The Working Visits Programme encourages members to coordinate and make visits to each others institutions. The mechanism allows researchers access to appropriate infrastructures within the network and to broaden their understanding of a particular area of research.
These visits range from exploratory trips to concrete discussions (occasionally short feasibility studies or evaluations), which aim to seed a future collaboration inside a research framework.
Around 50% of working visits lead to direct collaborations and initial trials between Coronet members. Many of these collaborations are now well established and have lead to further related research activity. 25 % resulted in the submission of formal proposals for funding. The remaining 25% of visits involved discussions and planning of technical exchanges between students and researchers, potential collaborations, and project proposals.
The programme overall is flourishing and the successful collaborations that have occurred would not have come about without the support of Coronet.
The following areas are considered fundamental to the success of the programme, and the future of thermoplastic composites in Europe:
Exchange of Information
This is crucial to the progression of the working visits programme. Partners receive periodic updates on what new collaborations and new business has arisen from visits so that further cooperation would be facilitated and duplication of research avoided.
Strategic Planning
We aim to identify prospective areas for collaboration and non-funded areas with potential for further development through strategic planning exercises such as brainstorming
Scientist/Researcher Exchange
The working visits programme enables young researchers and students to gain important experience in thermoplastic composites at premier institutions around Europe.