Natural Stone is perceived as a coating material, deck or utility (case of washbasins, slabs, countertops). Today, the relationship with the products and in a context of a Global Sector (focused mainly in the export), requires features that increasingly have to be adaptable to the requirements of higher market niches, with increasingly interactive features and intuitive. In conjunction with the Design, Natural Stone must find new applications / features in order to respond to markets and demand that are evolving. There are companies in this industrial sector that are well equipped technologically and have wide strategic vision, always in search for innovation, diversity and differentiation in the product.

The central objective of the project is to study the possibility and feasibility to input new features to the Natural Stone. To achieve this, we intend to study 3 demonstrators with high technological content that will allow the incorporation in traditional limestone of materials and intelligent systems, including sensors, actuators and lighting and heating systems. These 3 demonstrators may turn out to be the "gateway" of Solancis in the segment of smart homes.
 

Main goals

1. Development of innovative technological solutions integrated in natural stone; 
2. Innovation in processes for seamless integration of thin film systems by direct printing on natural stone substrates; 
3. Development in processes for seamless integration of signal conduction paths and hardware acquisition and signal processing in natural stone substrates;
4. Development of an innovative product, differentiator in the market and with sustainable characteristics;
5. Valuing the natural stone product through an increased versatility of its applications.

Project number: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-018008

Project duration: March 2017 to February 2020

Total eligible cost: 708.260,39 €

Financial support from ERDF: 497.832,73 €

Project Type: SI I&DT Empresarial – Copromoção

Intervention Region: Centre and North of Portugal