PRONICARE Project

ProNiCare project has received funding from Research Council of Norway, Malta Council for Science and Technology, and The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Germany (BMWK) via the MarTERA – ERA NET co-fund scheme (under grant agreement No 728053-MarTERA) of H2020 of the European Commission. Marine biofouling and corrosion are two substantial challenges for shipping, offshore infrastructures, aquaculture infrastructures, and maritime technologies exposed to sea water. Expensive corrosion resistant materials are often needed for vital functional equipment and surfaces. ProNiCare project will address the urgent need to develop environmentally friendly and more cost-effective solutions for new antifouling coatings, following the ban of environmentally damaging tributyltin. This will be advanced through use of high-tech nanomaterial-based formulations, creating a thin coating with functional antifouling and anti-rust additives in a green and eco-friendly product that will be tested in a newly developed innovative testing unit. ProNiCare project also aims to improve the understanding of biofouling propagation and protection of niche areas and offer best practices to address this maritime challenge. ProNiCare is a collaborative effort by six partners including industries (ANKRON, ABT, Funzionano, Kelvion) and research institutions (SINTEF, AWI) from three different countries (Norway, Germany and Malta). This cross-cutting perspective will result in innovations capable of benefiting multiple sectors of high potential for a sustainable marine economy, like transport and aquaculture. This strategy will increase the competitive strength of European maritime industries, secure and create jobs, and improve sustainability. It will provide a significant added value against the spread of marine invasive species, as it offers a new solution to test antifouling systems under real life conditions and to detect their design limitations.