The
NORLAS project is a network based collaboration between Nordic research
institutes, universities and the industry regarding laser materials
processing. The project started November 2001. Such processes, mainly
related to metals cutting, welding and surface treatment are developing
rapidly and the implementation rate into the Nordic industry is very high.
One of the reasons for this industrial success is that over the last three
decades Nordic institutes and universities have supported this industrial
development intensively e.g. through earlier Nordic
Industrial Fund supported projects.
When analyzing
knowledge and project results related to the mentioned research institutes
a high degree of complementarity’s is present. Individually know-how
specialised within different types of lasers and industrial applications
are present. This off course stems from the variation in type of
industries in the countries and therefore related to different
needs.
This
situation clearly invites the 5 Nordic countries to carry out a common
effort in collecting, structuring and exploiting this Nordic ‘gold’ to
become the benefit for the over all industry as well as basis for the
research institutes regarding the expansion of their knowledge, to
stimulate collaboration and to maintain social and technical contacts.
The
network will be based on the design of a common web-site platform as the
central forum for a knowledge ‘market place’ with links to available
information, to the research institutes and e.g. to some industrial
companies. The web-site will be maintained through a continuous flow of
technical issues, research results, news and information about events like
conferences, demonstrations, call for papers, etc . The input to the
web-site will mainly come from the research institutes, but may also come
from the industry. During the project special emphasis will be put into
the ‘marketing’ of the net work which means promoting the network to
the industry through direct mail, advertising in relevant magazines and
through presentations at conferences. Promotion will also be performed
through the national Laser-User-Clubs in which the industry typically
twice a year is discussing common experiences. A Nordic net-work within
laser materials processing technologies will assure the optimum
utilisation of Nordic research results. A co-ordination with other similar
European net-works might reinforce the technical level in the Nordic
industry even more.
FORCE
Technology, DK.