Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Symmetry and Optimization at the Frontiers of Computation (SYMOPTIC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — 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: Germany
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-05-01
End date: 2027-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Noncommutative group optimization is a powerful emerging paradigm, which has already led to the solution of outstanding problems in computational complexity, algebra, and statistics. Pioneered by the PI and collaborators, it generalizes convex optimization from Euclidean space to the far more general setting of curved spaces with symmetries. Its unfamiliar kind of convexity has recently received much attention in statistics and machine learning. The symmetries are realized by noncommutative groups and imply a high degree of algebraic structure. This combination of symmetry and optimization promises to be key to fast algorithms and deep structural insight. Noncommutative group optimization connects important problems across a wide range of disciplines that appear unrelated at first glance: program testing and derandomization in computer science, estimation problems in statistics, isomorphism problems in algebra, the P vs NP problem and circuit lower bounds in complexity theory, optimal transport in machine learning, marginal and entanglement problems in quantum information, and optimization on quantum computers. This list contains both discrete and continuous problems, theoretical and applied ones, for classical as well as for quantum computers. They have been studied separately over many years by many authors. Here they are brought together in a new innovative way. This project aims to develop the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of noncommutative group optimization and apply it to longstanding theoretical problems and practical applications. This has high potential for long-lasting impact at several frontiers of computation: in addition to contributing a new paradigm and widely-applicable methods to optimization, we aim to give efficient algorithmic solutions to difficult problems in algebra, make progress on the limits of efficient computation, and unlock the potential of quantum computers for optimization.

Keywords: scaling algorithms,operator scaling,convex optimization,geodesic convexity,non commutative groups,polynomial identity testing,invariant theory,orbit problems,moment polytopes,non commutative algebra,algebraic complexity theory,geometric complexity theory,quantum convex optimization,quantum marginal problem,quantum entanglement,quantum information
The evolution of neural circuits for navigational decisions - from synapses to behavior (EvolvingCircuits)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Panel description: Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing , nervous system  function and dysfunction , systems neuroscience  and modelling , biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders – In humans and all other organisms
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2021-COG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999119.0
EU funding (EUR): 1999119.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Of the 1.2 million animal species described on Earth, more than 80% are insects. As for mammals, each insect is equipped with a brain that has evolved to optimally control the species’ behavior in the context of its environment. In more than 450 million years of evolution the neural circuits guiding behavioral decisions have diverged from an ancestral version to enable insects to conquer every terrestrial habitat on the planet and to equip many species with behavioral strategies that rival even mammals in complexity. These circuits thus have to be rigid enough to maintain their ancestral, core functions, while also being sufficiently adaptable to enable the addition of novel functions. The mechanisms of how this is achieved across vast evolutionary timescales are unknown. While this is true for all animals, insects with their numerically simpler brains and a comparably rigid neuroarchitecture offer the unique chance to unravel the evolution of decision making circuits at the level of identified neurons and synapses. Aided by recent technological breakthroughs and the establishment of rich ground-truth data in the fruit fly, I will combine whole brain anatomy, connectomics and computational modeling with electrophysiology and behavior to dissect the evolution of the central decision making center of insect brains, the central complex - across the entire insect phylogeny. I aim to reveal how this region has evolved in the context of the entire brain, how its intrinsic circuits have changed with increasing evolutionary distance (circuit phylogeny), and which changes in its circuitry are linked to specialized behavioral abilities (circuit adaptation). Finally, I will directly establish behavioral correlates of identified circuit features (circuit function), attaching relevance to connectomics data in a way that is achievable only by a wide, comparative approach - raising our understanding of structure-function relations in animal nervous systems to a new level.

