Just over a year has passed since the launch of the international research project HELIOS, funded under the Horizon Europe programme within the WIDERA strand. We spoke with the project coordinator, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at Lviv Polytechnic National University, Iryna Yaremchuk, about the first results, support for young scientists, and the significance of international research partnerships.
Prof. Iryna Yaremchuk, more than a year has passed since HELIOS began. What results has the team achieved at this stage?
During this time, we have managed to build an effectively functioning international research team and launch the core scientific directions in the field of organic electronics. Importantly, the project has become not only a research initiative but also a platform for developing new partnerships and preparing future Horizon applications. We have also significantly strengthened institutional collaboration between partner laboratories, enabling Ukrainian researchers to work in a fully integrated European research environment.
Why is participation in Horizon Europe projects, and WIDERA in particular, strategically important for Ukrainian universities?
The WIDERA strand creates opportunities to strengthen the research capacity of universities and integrate them into the European Research Area. For Ukraine, this means access to new research infrastructures, the development of research management competencies, and the opportunity to act as coordinators of international consortia. The coordination of HELIOS demonstrates that Ukrainian universities are capable of taking on leadership roles in large-scale European innovation projects.
What is the innovative dimension of HELIOS research?
The project is focused on creating new bio-organic materials for lighting that are more energy-efficient and environmentally safe. We work at the intersection of organic electronics, materials science, and photonics, and it is precisely these interdisciplinary fields that are shaping the foundation of tomorrow’s technologies. A particular focus of the project is the development of WOLED (White Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technologies – a new generation of organic white LEDs. Unlike traditional light sources, they use organic molecules, making it possible to produce ultra-thin, flexible, and energy-efficient light panels with a reduced environmental footprint.
Our research team is working on the development of highly efficient single-molecule white emitters using advanced photonic effects, including thermally activated delayed fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence, which enhance the efficiency and stability of lighting devices. Within the international consortium, a complete technological chain has been established: partners from the University of Glasgow carry out the synthesis of new materials, research groups from Kaunas and Riga perform their physicochemical characterisation, and Lviv Polytechnic develops prototypes of LED devices based on the resulting materials. Crucially, the project is oriented towards eliminating the use of costly rare-earth metals, making the technology more accessible and environmentally sound.
How important are international mobility and support for young scientists within HELIOS?
This is one of the project’s key priorities. Young researchers have the opportunity to work in the laboratories of partner organisations, participate in joint research, training sessions, and international scientific events. Such mobility not only raises the quality of research but also shapes a new generation of Ukrainian scientists who, from the very beginning of their careers, are embedded in international research networks.
Over the past year, considerable attention has been devoted to developing competencies in research management and science communication. More than 90 researchers, academics, and early-career scientists took part in specialised training sessions covering Horizon project management, the preparation of scientific publications, the presentation of research findings, and effective science communication. This substantially strengthens the university’s institutional capacity to form new competitive international projects and to disseminate research results effectively.
What moment in the project’s implementation over the past year struck you as most telling?
What impresses most is that even under the difficult conditions of war, Ukrainian researchers are not only remaining active participants in international science but are coordinating large-scale Horizon projects. This demonstrates the resilience of our scientific system and opens new opportunities for Ukrainian universities in the field of innovation.
What is the long-term significance of HELIOS for the university and for Ukrainian science?
The project creates a lasting impact. It involves the development of research competencies, the strengthening of international partnerships, the preparation of new Horizon Europe applications, and the raising of Ukrainian science’s visibility at the European level. HELIOS is not only a scientific endeavour – it is an institutional step towards deeper integration of Ukrainian universities into the European space of innovation and research.
Just over a year has passed since the launch of the international research project HELIOS, funded under the Horizon Europe programme within the WIDERA strand. We spoke with the project coordinator, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at Lviv Polytechnic National University, Iryna Yaremchuk, about the first results, support for young scientists, and the significance of international research partnerships.
Prof. Iryna Yaremchuk, more than a year has passed since HELIOS began. What results has the team achieved at this stage?
During this time, we have managed to build an effectively functioning international research team and launch the core scientific directions in the field of organic electronics. Importantly, the project has become not only a research initiative but also a platform for developing new partnerships and preparing future Horizon applications. We have also significantly strengthened institutional collaboration between partner laboratories, enabling Ukrainian researchers to work in a fully integrated European research environment.
Why is participation in Horizon Europe projects, and WIDERA in particular, strategically important for Ukrainian universities?
The WIDERA strand creates opportunities to strengthen the research capacity of universities and integrate them into the European Research Area. For Ukraine, this means access to new research infrastructures, the development of research management competencies, and the opportunity to act as coordinators of international consortia. The coordination of HELIOS demonstrates that Ukrainian universities are capable of taking on leadership roles in large-scale European innovation projects.
What is the innovative dimension of HELIOS research?
The project is focused on creating new bio-organic materials for lighting that are more energy-efficient and environmentally safe. We work at the intersection of organic electronics, materials science, and photonics, and it is precisely these interdisciplinary fields that are shaping the foundation of tomorrow’s technologies. A particular focus of the project is the development of WOLED (White Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technologies – a new generation of organic white LEDs. Unlike traditional light sources, they use organic molecules, making it possible to produce ultra-thin, flexible, and energy-efficient light panels with a reduced environmental footprint.
Our research team is working on the development of highly efficient single-molecule white emitters using advanced photonic effects, including thermally activated delayed fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence, which enhance the efficiency and stability of lighting devices. Within the international consortium, a complete technological chain has been established: partners from the University of Glasgow carry out the synthesis of new materials, research groups from Kaunas and Riga perform their physicochemical characterisation, and Lviv Polytechnic develops prototypes of LED devices based on the resulting materials. Crucially, the project is oriented towards eliminating the use of costly rare-earth metals, making the technology more accessible and environmentally sound.
How important are international mobility and support for young scientists within HELIOS?
This is one of the project’s key priorities. Young researchers have the opportunity to work in the laboratories of partner organisations, participate in joint research, training sessions, and international scientific events. Such mobility not only raises the quality of research but also shapes a new generation of Ukrainian scientists who, from the very beginning of their careers, are embedded in international research networks.
Over the past year, considerable attention has been devoted to developing competencies in research management and science communication. More than 90 researchers, academics, and early-career scientists took part in specialised training sessions covering Horizon project management, the preparation of scientific publications, the presentation of research findings, and effective science communication. This substantially strengthens the university’s institutional capacity to form new competitive international projects and to disseminate research results effectively.
What moment in the project’s implementation over the past year struck you as most telling?
What impresses most is that even under the difficult conditions of war, Ukrainian researchers are not only remaining active participants in international science but are coordinating large-scale Horizon projects. This demonstrates the resilience of our scientific system and opens new opportunities for Ukrainian universities in the field of innovation.
What is the long-term significance of HELIOS for the university and for Ukrainian science?
The project creates a lasting impact. It involves the development of research competencies, the strengthening of international partnerships, the preparation of new Horizon Europe applications, and the raising of Ukrainian science’s visibility at the European level. HELIOS is not only a scientific endeavour – it is an institutional step towards deeper integration of Ukrainian universities into the European space of innovation and research.
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