Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
New paradigms for latent factor estimation (FACTORY)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2015-CoG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-09-01
End date: 2022-08-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1931776.25
EU funding (EUR): 1931776.25
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Data is often available in matrix form, in which columns are samples, and processing of such data often entails finding an approximate factorisation of the matrix in two factors. The first factor yields recurring patterns characteristic of the data. The second factor describes in which proportions each data sample is made of these patterns. Latent factor estimation (LFE) is the problem of finding such a factorisation, usually under given constraints. LFE appears under other domain-specific names such as dictionary learning, low-rank approximation, factor analysis or latent semantic analysis. It is used for tasks such as dimensionality reduction, unmixing, soft clustering, coding or matrix completion in very diverse fields. In this project, I propose to explore three new paradigms that push the frontiers of traditional LFE. First, I want to break beyond the ubiquitous Gaussian assumption, a practical choice that too rarely complies with the nature and geometry of the data. Estimation in non-Gaussian models is more difficult, but recent work in audio and text processing has shown that it pays off in practice. Second, in traditional settings the data matrix is often a collection of features computed from raw data. These features are computed with generic off-the-shelf transforms that loosely preprocess the data, setting a limit to performance. I propose a new paradigm in which an optimal low-rank inducing transform is learnt together with the factors in a single step. Thirdly, I show that the dominant deterministic approach to LFE should be reconsidered and I propose a novel statistical estimation paradigm, based on the marginal likelihood, with enhanced capabilities. The new methodology is applied to real-world problems with societal impact in audio signal processing (speech enhancement, music remastering), remote sensing (Earth observation, cosmic object discovery) and data mining (multimodal information retrieval, user recommendation).

Keywords: latent factor estimation,matrix factorisation,dictionary learning,low rank approximation,optimisation,statistical estimation,audio signal processing,remote sensing,data mining
Analysis and prediction of submarine dune dynamics (DUNAMICS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: New Zealand,Denmark
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2022-04-01
End date: 2025-03-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 269273.28
EU funding (EUR): 269273.28
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Submarine dunes pose a significant risk for offshore activities in coastal areas, especially for the growing development of European renewable marine energy. Their evolution is still poorly understood due to their complex non-linear behavior. DUNAMICS propose to fill this knowledge gap by putting forward an innovative methodology combining several fields of investigation. DUNAMICS pursues three correlated research objectives: understand the physical process that leads to subaqueous dunes equilibrium and control their geometry, study in situ deep water dunes in coastal waters of New Zealand, and develop an operational tool for prediction of submarine dune dynamics. To achieve these goals, an innovative methodology has been thought of, leaning on state-of-the-art numerical models, innovative instrumentation methods, and cutting-edge laboratory flume experiments. DUNAMICS is a collaborative research project supported by a highly skilled and complementary international team. My experience in bedform morphodynamics, added to Giovanni Coco’s outstanding knowledge in sediment patterns and numerical modelling, Heide Friedrich’s great experience in conducting flume experimentations, and Rolf Deigaard world reckoned expertise in sediment transport problems, give DUNAMICS strong basis to achieve its goals. Moreover, our complementarity will lead to a continuous knowledge sharing process between us that will also be highly profitable for the beneficiary institution. The world class brand new infrastructures of the University of Auckland (UoA) -outgoing phase- and of the Danish hydraulic institute (DHI) -returning phase- insure an exciting collaborative and scientific environment. There, I will be encouraged to deliver outstanding research, improve my scientific and teaching skills, and reach a level of scientific excellence allowing me to pursue my academic career.

Keywords: renewable energy offshore windmill bedform sediment sand dune dredging channel navigation
Quantum simulation of novel many-body phenomena with Ytterbium atoms in optical lattices (YbQuantumSim)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-07-01
End date: 2017-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 159460.8
EU funding (EUR): 159460.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project proposes to explore multi-orbital physics with ensembles of ultracold fermionic Ytterbium atoms. Ensembles of ultracold atoms are well-understood quantum systems which are distinguished by a high degree of experimental control of their parameters. Such ensembles are very versatile, since the light fields and magnetic fields which define them can be tailored almost at will, while at the same time most imperfections such as lattice defects are not present. These attributes open the door to the investigation of a broad class of interesting quantum many-body model phenomena. By designing systems which are governed by the same Hamiltonian as those which apply to, for example, a specific condensed matter system, ultracold atoms can be used as flexible quantum simulators. The aim of this project is to study a system of Ytterbium atoms in state-dependent optical lattice potentials, specifically tailored for accessing many-body phenomena related to three aspects of quantum magnetism and electric conduction: (1) opening the field of Kondo physics and Kondo lattice physics for investigation with cold atoms, (2) enabling the implementation of SU(N) extended symmetry many-body systems, and (3) providing the possibility to implement artificial gauge fields with strong coupling. The experiment is specifically set up to for the requirements imposed by these goals. Ytterbium atoms are chosen for this due to their particular electronic structure enabling the use of internal states to implement the two-orbital structure necessary for Kondo physics, and specific optical lattice potentials are used for emulating the crystal. On the one hand, this will enable new insights into the phases and phase transitions of the Kondo lattice model. On the other hand it opens a possible new route to implementing quantum magnetism in optical lattices, a central topic of the field. In addition, the model can be extended to the fundamentally new, extended-symmetry SU(N) spin systems.

Keywords: ultracold quantum gases,alkaline earth atoms,ytterbium,kondo,kondo lattice model
Behavioral Based Forwarding (BEBA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Theme: Future Internet: Software, hardware, Infrastructures, technologies and services
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Sweden,France,France,Czechia,United Kingdom
Call: Smart Networks and novel Internet Architectures (H2020-ICT-2014-1, 2014)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2549976.25
EU funding (EUR): 2545976.0
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

BEBA challenges a very ambitious goal: can we deploy wire-speed-reactive control/processing tasks inside the network switches, while retaining i) centralized control of their specification/operation, ii) high performance and scalability, and - crucial for real world adoption - iii) platform independency, i.e., consistency with the vendors’ need for closed platforms? BEBA’s answer revolves around the identification of a programming abstraction in the form of eXtended Finite State Machines (XFSMs). Via platform-agnostic XFSM “programs”, operators and enterprises will deploy not only static packet forwarding/processing rules (as in current OpenFlow devices), but will be able to specify and wire-speed enforce how such rules shall dynamically adapt to the time-varying flow and traffic behavior, i.e. in reaction to packet-level events, internal statistics changes, link/queue conditions, etc. BEBA holds the promise for future-proof, efficient, and easy to administer network devices capable to be repurposed so as to meet emerging needs. Indeed, BEBA’s approach, extended with node-level processing primitives made usable through our programming abstraction, brings about key benefits in the ability to i) “software-define” middlebox-type network functions well beyond static packet forwarding, with specific project’s attention to the monitoring and network security applications’ domains, and in the possibility to ii) address the current shortcomings revolving around the high latency and large overhead of centralized network control tasks. Finally, BEBA commits to a concrete and pragmatic innovation strategy. Short-time impact and standardization will be attempted by i) casting (part of) the BEBA approach as OpenFlow’s extensions; ii) making its implementation feasible over merchant-silicon chipsets currently found in commodity switches, and iii) releasing an open source virtual BEBA switch for the benefits of the Network Functions Virtualization community.

Keywords: platform independent data plane programming interfaces,stateful flow processing,openflow extensions,open networking foundation,extensible finite state machines,monitoring and security
The Degradation of Complex Modern Polymeric Objects in Heritage Collections: A System Dynamics Approach (COMPLEX)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Cultures and cultural production
Panel description: Literary studies, cultural studies, study of the arts, philosophy
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2016-STG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2022-09-30
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499394.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499394.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

