IMDEA Materials to lead OCTAGON, a European project to transform materials development in aviation through AI

  • OCTAGON is one of two Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks 2025 projects awarded to IMDEA Materials.
  • The other, CPEC, coordinated by the University of Nottingham (UK), focuses on the development of circular power electronic systems.

IMDEA Materials has achieved a new milestone in attracting talent and securing European research funding, after being awarded two projects in the latest call of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks.

Both projects are among the 141 MSCA doctoral programmes funded by the European Union in the 2025 call.

One of them, OCTAGON, will be coordinated by IMDEA Materials, and aims to accelerate the development and certification of advanced composite materials for aviation through multiscale models and artificial intelligence-based tools, enabling faster and more reliable simulations.

Its goal? To reduce time and costs, improve manufacturing accuracy, and facilitate the adoption of more efficient and sustainable materials.

With the collaboration of Hexcel, Airbus and other European partners, the doctoral programme will train 12 PhD candidates in materials behaviour, modelling, and data-driven engineering.

“The success of IMDEA Materials in this latest call once again demonstrates the institute’s scientific excellence and its ability to lead high-impact projects at the European level,” said Germán Infante from the institute’s Projects and Technology Office.

“It also highlights our strong commitment to attracting talent and encouraging innovation.”

In total, the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025 call will train more than 2,000 doctoral researchers and has a budget of over €617 million.

The second programme in which IMDEA Materials will participate is CPEC (Circular Power Electronics Converters Design), coordinated by UoN.

CPEC aims to bridge gaps between electrical engineering, materials science, environmental science, economics, and policy, to create a holistic approach to circular power electronic systems.

This approach spans from eco-design and lifetime extension strategies to repair and advanced end-of-life recovery.

IMDEA Materials achieved a 33% success rate in this call, well above the average. Both projects will get underway at the beginning of 2027.