On 1 January 2026, the new European doctoral training network “MGICIAN” will officially start. Funded under Horizon Europe through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the project brings together leading academic and industrial partners to drive the further development of sustainable solid-state cooling technologies.
From materials development to application: tellurium-free, magnesium-based thermoelectrics
Under its full title “MaGnesium Alloys for effICient solId stAte cooliNg”, MGICIAN specifically focuses on the development of tellurium-free, magnesium-based thermoelectric materials for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solid-state cooling. With this approach, the network aims to make a direct contribution to the European Union’s climate and sustainability goals.
The initiative is coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW Dresden) and implemented as a European joint project with 19 academic and industrial partner institutions. This interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration provides ideal conditions to closely link fundamental research with application-oriented development.
Training the next generation in a specialized field
At the heart of MGICIAN is the training of 15 doctoral candidates in this highly specialized research area. The planned training program combines excellent research with a broad skills-development portfolio in key areas of solid-state cooling:
- Advanced materials design
- Interface engineering
- Module fabrication
- System-level integration
Through the close involvement of industrial partners, the doctoral candidates will also gain insights into development processes and the economic requirements of future technologies.
The first project meeting and official kick-off meeting will take place at IFW Dresden on 22–23 January 2026. The aim of this meeting is to define the scientific priorities and research strategies, plan the selection of suitable doctoral candidates and the network’s organisation, its training structure, communication activities, and open-science/data-management processes.
Acknowledgement
This project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (Grant Agreement GA-101227508).
Project duration: 01.01.2026 – 31.12.2029.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Kornelius Nielsch
Coordinator
Email: k.nielsch[at]ifw-dresden.de
Phone: +49 (0) 351 - 4659 104
Dr. Jamil Ur Rahman
Project Manager
Email: j.u.rahman[at]ifw-dresden.de
Phone: +49 (0) 351 – 4659 612
Media contact
Patricia Bäuchler
Science Communication
Email: p.baeuchler[at]ifw-dresden.de
Phone: +49 (0) 351 – 4659 249
