. There is an excellent infrastructure with state-of-the-art labs and a scientific staff that is second to none. Top scientists who have opted for AMIBM because they see opportunities to really make a difference here. Students are very eager to follow a bachelor's or master's degree here because the concrete connection with industry is made here. By consolidate I mean that we are well organized here on campus with room for new projects and research. Growth ambitions may still lie across the border.' Ermo Daniëls is referring to embedding in RWTH Aachen University, one of the founding fathers and shareholders of AMIBM. The Rector of RWTH is on the Supervisory Board, we have access to laboratories in Aachen that we are free to use, and we have set up AMIBM e.V. across the border as a vehicle for acquiring German subsidies. Nevertheless, we think we can take another nice step in the development of AMIBM by really becoming part of RWTH, a German AMIBM research affiliate within the walls of RWTH.'

Combination

AMIBM was founded to develop new materials for industry and medical applications based on biological raw materials, one of the spearheads of Brightlands Chemelot Campus. The starting point was to combine the best of different worlds. 'And that works extremely well,' continues Ermo Daniëls. 'We have defined seven research areas that work closely together. Issues are assessed by biologists, engineers, technologists, chemists, medics and physicists. They look beyond their own disciplines and that often produces surprisingly good results. Take a project by our former scientific director Stefan Jockenhövel. He initiated the research into a flexible material for heart valves. Very essential for young children who need a new heart valve. Because the heart is growing, they have to undergo several heavy operations. With such a new elastic material, this is no longer necessary. This is one of those projects where a lot of disciplines come together.'

At AMIBM there are dozens of projects running, all focused on innovative and sustainable materials. Residual streams of agricultural crops as the basis for smart materials,' says Ermo Daniëls, giving a few examples. Together with the campus in Venlo. Or production process optimization of bio-based materials using AI, together with the campus in Heerlen. A bio-based material for implants, together with the campus in Maastricht. And of course with input from the specialists and infrastructure of the RWTH and Fraunhofer institute in Aachen. It's all about collaboration. This is the only way we can achieve the necessary transition to circularity and the replacement of fossil raw materials and fuels. We can do it as a people, we really can. It motivates me to be able to contribute to that.

Ermo Daniëls (1970) grew up in Maastricht, studied Industrial Design in Delft and has worked for Maastricht University since 2001. He is married and the father of four children.

Source: Brightlands Chemelot Campus