The Europe 2020 strategy identifies actions to boost growth and jobs. The HEIBus project addresses the flagship of innovation union, youth on the move and agenda for new skills and jobs. The main HEIBus contributions have been the developed models designed to boost the cooperation actions between HEIs and companies. Using previous experience from other European project and new and fresh ideas, innovative models have been generated, tested and imported to new implementations. The project started with a comprehensive review of HEI-company cooperation models to identify and analyze implementations where students were directly involved in collaborative actions with HEI experts and companies. Models in which HEI experts and companies work together to the same end, were also studied. In addition, different levels of company involvement in education at HEIs were also searched and detailed. The purpose of this review was to serve as basis for the further HEIBus model implementations. Throughout the HEIBus, two rounds of project implementations took place. The feedback from the first round of projects was used to improve the implementations done in the second one. With the aim of providing smart and innovative cooperation methods between HEIs and companies, the following models were tested: - Multidisciplinary Real Life Problem Solving (RLPS)- Expert Level Real Life Problem Solving (EXPERT)- Flexible Mentoring of Students by Companies (Flex Mentoring)In RLPS, teams of students were given a real life problem by a company. The student teams compete against each other to solve the problem, in the most effective way and following the company requirements. The same method is planned on virtual implementation. This improves performance of education system, facilitating the entry of students to the labour market and developing students’ skills on real life cases. For companies, this promotes new research and innovations and helps the development of new products and services. The companies benefit by getting better match for their labour needs, including easier path to labour mobility. In addition, this cooperation model can be easily integrated in engineering courses that follows Project Based Learning methodologies.EXPERT is similar to RLPS but, on this occasion, the problem is solved by HEI experts. This enables companies to bring more complex problems to be solved. This promotes innovation and knowledge transfer throughout the union, and increases the skills of HEI experts and work life relevance of education. In this case, the links established between the companies and HEI experts involved in the different cases of study, continue after the HEIBus through the Expert Support Service web platform. Flex Mentoring is a set of methods to involve companies in education at HEIs. Each company has a student group, mentored throughout the studies of the group. These methods are divided on different levels depending on the amount of involvement needed from the company. Flex Mentoring improves the quality and work life relevance of the education, gives HEI students and staff new skills and work life contacts. For companies, Flex Mentoring gives better labour force, easy access to recruiting and to knowledge transfer from HEIs. The number and quality of the dissemination activities, done in the three year project, demonstrate the utility and significance of the HEIBus models.

PEMFC is the promising technology for automotive applications with a large deployment horizon by 2030. However, in view of extending their use to a broad range of customers, progress have to be done in terms of cost, performance and durability. The FURTHER-FC project aims at understanding performance limitations due to the coupling between electrochemical and transport issues in the Cathode Catalyst Layer (CCL) which is the main bottleneck for future PEMFC. The comprehensive and innovative approach is based on unique and intensive fundamental characterizations coupled with advanced modelling, from sub-micrometer to its full thickness. The analysis are performed on CCL customized with different and original materials, and will cover structural 3D analysis of the CCL, local operando diagnostics (temperature, liquid water) in the CCL, advanced characterization of ionomer films, innovative diagnostics on transport limitations, fundamental electrochemistry. Advanced one and two-phase models will be used as a support to the experiments and benefit from the experiments for more reliable inputs, physics and validation. The approach will also address the durability issues thanks to the better understanding of the correlation between CCL microstructure, local conditions and properties. FURTHER-FC will propose and validate the performance and durability new ionomer and electrode structures specifically designed to prevent the limitations observed on current MEA, contributing to reach the MAWP targets for horizon 2024-2030. FURTHER-FC will benefit from the active role of renowned partners gathering significant experience on MEA manufacturing and testing (Toyota Europe, CEA, DLR), state-of-the Art experimental techniques (CEA, DLR, PSI, CNRS-IEM, Univ. of Esslingen, Imperial College of London) and modelling tools (CEA, DLR, CNRS-INPT) supported by international entities (Chemours-US, University of Calgary).

The overall objective of HDGAS is to provide breakthroughs in LNG vehicle fuel systems, natural gas and dual fuel engine technologies as well as aftertreatment systems. The developed components and technologies will be integrated in up to three demonstration vehicles that are representative for long haul heavy duty vehicles in the 40 ton ranges. The demonstration vehicles will: a) comply with the Euro VI emission regulations b) meet at minimum 10% CO2 reduction compared to state of the art technology c) show a range before fueling of at least 800 km on natural gas; d) be competitive in terms of performance, engine life, cost of ownership, safety and comfort to 2013 best in class vehicles. Three HDGAS engine concepts/technology routes will be developed: - A low pressure direct injection spark ignited engine with a highly efficient EGR system, variable valve timing comprising a corona ignition system. With this engine a stoichiometric as well as a lean burn combustion approach will be developed. Target is to achieve ≥ 10% higher fuel-efficiency compared with state of the art technology - A low pressure port injected dual fuel engine, a combination of diffusive and Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (PPCI) combustion, variable lambda close loop control and active catalyst management. Target is to achieve > 10% GHG emissions reduction compared with state of the art technology at a Euro VI emission level, with peak substitution rates that are > 80%; - A high pressure gas direct injection diesel pilot ignition gas engine, that is based on a novel injector technology with a substitution rate > 90% of the diesel fuel. Target is to achieve same equivalent fuel consumption (< 215g/kWh) and 20% lower GHG emissions than the corresponding diesel engine. HDGAS will develop all key technologies up to TRL6 and TRL7 and HDGAS will also prepare a plan for a credible path to deliver the innovations to the market.