BalticNet-PlasmaTec (BNPT) is registered as a non-profit association and is an international cluster based in Greifswald, Germany. It promotes technology and market oriented cooperation between science, research and industry in the field of plasma technologies. As one of the most important plasma technology clusters in Europe, BNPT supports technology-oriented companies, application-oriented universities and research institutions in establishing sustainable cross-border partnerships. It also serves as a focal point for stakeholders wishing to expand their technical and economic potential through plasma technology.

BNPT brings together 78 members from 18 countries, including start-ups, large corporations, R&D facilities, universities and technology centres. Its scope includes all countries around the Baltic Sea and several other countries across Europe, while it also has partner links in India and Brazil.

What is plasma?
Plasma is considered the fourth state of matter - along with solid, liquid and gas. When enough energy is supplied to a gas, electrons are released from their atoms, ionizing the gas and forming a plasma. This energy is usually supplied by a high-voltage source, resulting in a substance with a high and unstable energy level. (Ref: https://www.relyon-plasma.com/technology/?lang=en) 

For example, imagine a cube of solid material. Add heat, and it melts into a liquid. Add more energy, and it becomes a gas. With further energy input, the gas transforms into plasma.

Most BNPT partners operate in the fields of surface coating and surface treatment, though plasma technology has many diverse applications.

BNPT is comparable to Nanoprogress in that it is a technology-focused rather than a sector-specific cluster.

BNPT Working Groups & Areas of Focus

Educational and Outreach Efforts

BNPT conducts public education about plasma - often challenging since plasma is invisible in the final product. It typically acts as a surface coating or activator, making its effects hard to perceive directly.

Working areas:

• Plasma & Education
• Plasma & Marketing

Working groups:

• Plasma & Surface - A major group focused on surface coating and activation.
• Plasma & Environment
  • Plasma & Water - Collaborations include CREA Hydro&Energy, ZINNAE (Spain), CLEAN Denmark, and Aqua-Valley.
  • Plasma & Energy - A newer group focused on hydrogen technologies, with key partners from Norway and Lithuania/Latvia.
• Plasma & Bio

Plasma & Internationalisation - Active in Brazil, Canada, China, India, and the USA.

BNPT services and activities:

• Cross-sectoral and Cross-Border Cooperation: Involvement in EU projects, matchmaking events, dissemination activities, and regular presentations via the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP).
• Partner information: Publicising member activities via social media and events.
• Market-related activities: Organising study visits, business missions, country-specific trainings, and joint fair booths.
• Exchange of knowledge between R&D&I - Hosting or organising scientific workshops, symposia, conferences, summer schools, and research placements.
• Development of R&D&I projects - Ongoing participation and leadership in funded projects.

To date, BNPT has participated in 33 projects with a combined budget of €17.5 million, including €2 million in BNPT’s own contributions.

Project Funding and Partnerships

From 2006 to 2016, BNPT leveraged German funding. Since 2016, it has mainly relied on international (EU) funding, such as COSME and Horizon 2020, which are often less bureaucratically restrictive than German national programs. Thanks to these projects, BNPT has built partnerships with organisations in 16 European countries. There is growing interest in expanding into Eastern Europe.

Membership, Funding, and Recognition

BNPT is a member of:

• CEDEG
• International Cleantech Network (ICN, with an annual membership fee of €5,000)
• Go-cluster

BNPT does not charge a membership fee, as it was difficult to introduce one. Instead, fees are applied to participation in working groups, with the amount varying depending on group activity and whether the member is a company or research institution. Financially, the cluster depends heavily on project funding—without projects, there is no budget.

BNPT has been awarded the Cluster Management Excellence Silver Label, which it has successfully renewed four times. Despite being an international (rather than regional or local) cluster, it has passed the certification process. The label is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany and is often required for quality assurance in project applications. However, many members are unaware of the label’s significance. Czech evaluators are recognised as particularly competent in this process.

Sustainability of Cluster Management

BNPT's operations depend largely on external funding. While it does not charge membership fees, it generates revenue through working group fees. According to Katherina (Project manager at BNPT), many clusters may cease operations once their funding ends. However, she emphasizes that it is not in Europe’s best interest to let this happen. Greater collaboration among clusters could provide stability and strengthen Europe’s collective innovation network. Cluster-led events may offer a path to securing supplementary funding.

Contact: 

Katherina Ulrich

Project Manager

ku@balticnet-plasmatec.org

www.bnpt.eu