QuinCAT
From the idea to the product
The chemical industry has to face enormous challenges in the coming years in order to keep pace with the ever faster developments of our time. This can only succeed if novel innovations quickly find their way from research to the market. A possible way into the future is emerging with Green Chemistry & Engineering, which can offer a sustainable solution to many of these challenges in the economic, social and ecological sense.
The State of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is a state with a leading international research scene and an industry of World class in the field of chemistry. Nevertheless, in the important field of chemical industry the path from idea to product is still long and difficult, not least because of lack of space for start-up projects. Accordingly, only a small part of the newly founded companies in NRW are from this thus underrepresented sector. The QuinCAT research infrastructure offers a unique opportunity to meet these challenges.
The Valley of Death
Also The European Union has identified these obstacles as a key problem: The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) describes the way of an idea to the product on the market. The bottle neck is the transition from TRL 4 to 7, the so-called Valley of Death.
The Incubator QuinCAT
The incubator QuinCAT is intended to reduce the obstacles on this path in the field of Green Chemistry & Engineering by providing modern, fully equipped laboratory and office space in the pre-foundation phase in the sovereign area of the RWTH so that real products and processes can be developed from ideas. QuinCAT will act as a beacon for Green Chemistry & Engineering start-ups in North Rhine-Westphalia, attracting skills, attracting investors and creating new jobs across borders.
We are currently in the construction phase of laboratories and offices.
Funding notice
This OP EFRE project is funded by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The abbreviation OP EFRE stands for the Operational Programme of North Rhine-Westphalia for the promotion of investments in growth and employment from the European Regional Development Fund. It is based on a comprehensive support package that focuses on the future of the state NRW and opens the way to a sustainable and future-oriented North Rhine-Westphalia.