Europäische Forschungsgesellschaft Dünne Schichten eV: Building bridges – Capitalizing on synergies

The main
task of EFDS (European So­ciety of Thin Films) is to promote close collaboration between organizations and institutions that operate on the fields of ma­­­­terial development, plant engineering, subcontract treat­­ment services and surface characterization as well as the consumer sectors in the industry. Founded in Dresden in 1992, EFDS is a registered association of the vacuum and plasma surface technology industry and cur­rently has 170 members – plant construction and job-coater organizations, institutions, establishments and private individuals, mostly from Germany, but also from Bel­gium, Denmark, France, Greece, Liech­­ten­stein, the Neth­erlands, Austria, Swit­zerland and the USA.

Core activities
• The application of financial advancements and supervision of industrial joint research projects
• Project and network management, for example NEMO projects in cooperation with the AiF/BMWi
• Con­­sul­ta­tion re­­gard­­ing surface technology issues, particularly innovative processes of vacuum and plasma sur­face treatment
• Placement of competent job-coater or­­ganizations and plant construction companies as well as the organization of sample coating
• Consultation for enterprise management
• Drafting of approval certificates and surveys of new projects, markets and investment plans as well as the formulation of policy recommendations
• Representation of EFDS and its member organizations at trade fairs
• Organization of conferences, workshops and industry exhibitions, consumer forums and similar events

EFDS has held the position of management of the plasma surface technology re­­search group since 2005. Associated therewith is the organization and implementation of the international congress “Plasma Surface Engineering-PSE” on a two-yearly basis. The 11. PSE congress took place from 15.–19.09.2008 with great international participation in Gar­­misch-Partenkirchen; the 12. PSE is planned for the 13.–17.09.2010. A further highlight is the event series “In­­dus­­trie­­aus­­stellung & Work­­­shop-Woche Va­­kuum­­­­be­­schich­­tung und Plas­­ma­ober­flä­­chen­­tech­­­­nik”, which will likewise be carried out on a two-yearly basis the V2009 is scheduled for 20.– 22.10.2008 in Dres­­den.

Amongst others things, EFDS is a mem­­ber of the SILICON SAXONY eV network and organizes technology-trans­­fer events, par­­ticularly for Saxon or­­ga­­ni­­zations and establishments.