Minho University showed that Portugal has fiber

In the past November 3rd it was held at Minho University a workshop part of the project Fibrenamics and entitled “The new World of fiber-based materials”.

The workshop was attended by several experts, researchers and professionals in the fields of medicine, construction, transportation, sports, architecture and personal protection. All of them demonstrated the revolution they are facing due to the introduction of new smart materials and intelligent equipment composed by fibers in the different areas.

In the field of medicine, Dr. Rui Dias from the Hospital of Coimbra University presented the main achievements of biocompatible materials that have allowed the development of tissues and implantable devices. He introduced encouraging results in the area of orthopedics, cardiology, and vascular surgery, besides the improvement of clothing and fabrics used in surgical environment.

In the field of construction, Cristina Barbosa talked about the experience of FiberSensing in the creation of advanced optical fiber monitoring systems in different structures, in order to detect real-time maps of wear and damage of buildings.

Representing the transports sector, Eduardo Diniz, from the company ITA / Continental, highlighted the role of different fibers in the creation of technologically advanced tires, as key elements in the performance of the vehicle on the road.

In sports, the application of fiber cuts across different modalities, whether in clothing or equipment for athletes, such as surfboards or bikes. In the Workshop, the company Safina, represented by Rui Silva, demonstrated the application of these fibers in artificial turf.

In architecture, the use of fiber-based materials has allowed a renewed creative freedom for architects and designers. The architect Paulo Mendonça, from Minho University, highlighted the potential of architectural membranes in a revolutionary new concept of accommodation in interior spaces.

Finally, in the area of personal protection, fibers are contributing to the preparation of the future soldier. Mário Álvares, from the Escola Prática de Infantaria, brought suggestions for new developments and challenges in the area of fibrous based materials applied to the army.