On a winter day, 8 December, the laboratories of G. Liberts Innovative Microscopy Center at Daugavpils University were filled with more than the usual hum of research activity. This time, the moment marked something special: a visible step forward in the implementation of SmartInks: Smart Inks for Printed X-Chromic Windows, a project that aims to rethink how future buildings manage light and heat.

The event brought together researchers, university representatives and partners to reflect on how an ambitious scientific concept is becoming a working technological platform. At the heart of the milestone was the installation of an advanced inkjet printer, a key piece of equipment that now allows the SmartInks team to move from laboratory-scale material development to real printed functional coatings.

Until now, much of the work behind SmartInks had taken place at the level of materials synthesis, ink formulation and modelling. With the printer now fully installed and operational, the project enters a new phase, the one where functional photochromic and thermochromic inks can be printed, tested and optimized directly on transparent substrates, bringing the vision of printable smart windows closer to reality.

SmartInks focuses on the development of innovative inks based on chromogenic nanomaterials that respond to light and temperature. When applied to windows, these materials can automatically adjust transparency and solar heat transmission without electricity, sensors or control systems. The goal is simple but powerful: to reduce energy consumption in buildings while keeping production costs low enough for widespread use.

The G. Liberts Innovative Microscopy Center provides the scientific environment and infrastructure needed for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of photonics, nanotechnology and materials science. The new printing system further strengthens this environment, opening opportunities not only for SmartInks, but also for future research and collaboration at Daugavpils University.

The milestone event was also an opportunity to look beyond the laboratory. Filming and a video interview with a young researcher were carried out on site, capturing both the scientific ambition of the project and the human stories behind it. The interview highlights the role of early-career researchers in developing advanced technologies and reflects the project’s contribution to building the next generation of scientists.

SmartInks is implemented within the Biomedicine and Photonics Research Platform (BioPhoT), which supports research with strong innovation potential and societal relevance. As the project continues, the team will focus on refining ink formulations, printing technologies and performance testing,  step by step transforming advanced materials research into practical solutions for energy-efficient buildings.

What began as an idea on paper is now taking physical form in printed layers of smart material. And on this December day in Daugavpils, SmartInks moved decisively from concept to implementation – one printed drop at a time

The project “Smart Inks for Printed X-chromic Windows” (Nr. OSI_PIP_BIOT-2025/1-0042)  is being implemented within the framework of the long-term national research program “Innovation Fund – Long-Term Research Program”, financed by the Ministry of Economics.