Today, personal ballistic protection relies primarily on flat plates, which impose a single design regardless of the intended use or the wearer’s body type. At Eurosatory 2026, the Carnot MICA consortium unveiled a preview of a composite demonstrator featuring complex geometries: made of para-aramid fibers, this lighter, more ergonomic, and higher-performance plate protects vulnerable areas such as the shoulders and knees, while withstanding both small-caliber projectiles and knife attacks. Made possible by initial MICA funding, the project brings together two organizations from its network: UBSIDE, for the robotic manufacturing of composites, and the ISL—the Franco-German Research Institute in Saint-Louis—for the characterization of materials under ballistic impact. And because these materials allow signals to pass through, they open the door to developing equipment capable of both protecting and communicating: aerospace applications, onboard protection systems, drones, and radomes.

Against the backdrop of a gradual phase-out of PFAS by 2030, a Carnot consortium bringing together three Alsatian CNRS laboratories (LIMA, IS2M, ICS), Cetim, and the industrial partner APS Coating Solutions has been launched. Coordinated by the Carnot Cetim–MICA alliance, it aims to develop anti-friction coatings as alternatives to fluorinated polymers. The four-year program is based on three doctoral dissertations and involves an investment of approximately 900 k€.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Alsatian researcher Karin Mougin has been honored with the “Long-Term Partnership Award.” This award recognizes the quality and continuity of her collaborations with industry partners, as well as her commitment to transforming research into concrete solutions. Carnot MICA is delighted by this recognition, which highlights the excellence of the collaborative research conducted within its ecosystem.