By viewing a scientific problem through the lens of heritage, COMPLEX will create an entirely new cross-disciplinary vision for understanding and modelling polymer degradation and build a world leading research team studying the degradation of modern polymeric objects in collections. Rather than focussing on specific chemical or physical processes, as has been done in the past, COMPLEX will consider polymeric objects as almost akin to living organisms, and by using a system dynamics approach will model objects in their environments in a way that reflects their real complexity, with multiple, inter-connecting interactions between material properties and environmental parameters. As a polymer chemist, this project has been inspired by my 4 years of experience in the field of heritage, in particular by experiencing the problems raised by the conservation of modern polymeric objects such as plastics. The development of modern polymers during the 19th and 20th centuries has changed history and society and they are a part of our material heritage that it is essential to conserve for future generations. However, these objects are at risk due to their instability and a lack of knowledge within the museum sector as to their degradation behaviour. System dynamics models will be developed incorporating multiple chemical and physical interactions between the components of polymeric objects and environmental parameters such as relative humidity or light. These will be used to predict the degradation behaviour of objects over time, to identify key parameters that are correlated to object change and provide practical solutions for heritage professionals. Above all, COMPLEX will provide a new way of looking at polymer degradation, that can be applied across a wide range of fields, including medicine, waste management and industry.

Keywords: polymer degradation,plastics conservation,system dynamics
Enabling Sustainable Irrigation through Hydro-Powered Pumps for Canals (HyPump)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Theme: Sustainable agriculture and forestry
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: Stimulating the innovation potential of SMEs for sustainable and competitive agriculture, forestry, agri-food and bio-based sectors (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2017-10-01
End date: 2020-06-30
Duration (months): 33.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2545389.74
EU funding (EUR): 1781772.82
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In irrigation water cannot be decoupled from energy. Raising water from rivers and canals and distribute it to the crops requires pumping of large volumes of water with a sizeable amount of pressure, which is generated by means of electric energy or by fuel-driven pumps. This turns into a substantial increase of energy consumption and capital expenditure, which has become a real concern for farmers and their communities. Besides, sharp increases in energy tariffs almost doubled the energy bills that irrigators have to pay, which accounts for up to 40% of the total irrigation costs for farmers’ communities. In a context exacerbated by the ongoing climate change, European farmers are striving to reduce their water footprint by means of water saving irrigation technologies while optimising their energy costs for pumping, with the aim to ensure long- term economic and environmental sustainability. To address this global need, aQysta has designed the HyPump, an innovative spiral pump which converts the energy from the flow of existing irrigation canals to pressure for pumping water, delivering pressurized water directly to the agriculture plots without requiring any fuel nor electricity to be operated. This Phase 2 is focussed on the industrialisation and field tests of the HyPump, which will allow farmers obtaining up to 75% savings on the overall costs for modernizing infrastructures and running an irrigation system with respect to competing electric or fuel-driven solutions, and up to 37% savings with respect to solar pumps. Through the Cost Benefit Analysis run during Phase 1, annual net savings have been estimated in the range of 5k€-8k€ per hectare with respect to electric pumping. Besides, a payback time in the range of 2,5-4 years has been estimated when switching from an electric or fuel- operated system to the HyPump, obtained with zero environmental footprint with respect to fuel or energy powered pumps.

Keywords: irrigation,renewable energy,sustainability,hydro power,pumps,drip,sprinkler,canal
Modular 100% Carbon Fibre Footbridge (MODBRIDGE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Smart, green and integrated transport
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Italy
Call: Small business innovation research for Transport (H2020-SMEINST-1-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2016-01-31
Duration (months): 5.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Our MODBRIDGE project aims to develop and automate an industrial manufacturing process covering the whole supply chain for the production of modular 100 % CFC footbridges, which will enable to reduce production costs of CFC while obtaining a product with outstanding performance: our footbridges consist on 3 m long modules which can be assembled to reach lengths of up to 18 m, which have a load capacity close to that of concrete with a structure that is 20 times lighter. Moreover they are highly resistant to weathering and corrosion from environmental conditions, requiring zero maintenance for the first five years. In addition, its modular nature (with stackable modules to facilitate storage and transportation) and its light weight enable a simple and rapid assembly/disassembly (1 day for an 18 m long MODBRIDGE) and thus the reutilization of the product as many times as wanted, representing a much more cost-effective solution than traditional footbridges based on steel or concrete. Based on these characteristics, MODBRIDGE represents an excellent solution to be used in cities for the enhanced mobility of vulnerable road users, i.e. cyclists and pedestrians, over traffic or architectural obstacles with a minimal installation impact or for temporary events like trade shows, concerts or exhibitions. Moreover, the automation of our production will allow us to even its price to those of traditional solutions (€ 6,000 /unit vs. € 5,840 /unit for steel or € 5,675 /unit for concrete), increasing its cost-effectiveness: our installation and maintenance costs are much lower and our product requires a single investment instead of facing recurring costs. Considering that MODBRIDGE is aimed at the civil construction sector (mainly municipalities, local administrations, etc.) and the temporary events industry, our preliminary projections throw a Return on Investment (ROI) of 2.45 by the fifth year.