Keywords: navigation,insects,connectomics,decision making
Indoor photovoltaics: towards an energy- and climate-neutral world (MENTOR)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Doctoral Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Finland,Italy,Sweden,France,Spain,Netherlands,Portugal,Switzerland,United Kingdom,Germany,Belgium
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-10-01
End date: 2028-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4509247.89
EU funding (EUR): 4038321.6
Participants: 22
Project status: SIGNED

The MENTOR research initiative will provide a comprehensive and versatile technical platform for the development of next-generation indoor photovoltaics (IPVs) that efficiently re-use energy from artificial illumination to power electronics, eventually contributing to an energy- and climate-neutral future. MENTOR aims to unlock the full potential of IPVs taking into consideration growing concerns about sustainability, through the establishment of the first international network of 8 universities, 7 industrial partners, and 5 research centers. The consortium will cover all the key aspects and technologies related to IPVs, including sustainable design, organic and inorganic materials synthesis, photovoltaics manufacturing and characterization, device physics and modelling, theoretical and machine learning-driven approaches, photovoltaics recycling, and industrial processing. MENTOR will establish an interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and global program of doctoral training and research that propels the development of new leaders capable of directing academic and industrial R&D on renewable energy, electronics, and sustainability through the successful implementation of 16 doctoral candidate (DC) individual projects. This research initiative will amplify the recently recognized importance of IPVs for the sustainable powering of the IoT by advancing novel material designs, processing methods, device architectures, theoretical models, and characterization standards across disciplines and sectors.

Keywords: photovoltaics,low light,organic photovoltaics,lead free perovskite,dye sensitized solar cells,kesterites,lca,recycling,device modeling,standards,stability
3D JETPEP - REVOLUTIONIZING HIGH-VALUE MANUFACTURING WITH MULTI-AXIS JET PLASMA FINISHING (3D JETPEP Finishing)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Germany
Call: EIC Accelerator Open 2025 (HORIZON-EIC-2025-ACCELERATOR-02, 2025)
Start date: 2025-11-01
End date: 2027-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3567609.24
EU funding (EUR): 2497326.47
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Imagine a world where the tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone process of manually finishing metal precision parts is a thing of the past. At plasmotion, we are making this vision a reality with our groundbreaking 3D JETPEP technology. This innovative solution combines plasma physics, electrochemistry, and fluid dynamics to automate the polishing, deburring, and cleaning of metal parts with unparalleled precision and efficiency. High-value manufacturing industries, such as semiconductor, medical, aerospace, and analytics, are plagued by the inefficiencies of manual finishing processes, which are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error. The dependency on skilled labor is a crucial bottleneck in precision parts production, leading to delays, increased costs, and inconsistent quality. Our 3D JETPEP technology addresses these challenges by automating the surface finishing process using environmentally benign saltwater electrolytes. This makes us 15 times faster than laser polishing and suitable for serial production. The global market for precision parts was valued at 178,4 B€ in 2024 and is projected to reach 894,6 B€ by 2037, with Europe expected to lead the industry. Our competitive advantage lies in the unique combination of plasma-electrolytic processing and jet-based application, offering faster processing times, unmatched geometric fidelity, and environmental sustainability. Our business model includes machine sales, electrolyte sales, and after-sales services, creating a continuous revenue stream. To achieve our goals, we seek blended finance from the EIC Accelerator program – 2,5 M€ in grant funding to develop and validate our technology, and 3,23 M€ in equity funding to support deployment and scaling. With the support of EIC, we can de-risk our technology, attract private investment, and transform the surface finishing industry, creating a sustainable future for high-value manufacturing.

Keywords: surface finishing,semiconductor,precision parts,aerospace
INTEGRATED SOURCES FOR ULTRAPURE OSCILLATIONS FROM ACOUSTICAL TO LIGHT WAVES (ULTRAPURE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Pathfinder
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Germany,Netherlands,Switzerland,France,United Kingdom
Call: EIC Pathfinder Open (HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDEROPEN, 2025)
Start date: 2026-02-01
End date: 2029-01-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3054936.25
EU funding (EUR): 3054935.0
Participants: 6
Project status: SIGNED

