X-CELERATE: Shaping the Future of Smart Materials and 4D Printing
X-CELERATE is a pioneering initiative dedicated to developing 4DCT tools that will accelerate the design and characterisation of advanced smart materials. By creating a dynamic training environment, X-CELERATE empowers a new generation of research engineers with an entrepreneurial mindset—driving innovation and strengthening Europe’s manufacturing sector.
The project focuses on two transformative application areas:
Shape-changing devices made from smart materials like shape memory alloys and polymers.
Tissue culture devices produced from hydrogels for advanced biomedical applications.
Smart materials—such as shape memory alloys (SMAs), shape memory polymers (SMPs), and hydrogels—are revolutionising industries from aerospace and automotive to medicine and civil engineering. These materials can return to their original shapes or adapt dynamically when exposed to external stimuli like heat, light, magnetic fields, or chemicals.
Combined with 4D printing, these smart materials enable the creation of innovative structures that can change shape or function over time. This breakthrough opens the door to cost-effective, sustainable products with unique properties such as self-healing, large deformation recovery, reversibility, and biocompatibility.
Through X-CELERATE, Europe is taking a major step toward realising the full potential of smart materials—paving the way for next-generation manufacturing solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable.