Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Spacecraft must work robustly in the presence of uncertainties such as random hardware faults, operator mistakes, space debris, and radiation. Classic space missions address uncertainty via large safety margins and bult-in redundancy, leading to a spiral of increasing cost and complexity. A recent trend is the small-business commercialisation of space using commercial-off-the-shelf components for networked constellations of small satellites. This "New Space" approach reduces component weight, size, price, and lead time, and makes innovation increasingly driven by software. This pertains especially to resource management and data handling, while simpler components and new interactions increase uncertainty, and come with less reliable parts. Thus, overall mission connectivity, efficiency, dependability and safety in the New Space needs to be achieved on a system level - for which there is no systematic approach yet. This is partly rooted in the empirical focus of many teams, and partly in a lack of easy-to-use methods to model, analyse, and guarantee system-level dependability. This interdisciplinary project sets out to solve this space engineering problem by exploiting highly advanced techniques from the forefront of computing science research, especially model-based algorithmics. We strive for sound and efficient software tools for the development of dependable, networked, and resource-aware New Space missions. For this, the MISSION project will develop an integrated model-based technology to establish and maintain system-level properties of critical space mission parameters. A strong consortium of excellent academic and industrial partners in Europe, Argentina, and China has agreed on a joint research and knowledge sharing agenda that will foster a shared culture of research and innovation, to finally deliver an ecosystem of easy-to-use methods and software tools to the New Space industry.
Partners
Ascentio Technologies S.A. (AR)D3TN GmbH (DE)Institute of Intelligent Software, Guangzhou (CN)INVAP S.E. (AR)RWTH Aachen University (DE)Saarland University (DE)Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (AR)Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (AR)University of Twente (NL, coordinator)

Promoting Disaster Preparedness and Resilience by co-developing stakeholder support tools for managing the systemic risk of compounding disasters
PARATUS is a Horizon Europe-funded project that aims at increasing the preparedness of first and second responders in the face of multi-hazard events and to reduce the risks related to impacts on various sectors that result from complex disasters. The outcome is to develop a cloud-based Online Service Platform that offers support in reducing dynamic risk scenarios and systemic vulnerability caused by multi-hazard disasters.
In order to achieve these objectives, the project will perform in-depth assessments of complex interactions between hazards and their resulting impacts in various sectors, as well as analyse the current risk situation and study how alternative future scenarios could change multi-hazard impact chains. Based on this analysis, scenarios of multi-hazard impacts will be co-designed with stakeholders and developed in four case study areas (including the Caribbean, Romania, Istanbul, and Alpine areas).

The Horizon Europe project ONCHIPS aims to provide a unique silicon-based integrated architecture by developing key building blocks for quantum technologies.
Such a technology combines the best of two worlds: it would interface individual spin qubits and photons, and drastically enhance the scalability of quantum systems. The ONCHIPS’ novel silicon platform integrating quantum electronics and photonics will make a high impact in the quantum community and semiconductor industry positioning Europe at the forefront of these domains.
By using a new CMOS compatible and optically active material system - direct bandgap GeSi which won the Physics World 2020Breakthrough - the ONCHIPS partners will realize for the first-time quantum heterostructures, spin qubits, electronic and photonic quantum devices and spin-photon interfaces with the ultimate goal to integrate the electronics and photonics in a single silicon-based system.
ONChips partners
Coordinated by Prof. Floris Zwanenburg, the ONCHIPS project brings together world leading experts from Twente, Eindhoven, Münich, Paris, Delft, Konstanz and Budapest:
The ONCHIPS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101080022.

Network for safe and sustainable by design electromagnetic shielding for vehicles
PARASOL is a Doctoral Network at the intersection of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), materials engineering, system-safety engineering, and sustainability management. The project will include the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approach for vehicles. The Doctoral Researchers (DRs) trained in the project will research electromagnetic (EM) shielding solutions, which are performance defining technologies in terms of EM safety, weight, volume, mechanical strength, and the cost of a vehicle.
The SSbD approach is pivotal for addressing electromagnetic interference (EMI) challenges in the evolving mobility market, marked by the rise of electric vehicles and increased autonomous functionality. The absence of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a comprehensive assessment methodology hinders effective EMI shielding solutions. The project aims to fill these gaps, providing valuable KPIs and insights through effective communication and dissemination. Bridging these challenges will empower companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to navigate EMI risk management successfully, contributing to the overall goal of developing efficient KPIs for shielding solutions using the SSbD approach in the mobility sector.

Advancing sustainable AGRIculture through off-grid energy and COOLing solutions in Africa
Aims to empower rural African communities and industries by strengthening food security, reducing post-harvest waste, and fostering sustainable economic growth. The project also aligns with the climate goals of African countries under the Paris Agreement. By developing a containerised solution for food storage and cooling, AGRI-COOL will enable the preservation of perishable goods for longer periods, minimising food waste and improving the management of supply chains.
At the core of this initiative is the creation of an adaptable cooling system, ideally suited for remote rural areas where access to modern infrastructure is limited. This mobile solution will allow farmers to maintain the quality of their harvests, improving both their incomes and the availability of food within local communities. By leveraging environmentally friendly technologies, AGRI-COOL will play a vital role in transitioning toward more climate-resilient agricultural practices.
To ensure the long-term success of the project, tailored training programs will be provided. These programs will equip farmers, technicians, and engineers with the necessary skills to locally install, operate, and maintain the cooling systems. By building local expertise, AGRI-COOL will not only foster community self-reliance but also create jobs while promoting the adoption of sustainable farming practices.

PopEye is a Horizon Europe research project focused on improved identity verification, enhanced security, and a better border-crossing experience. We optimise the efficiency and operational capabilities of border guards through novel on-the-move biometric solutions, offering travellers a smoother journey.
This is an EU project in the HORIZON-CL3-2023-BM-01 call. The DMB group develops advanced 3D face recognition solutions.

A long-duration and cutting-edge thermochemical heat storage and upgrading technology for heat and power applications
This novel system stores heat in the form of chemical bonds, enabling ultra-efficient and long-duration energy storage, even over seasonal periods. Moreover, the stored heat can be upgraded to significantly higher temperatures, making it possible to power advanced, high-efficiency energy cycles such as supercritical power generation. The main objectives of the projects are 1) Advancing Long-Duration Heat Storage 2) Upgrading to High-Efficiency Heat 3) Accelerating Industrial Decarbonisation)
This project is funded by the EU Horizon Europe and carried out in collaboration with University of Twente; Technical University of Denmark, Denmark; DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV (DLR), Germany; TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN, Austria; COWI AS, Denmark; THERMAL AND MATERIAL ENGINEERING CENTER LLC, Ukraine; COBRA INSTALACIONES Y SERVICIOS S.A, Spain; IZNAB SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA, Poland and INSTITUTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT (IED), Greece. For further clarification and detailed information regarding the project, kindly contact:

Aluminium oxide integrated photonic platform for applications in the ultraviolet (UV)
The goal of ALUVia is to establish the first European Al2O3-on-SiO2 (aluminum oxide on silicon dioxide) integrated photonic platform for operation in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region.
The platform will be commercialized as a foundry service via the spin-off company of the PI’s group, Aluvia Photonics B.V., which is founded in the framework of the ERC Proof-of-concept project aSINdo.
The platform will contain a comprehensive library of widely deployable building blocks that will be offered commercially. An integrated photonic packaging technology will be developed for operation down to ultraviolet wavelengths. As a test-base and driver for the developed building blocks and packaging technology, we will utilize the ALUVia platform in two application fields that have promising commercial and scientific potential, namely (1) an integrated sensor for UV (resonant) Raman spectroscopy and (2) an integrated multiple-ion trap for the parallelization of on-chip quantum qubit generation, one of the most advanced quantum computing technologies today.

OPHELLIA is a collaborative research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The objective of OPHELLIA is to develop novel materials and integration technology for the realization of innovative PIC(a) building blocks to develop PIC-based laser sources for emerging TOF(Time of Flight) and FMCW(Frequency-modulated continuous-wave) LiDAR applications. These LIDAR will be low cost and low size thanks to the high chip integration and tolerant packaging technology  while, at the same time, exhibit the same or even higher performance than existing solutions

RE-SAMPLE - REal-time data monitoring for Shared, Adaptive, Multi-domain and Personalised prediction and decision making for Long-term Pulmonary care Ecosystems
WHY
In Europe alone, an estimated 4 to 10 per cent of the population suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is a progressive lung condition that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. Patients with COPD often require various treatment approaches to relieve their respiratory (e.g., shortness of breath, coughing) and non-respiratory (e.g., fatigue) symptoms, as well as other accompanying conditions (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health issues).
WHAT
Main objectives
empower patients with COPD and CCCs in self-care by developing a multidisciplinary, adaptive virtual companionship programmedrive structural change in healthcare together with patients, healthcare professionals, scientists, policy makers, and industry
Over the course of four years (2021-2025), RE-SAMPLE will work to transform the healthcare journey of patients with COPD, and to set a standard of care for patients suffering from complex chronic conditions (CCC). 
RE-SAMPLE will use real-world data (RWD) to monitor COPD symptoms beyond scheduled medical check-ups. Such information will give doctors, caregivers and patients a unique insight into common, day-to-day triggers that can lead to health complications.
The data and analyses will feed into the development of personalised treatment and a virtual companionship programme.
RE-SAMPLE aims to mitigate the severity of complications and reduce their frequency. Our hope is that RE-SAMPLE’s approach to integrated care will help patients feel safer in-between medical visits, and equally, that patients are involved meaningfully in the management of their care.
HOW
Using Artificial Intelligence, RE-SAMPLE hopes to gain unique insights into the complex relationships between patients’ clinical and non-clinical characteristics, and how these impact disease progression, mental wellbeing, and physical health. The data and analyses will also serve as a basis for predictive models that could help patients and their doctors make treatment and lifestyle changes in time to reduce serious complications.
To ensure that we can gather quality data and that our system truly fits the needs of patients, RE-SAMPLE will rely on inclusive design and a citizen science approach.
Meaningful collaboration with citizens cannot be achieved without trust. One of our project’s hallmarks is the early integration of security and privacy settings across all technical (the system itself will be designed from this perspective) and non-technical (the project will adhere to rigorous ethical and data protection standards) aspects of RE-SAMPLE.
Expected impact
Accurate predictions of CCC exacerbations, more exacerbations are prevented or timely treatedEarlier initiation of appropriate treatment resulting in less severe CCC exacerbations, accelerated recovery, and reduced healthcare utilisationPrivacy-preserving artificial intelligence, previously reserved for research purposes only, in healthcare applicationA digital transformation of healthcare by equally empowering technology, healthcare provider and patientIncorporation of evidence-based interventions and personalised treatment approaches within clinical guidelinesEnhanced care delivery substitution from secondary to home-based supportIncreased transparency and accountability for cross-border health data exchange
WHO
The RE-SAMPLE project consortium reflects its multidisciplinary approach by bringing together partners specialising in respiratory medicine, artificial intelligence, RWD, privacy, ethics, data protection, and health policy.

Eternity is a European funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie project, with partners from Belgium, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands. Each of the 14 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will be trained to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with a new mindset tuned towards the inclusion of the three main elements of a risk-based approach into innovative design methods. For this inclusion to occur, each ESR will develop through their research the missing dedicated tools and techniques, and apply them to a representative set of medical devices under development. This hands-on training is supplemented with several scientific professional courses and an immersive training where the ESRs can fine-tune their skills for the Jobs of tomorrow, while addressing the societal challenges of the ETERNITY program. More detailed information on the purpose and structure of the project can be found under “About” at the top of the page.
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Wearable Electroactive Fabrics Integrated in Garments
The future of fashion is haptic
What if your favourite shirt could also create tactile stimulations? The EU funded WEAFING project will advance the technology behind electroactive fabrics to design lightweight and flexible textile actuators. Specifically, it will develop innovative garments with integrated textile actuators, sensors and electronics for haptic stimulation. The garments developed will have a high level of wearability as the actuator is the garment itself and the technology is silent and lightweight. The project foresees a wide range of possible applications in haptics – from ergonomics to gaming and social communication. Electromechanically active polymers form a basis for the textile muscles. The project will carry out a co-design approach involving end users.

PriMa (Privacy Matters) is an Innovative Training Network (ITN) funded by the EU through the Horizon 2020 Framework. PriMa is a collaboration between 7 research locations and 7 industrial partner organisations with a focus on the analysis and mitigation of privacy risks in a rapidly digitalising society. One factor contributing to the erosion of privacy is the growth in recognition technologies that not only facilitate the recognition of individuals but also the inference from biometric data of emotional state, gender, health, age, and even profession. Another factor is the fast advancement of artificial intelligence, allowing for extensive data mining, and aggregation, linkage and inference of personal information. Hence, there is a real possibility that acceptable privacy may become unattainable unless technological and societal steps are taken to allow citizens to regain control of their personal information.
Therefore, the overall objectives of PriMa are:
To train 14 creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative researchers as privacy protection experts.To contribute to a full understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of privacy protection in a digitalised society.To contribute to the development of solutions that address this important societal challenge.
PriMa will train a next generation of researchers to define, investigate and implement solutions that ensure secure and efficient privacy protection whilst keeping the advantages of a digitalised society, and provide them with transferable skills to enable effective planning, management and communication of research ideas and outcomes. This will give them excellent career opportunities.

Digital Innovation Hub - Healthcare Robotics
DIH-HERO is a pan-European network connecting Digital Innovation Hubs to accelerate healthcare robotics innovation. Comprising 17 partners across 11 countries, the platform links innovators, businesses, healthcare providers, users, and policymakers through an open online portal that facilitates collaboration, knowledge sharing, and best practices.
The project focuses on supporting SMEs to reduce time-to-market and enhance the impact of their solutions, while addressing standardization, ethical, legal, and societal issues in healthcare robotics. Each hub combines technical, medical, and business expertise through existing relationships with hospitals and healthcare facilities, enabling development of products and services tailored to healthcare system needs.
DIH-HERO reduces barriers to adoption, fosters mutual understanding between technology developers and healthcare professionals, and stimulates investment and innovation across the healthcare value chain. The network is designed for long-term sustainability, aiming to accelerate robotics adoption, support SME growth, and deliver high-quality healthcare solutions across Europe.

The TOPSQUAD project aims to bring a crucial contribution towards realizing the building blocks for the future quantum computer, the so-called quantum bits or qubits. Such a quantum computer is exponentially stronger and faster than a classical computer and can solve global challenges of our time related to health, energy, and the climate.
TOPSQUAD addresses the two major obstacles in realizing a quantum computer: qubit fragility and qubit scalability. The qubit fragility translates to the fact that any small perturbance of the environment destroys the quantum information. Secondly, the number of qubits in the existing quantum systems is very limited and need to scale up to reach tens of thousands of qubits required for a universal quantum computer. In TOSPQUAD, we try to solve the fragility by realizing so-called topological states - stable states of matter with properties that are not destroyed by local perturbances. The scalability is tackled by using the standard CMOS technology used for the everyday chips. 
"If we indeed manage to combine scalability with topological states, then we can make a tremendous step towards the realization of a quantum computer." Prof. Floris Zwanenburg, coordinator TOPSQUAD.
Leading scientists join forces in this project to address these challenging tasks for the first time in the world by using germanium nanowires synthetized in networks on silicon wafers.

The aim of the Cancer-ID program is to develop novel technology for monitoring Cancer therapy through revealing the extracellular vesicle IDentity (Cancer-ID). Novel technology platforms will be developed and validated for detection and detailed molecular characterization of cancer-associated EV. Isolation of EV from body fluids and staining protocols will be optimized, thereby enabling the optical, mechanical, biochemical characterization of EV, or sorted subpopulations thereof. This will enable the development of both macro and micro-fluidic devices to enumerate EVs, establish the cellular origin of single EV, and extract relevant information. These platforms will enable personalized medicine by efficiently monitoring disease development and therapeutic effectiveness, which will improve health care efficacy and reduce costs, thus ultimately improving the quality of life of patients.
Blood contains 106-1012 extracellular vesicles (EV) per mL originating from platelets, erythrocytes, and leukocytes. EV range in size from less than 100 nm in diameter to > 1 μm, with most EV having a diameter of < 200 nm.
Isolation and establishing the cellular origin (identification) of single EV is extremely challenging because blood also contains platelets, which in size may overlap with larger EV (2-5 μm) and lipoprotein particles and protein aggregates which overlap in size and density with EV. Blood has a high density and viscosity and EV are heterogeneous in size and composition, which makes EV isolation even more difficult. The most commonly applied isolation protocols such as ultracentrifugation and density gradient centrifugation have serious draw-backs, resulting in massive and uncontrolled losses of EV subpopulations, poor recovery, contamination of for example protein aggregates, and loss of biological function. Thus, there is an urgent need for fast and reliable isolation / purification of EV from blood to gain access to EV as a novel source of biomarkers. In cancer, i.e. under pathological conditions, tumor-derived EV will enter the blood. Consequently, a fraction of EV in blood originates from cancer cells, and reliable identification of such EVs and the ability to examine their content can provide relevant information for the diagnosis, optimal therapy and monitoring of therapy.
In this program 22 industrial partners combine their proprietary technologies with 11 fundamental and applied research groups to find a solution for reliable detection and characterization of EVs. The projects are interconnected, and combined knowhow will improve their capabilities and establish the next generation platform for EV diagnostics.

Circulating Tumor Cells TheRapeutic APheresis (
CTCTrap aims to isolates and characterize all tumor cells circulating in blood to enable a real-time liquid biopsy for all cancer patients with metastatic disease regardless whether or not the disseminated disease has been clinically detected. The CTCTrap consortium consists of 4 Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) and 7 academic institutions and is funded through FP7 health.2012.1.2-1 #305341.
Improving success rate of cancer therapy is strictly related to accurate selection of the patients that will benefit from certain therapies. However, despite the array of biomarkers some low-risk patients will die from distant metastasis whereas some high-risk patients will survive for decades. Moreover in the metastatic disease setting only a fraction of patients will respond to the selected therapy. Hence, the search for new clinical, biological or molecular tools that help the clinician in formulating, which patients will benefit from certain therapies is mandatory.
Metastasis is the major cause of death from cancer. In the past decade the traditional model of metastasis has been challenged by direct and indirect evidences, contrasting the view that tumor cells spreading to secondary sites is a late event in the tumorigenesis.
Peripheral blood represents an alternative minimally invasive source of spreading tumor cells. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) refer to cells that detach from a primary tumor or metastatic site that circulate in the peripheral blood and may settle down at secondary sites forming metastasis. In the past decade technology advances enabled the detection of these rare cancer cells shedding light on the disease' natural history and showing promise to serve as a liquid biopsy and used to tailor treatment for the individual patient. In current practice usually cancer tissue is taken at diagnosis and used to assess the presence of treatment targets. This however is suboptimal since tumor cells evolve due to genomic instability. Assessment of the genotype and phenotype of these CTC will provide insights into which treatments would be most beneficial for the individual patient.
Requirements for the use of CTC as a real time liquid biopsy are:
CTC are indeed present in the sample volumeCTC can be isolated from the bloodCTC condition is sufficient to detect the presence of treatment targets
The CellSearch system selects CTC from 7.5 ml of blood based on the expression of both EpCAM and Cytokeratin 8, 18 or 19. With this system ~50% of patients with metastatic prostate and breast cancer have 5 or more CTC in 7.5 mL of blood before initiation of a new line of therapy. In the majority of these patients CTC are thus not available for therapeutic profiling. The use of less strict criteria to define CTC indeed will increase the number, but their condition is not sufficient for molecular characterization. Extrapolation of CTC frequency distribution in 7.5 ml of blood from patients with metastatic breast, colon and prostate cancer showed that probably all these patients had CTC in circulation, but the sample volume was not sufficient to detect them in all patients. (Coumans, et al ClinCanRes 2012). To arrive at a solution for this problem a significant larger blood volume if not all 5 liters will need to be analyzed.
To eliminate this bottleneck the CTCTrap consortium develops Therapeutic Apheresis (TA), as a way to collect CTC from peripheral blood in cancer patients.
CTCTrap aims to:
Develop safe and effective equipment for removal of CTC from 1-5 liters of peripheral blood.Phenotyping and genotyping of CTC, encompassing isolation and amplification of DNA&RNA from single CTC.Validate CTCapheresis in clinical use.
 
Partners