Many high-performance photonics applications with immense potential such as quantum sensing, atomic clocks and THz communications are hindered in their translation from academic research into real-world solutions by the absence of methods to generate oscillations of sufficiently narrow linewidth, high spectral purity and long-term stability in small integrated devices. ULTRAPURE will enable the generation of ultrapure waves in the radiofrequency, microwave, terahertz and optical domain enabled by stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in an integrated thin-film lithium tantalate (TFLT) platform to realise these solutions. Compared to other state-of-the-art materials, TFLT is the first material that promises simultaneous realisation of high SBS gain, narrow linewidth, minimal propagation losses, high integration density and high potential for scalability due to intrinsic material properties such as absence of birefringence, as well as very high optical damage threshold and thermal stability. The high SBS gain in TFLT will be exploited to design chip-scale Brillouin lasers at different wavelengths that achieve a linewidth of around 1 Hz and a side-mode suppression ratio > 40dB, together with additional features such as modulation on-chip. These lasers constitute the basis of the ULTRAPURE applications: A coherent population trapping (CPT) atomic clock that will achieve a stability of <5x10^-13 at 1 s and <2x10^-14 at 1 h, and a volume of 1-3 L, thus overcoming the trade-off between stability and size of current alternatives, and a THz source with linewidths of around 1 Hz, a continuous tuneability from 300GHz to 1 THz, SMSR >50 dB and a precise stabilisation of the generated frequencies. These advances will facilitate breakthroughs in various photonics applications, e.g., leading to the realisation of smart cities, promising substantial benefits for economy, society and environment through high data rate communication and satellite-independent network synchronisation.

Keywords: stimulated brillouin scattering,lithium tantalate,high performance photonics,thz sources,cpt clocks,thz communication,photonics integrated circuits,sbs laser
Neuromodulatory effects of controlled breathing (CB) interventions on executive functions (EF) and mental well-being in burnout disorder (NEURO-BURN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Attracting and mobilising the best talents
Destination: Attracting and mobilising the best talents
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Lithuania,Belgium
Call: ERA Fellowships (HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-02, 2024)
Start date: 2026-03-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 196976.16
EU funding (EUR): 196976.16
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

The goal of the research project is to investigate the neuromodulatory effects of controlled breathing (CB) interventions on enhancing cognition (i.e., executive functions (EF)) and mental well-being in individuals suffering from burnout disorder. Burnout disorder, signified by debilitating psychological, cognitive, and physiological symptoms, is a growing concern in contemporary society. With an estimated average prevalence of around 20% in the general population and significantly higher rates in specific professional groups (e.g., up to 80% in healthcare workers), burnout disorder necessitates innovative intervention and treatment approaches. The current multidisciplinary study intersects cognitive neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, and health sciences to explore how CB can modulate brain oscillations and improve cognitive and mental health outcomes in burnout disorder. The project will employ a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine CB’s impact on three key layers: (1) brain oscillations (i.e., electroencephalography (EEG) measurements), (2) cognition (i.e., standardised EF tasks), and (3) mental well-being (i.e., standardised scales). By utilising EEG, standardised EF tasks, and standardised mental well-being symptom scales, the study will assess pre- and post-intervention changes in neural activity, cognitive performance, and mental well-being. The research findings will be grounded in a theoretical framework – the Free Energy Principle – allowing the formulation of further testable and falsifiable hypotheses and leading towards a structured methodology for investigating the specific mechanisms through which CB influences neurophysiological, cognitive, and psychological processes in burnout, and ensuring that the findings are robust and reproducible. The project outcomes are expected to advance the scientific understanding of non-invasive neuromodulation via CB, offering accessible practical solutions for mental health improvement.

Keywords: burnout disorder,neuromodulation,controlled breathing,brain oscillations,executive functions,mental well being
Hydrogen Optimized multi-fuel Propulsion system for clean and silEnt aircraft (HOPE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Mobility
Destination: Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Netherlands,Sweden,Germany,Italy,United Kingdom
Call: Towards a silent and ultra-low local air pollution aircraft (HORIZON-CL5-2022-D5-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-02-01
End date: 2027-01-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3394197.5
EU funding (EUR): 3394197.5
Participants: 6
Project status: SIGNED

