The LUMINET Project:
Luminescent materials have entered our every day life. They can be found in lamps, traffic
lights, computer screens, cell phones, in labels for goods, are used in medical applications,
airport security check devices and many more. Indeed, they have become indispensable and
much of society’s convenience and welfare depend on them. No wonder that the development
and use of luminescent materials has truly exploded in the past decade stimulated by the
challenging requirements of technological applications spanning domains from solid-state
lighting, optics and photonics, energy conversion and storage to well as labelling, detection
and imaging in biomedicine. The production of luminescent materials and related devices also
is the basis for a large industrial sector with the most key stake holders situated in Europe.
There is and there will be a strong demand for skilled scientists in the area of luminescent
materials which demands the definition of a precise human resource policy to attract young
and highly motivated students that can be well qualified to address the exigent technological
requirements of the field and help to strengthen the European technology and research area
and allow European companies to keep their status as world market leaders. At the same time
sustainable employment opportunities can be guaranteed with high quality jobs. To address
theses topics, LUMINET intends, through a rigorous training programme, to strategically
position the EU with respect to new and improved possibilities and educated young scientists.
It aims at educating a number of well-educated and talented young researchers with a broad,
interdisciplinary knowledge in chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering but also
in soft-skills like problem-solving and project management in order to meet the challenges of
the future.
