Organization
Multi-disciplinary team
The UGent team currently consists of 13 professors and their research groups, each with their own specialization. A total of over 70 researchers and over 10 technicians is involved. The expertise ranges from fundamental material research to application-driven design of large structures. All groups are affiliated with the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering of Ghent University.
Bridges, roads & tunnels
Fracture & Fatigue
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Prof. Wim De Waele
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Prof. Stijn Hertelé
Magnetic Materials
Metal Constructions
Physical Metal Science
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Prof. Stefaan Cottenier
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Prof. Leo Kestens
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Prof. Roumen Petrov
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Prof. Patricia Verleysen
Sustainable Materials
Tribology
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Prof. Patrick De Baets
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Prof. Dieter Fauconnier
Vibrational Control & Dynamics
Industrial Research Fund
The Metals consortium is one of the 27 business development clusters supported by the Industrial Research Fund (IRF or Industrieel Onderzoeksfonds (IOF)) of Ghent University. These business development clusters are the first liaison with industry and cover a broad spectrum of technology fields.
Each cluster is coordinated by a business developer and form together with the central Technology Transfer Office a large unit of about 50 people responsible for valorisation activities at Ghent University. The overall goal is to create societal impact through transfer or exchange of knowledge and technology.
Affiliated partners
In view of long-lasting collaborations with other R&D organisations active in the domain of material research, 6 industrial partners are affiliated with the Metals consortium.
| Partner | Core business | Logo |
| Belgian Welding Institute - BIL |
Welding techniques Joining techniques |
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| CLUSTA | Metal processing |  |
| CRM |
Steel processing New alloys |
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| FLAMAC |
High-throughput plaforms Synthesis, formulations |
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| OCAS | Metal applications and solutions |  |
| SIRRIS |
Metal technology Casting technology |
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Several partners are linked through other platforms, such as
The goal of these partnerships is to enhance the service for our costumers by providing a one-stop point of access to metal know-how and technology, including the production and processing.