The ICAO Post-COVID forecasts estimate a 2.4%-4.1% increase for a low to high revenue passenger-kilometres growth rate. Air traffic growth inevitably increases aviation's combustion and acoustic emissions, hence aggravating aviation's environmental impact locally and globally. HOPE will deliver an integrated aircraft propulsion system comprising two multi-fuel ultra-high bypass ratio (UHBR) turbofan engines, a fuel cell based auxiliary propulsion and power unit (FC-APPU) driving an aft boundary layer ingestion (BLI) propulsor based on tube-wing aircraft configuration. The HOPE system: 1)minimises the combustion and noise emissions during landing and takeoff (LTO), hence the impact on air quality and noise annoyance near airports, without the trade-off of cruise emissions; 2)retrofits the existing aircraft configuration, allowing the substantial emission reduction to be achieved within a short time; 3)de-risks the use of hydrogen solely in existing tube-wing aircraft configurations; 4)smoothens aviation’s energy transition through assessment and exploitation of several greener propulsion technologies at different maturity level. HOPE emission goals consist of LTO NOx: -50%, CO: -50%, soot: -80%, perceived noise: -20% (~3 dB per operation), and climate impact: -30%, compared to state-of-the-art technology in 2020 (A320neo). To this end, HOPE will: 1)Design an integrated aircraft propulsion system accommodating multi-fuel (kerosene/sustainable aviation fuel +hydrogen) UHBR turbofan engines, FC-APPU, and an aft BLI propulsor; 2)Explore the novel idea of combining a BLI propulsor with FC-APPU for zero-emission taxiing; 3)Model, experiment, and demonstrate for the first time a low emission multi-fuel combustion technology burning H2+kerosene/SAF for future UHBR turbofan engine; 4)Assess societal impact, environmental burden, and cost benefits of the reduced noise and emissions by HOPE technology; 5)Formulate policy and recommendations to introduce HOPE technology.

Keywords: aircraft propulsion integration multi fuel combustion fuel cell based auxiliary power and propulsion unit aft bli propulsion low lto emissions low noise low climate impact
A critical relational perspective on peace & security in CEE (CEE Security Hub)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Improved access to Excellence
Destination: Improved access to Excellence
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Estonia,Finland,Denmark
Call: Twinning Bottom-Up (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02, 2023)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1395265.05
EU funding (EUR): 1395265.05
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

This project establishes Tallinn University (TLU) as a leading institutional and knowledge hub on security in the CEE region in close collaboration with the Tampere University (TAU) and the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). Russia’s war against Ukraine has demonstrated incontrovertibly that regional expertise in security – and the politics of it – is essential to tackle the present as well as future security related issues. It has also demonstrated that security needs to be approached with a deeply holistic, intersectional and relational lens to truly provide perspectives and connections between different security contexts and matters that can lead to more peaceful, just and sustainable futures. The CEE security hub will bring together diverse knowledge on security (academia, policymaking and civil society) and create different forums to advance expertise on security, from research seminars, workshops, conferences to various knowledge exchange schemes that enhance intellectual and institutional capacities of the hub and in parallel establish TLU as a valued and in demand security hub for diverse local and international audiences.

Keywords: security studies,peace research,politics of knowledge production,cee
Lasers for Accelerated Net-Zero Transition (Lasers4NetZero)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Doctoral Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Italy,Sweden,United Kingdom,Germany,Botswana,Ghana,United States,South Africa
Call: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN-01, 2022)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2595232.8
EU funding (EUR): 2595232.8
Participants: 20
Project status: SIGNED

Approximate 30% of the emissions of e-vehicles comes from the manufacturing processes, due to un-optimised material utilisation, low process efficiency, product defects and waste. Current state-of-the-art identifies laser material processing technologies the heart of e-vehicles manufacturing. Advances in laser technologies and new generation scanning optics in fuel cell and battery manufacturing have the potential to offer enhanced utilisation of materials, improved process efficiency and product quality, allowing significant reduction in CO2 equivalent. Lasers4NetZero will establish an innovative training programme that aims at coaching a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative doctoral candidates (PhDs) focused on laser material processing, artificial intelligence for quality control, advanced process simulation and predictive lifecycle and sustainability analysis for e-vehicles manufacturing. This novel programme will contain both scientific and transferable training activities and will benefit from training across the network (e.g. secondments). In total, 10 PhDs will be enrolled, developing individual research projects within the project. Individual PhD projects will integrate novel methods and approaches for laser material processing (cutting and welding) aided by laser beam shaping and ultra-fast scanning technologies with the ultimate goal to enhance utilisation of materials, improve process efficiency and product quality and reduce defects and waste. The consortium involves 6 Academic partners and 8 Industrial partners guaranteeing that final solutions will be close to the market. The close cooperation among multidisciplinary partners will ensure knowledge transfer to cross the valley-of-death between research and implementation. To maximise impact, two demonstrators (fuel cells and battery systems) will be developed in conjunction with the Industrial partners.

Keywords: laser material processing,laser manufacturing,advance process simulation,battery fabrication,fuel cell,lca and sustainability,application machine learning for quality control