Advancing capabilities and elevating the profile of the University of Cyprus (UCY) through the establishment of an Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Competence Centre in Cyprus (AM2C3), will increase the potential for excellence-in-research and promote the growth of the knowledge-economy in a widening country. 

Additive manufacturing is transforming and decentralizing the aerospace industry sector, which is described by low-volume yet high-value applications. The transformation is accommodated by the development of advanced materials and designs, especially Al-metal matrix composites with superior specific strength. Twinning of the UCY with three internationally-leading partners will facilitate knowledge-transfer that focuses on processing methodologies and characterization techniques of AM consolidated Al-based MMCs. Advanced partners IMDEA (Spain), SINTEF (Norway), and EMPA (Switzerland) will participate in training activities directed towards UCY researchers and host staff exchanges aimed to build-up new competencies. Such activities will guarantee access to sophisticated equipment and infrastructure, but also enhance research output. 

To further stimulate excellence-in-research and maximize impact, the centre will encompass a variety of networking activities to reach an audience in academia, industry, the general public, and policy makers. In more detail, these activities include round table discussions with policy makers, working groups with industry stakeholders, international symposium with experts of the scientific community, and summer schools for students. In general terms, this multidimensional approach aims to sustainably integrate and anchor the competence centre on a local and international level, and in turn establish an exploitation framework of intellectual property. The adoption of technical know-how in AM technologies and the project supportnetwork will thereby become the foundation for future activities of AM2C3