  Noise at the quantum limit over a broad bandwidth is a fundamental
requirement for future cryogenic experiments for neutrino mass measurements,
dark matter searches and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) measurements as well
as for fast high-fidelity read-out of superconducting qubits. In the last
years, Josephson Parametric Amplifiers (JPA) have demonstrated noise levels
close to the quantum limit, but due to their narrow bandwidth, only few
detectors or qubits per line can be read out in parallel. An alternative and
innovative solution is based on superconducting parametric amplification
exploiting the travelling-wave concept. Within the DARTWARS (Detector Array
Readout with Travelling Wave AmplifieRS) project, we develop Kinetic Inductance
Travelling-Wave Parametric Amplifiers (KI-TWPAs) for low temperature detectors
and qubit read-out. KI-TWPAs are typically operated in a threewave mixing (3WM)
mode and are characterised by a high gain, a high saturation power, a large
amplification bandwidth and nearly quantum limited noise performance. The goal
of the DARTWARS project is to optimise the KI-TWPA design, explore new
materials, and investigate alternative fabrication processes in order to
enhance the overall performance of the amplifier. In this contribution we
present the advancements made by the DARTWARS collaboration to produce a
working prototype of a KI-TWPA, from the fabrication to the characterisation.
