Université Bourgogne Europe inaugurates the CALHIPSO building, a new centre for innovation and research in powder metallurgy in Le Creusot

Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE) has inaugurated the CALHIPSO building, a new space dedicated to technological innovation, applied research and regional development in the field of powder metallurgy.

Located on the Creusot university campus, this new facility is part of a strategy to strengthen cooperation between higher education, research and socio-economic actors, with major involvement from the Interdisciplinary Carnot Laboratory of Burgundy (ICB).

A space dedicated to innovation and collaboration

The CALHIPSO building was designed to house a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) machine, acquired as part of the Équipex+ CALHIPSO (ANR-21-ESRE-0039) project, coordinated by Professor Frédéric Bernard of the ICB laboratory. This state-of-the-art equipment will enable the study of scale effects and the development, through powder metallurgy, of intermediate-sized parts or prototypes.

It is designed to support training, research and partnership activities with local and national economic players, and contributes to the development of structural collaborations between higher education, public research and the region’s industrial fabric.

Calhipso, the future of metallurgy is being created in Le Creusot

The CALHIPSO project is part of a national drive to structure hot isostatic pressing. France already has numerous small-scale CIC facilities, spread across technical centres and academic laboratories, demonstrating a solid foundation of skills and expertise. This equipment is currently used mainly for the treatment of metal alloys and the sintering of ceramic parts.

Key figures

The total cost of the project amounts to €9,500,000. It receives financial support from several institutional partners:

• Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) (ANR) is contributing €3,800,000 towards the funding of the two hot isostatic pressing systems, broken down as follows:

• €1,262,000 for the facility (QIH21) installed at the CEA in Grenoble

• €2,538,000 for the facility (QIH60) led by the UBE and installed in Le Creusot

• Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, under the CUCM Metropolitan Contract, has funded, on the one hand, part of the machine to the tune of €500,000 and, on the other hand, the construction of the CALHIPSO building to the tune of €600,000.

• European co-financing from the FEDER-FSE+ Bourgogne-Franche-Comté programme, totalling €962,500, was allocated for the construction of the building.