Keywords: footbridge,carbon fibre,modular,reusable,resistant,cost effective,low maintenance
Novel Algorithmic Techniques through the Lens of Combinatorics (ALGOCom)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Finland
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2017-STG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-02-01
End date: 2024-01-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1411258.0
EU funding (EUR): 1411258.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Real-world optimization problems pose major challenges to algorithmic research. For instance, (i) many important problems are believed to be intractable (i.e. NP-hard) and (ii) with the growth of data size, modern applications often require a decision making under {\em incomplete and dynamically changing input data}. After several decades of research, central problems in these domains have remained poorly understood (e.g. Is there an asymptotically most efficient binary search trees?) Existing algorithmic techniques either reach their limitation or are inherently tailored to special cases. This project attempts to untangle this gap in the state of the art and seeks new interplay across multiple areas of algorithms, such as approximation algorithms, online algorithms, fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) algorithms, exponential time algorithms, and data structures. We propose new directions from the {\em structural perspectives} that connect the aforementioned algorithmic problems to basic questions in combinatorics. Our approaches fall into one of the three broad schemes: (i) new structural theory, (ii) intermediate problems, and (iii) transfer of techniques. These directions partially build on the PI's successes in resolving more than ten classical problems in this context. Resolving the proposed problems will likely revolutionize our understanding about algorithms and data structures and potentially unify techniques in multiple algorithmic regimes. Any progress is, in fact, already a significant contribution to the algorithms community. We suggest concrete intermediate goals that are of independent interest and have lower risks, so they are suitable for Ph.D students.

Keywords: approximation algorithms,hardness of approximation,data structures,online algorithms,combinatorial optimization
Feasibility of mCura1: A kidney-targeted nanomedicine that promotes self-healing of Chronic Kidney Disease with messenger RNA. (NanoMed-CKD)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1, 2018)
Start date: 2018-12-01
End date: 2019-05-31
Duration (months): 6.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a little-known disease, but does affect 10-13% of the population in Europe and constitutes the 9th cause of death. Hallmark of this disease is loss of kidney function, leading to the progressive loss of the ability to clear metabolic waste and produce kidney-specific hormones. The consequences affect the entire body (heart attacks, anaemia,osteoporosis and cognitive decline) and ultimately become life-threatening. Management of these consequences with currently available drugs or dialysis does not stop, but merely slows the progression. The only alternative is kidney-transplantation, which is a very limited solution due to a donor-shortage and the relatively short survival of the transplant. In addition, these treatments frequently cause severe side-effects, resulting in a problematic decrease in quality of life. The chronic nature of the disease, the high number of patients and the high number of drugs per patient, together place a large (financial) burden on the healthcare system, consuming 4-17% of the European healthcare budgets. In pursuit of the first curative treatment for CKD, Mercurna is developing a kidney-targeted nanomedicine, mCura1. The unique selling point of mCura1 is the combination of the enhanced safety provided by kidney-targeting and the efficacy provided by mRNAbased therapeutics. Mercurna has booked very promising results in pre-clinical studies accumulating in several patent applications. In the NanoMed-CKD project, Mercurna will further develop its business plan to support the (clinical) development path to bring this groundbreaking therapy from lab to clinic to market.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease,mrna,nanomedicine,messenger rna