Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Innovation Associate for Urban Innovation Lab project (Urban Innovation Lab)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Luxembourg
Call: European SME innovation Associate - pilot (H2020-INNOSUP-02-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-01
End date: 2018-08-31
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 121437.5
EU funding (EUR): 121437.5
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

We are delivering no-nonsense innovation and impact solutions for social, commercial and public partners. We are currently successfully growing a service line called ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ which supports European cities in developing and running social innovation labs. These are multi-stakeholder initiatives supported by a carefully designed and professionally facilitated creative process and pervasive technologies to help a district or a city create an innovative & sustainable public space and build a socially coherent & engaged community. We combine innovation process management, design thinking, innovation technologies and collaborative methods expertise to deliver state-of-the art support for such innovation labs. We are one of only a few companies in Europe with this very specialized expertise. As urban innovation labs / living labs / social innovation labs become an increasingly popular form of open innovation, being run by national and local governments, NGOs and businesses alike, we see the potential of very high growth in this domain. To leverage this opportunity, we are looking for an Innovation Associate to join our company. The Innovation Associate will research the current state-of-the-art of the urban social innovation scene, map potential partners and the locations with the best fit for this form of innovation support, develop the service itself (including the collaborative process and a toolbox of urban social innovation tools, techniques, templates and technological support), develop the social impact assessment methodology suitable for the lab context, participate in (potential) client meetings, assist in client proposal preparations, write and publish thought leadership pieces and represent the company in relevant events, networks, and conferences. Moreover, the Research Associate will support us in developing the content for the currently created digital platform to disseminate our results, and elicit interest from potential clients and partners.

Keywords: social innovation,innovation lab,smart cities,urban innovation,living lab
Automated Improvement of Continuous User interfaces (AI-CU)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC-Proof of Concept (ERC-2017-PoC, 2017)
Start date: 2018-06-01
End date: 2019-11-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

We propose to develop two tools for creating, in a systematic way, better user interfaces based on continuous, non-symbolic actions, such as swipes on a touch screen, 3-D motions with a hand-held device, or breath patterns in a user interface for otherwise paralyzed patients. The tools are based on two experimental/computational techniques developed in the ABACUS project: iterated learning and social coordination. In iterated learning, sets of signals produced by one user are learned and reproduced by another user. The reproductions are then in turn learned by the next user. In the ABACUS project, it has been shown that this results in more learnable sets of signals. We propose to show how this can be applied to creating learnable and usable signals in a systematic way when design a user interface for a device that allows continuous actions. In social coordination, it has been shown that signals become simplified and more abstract when people communicate over an extended period of time. The ABACUS project has developed techniques to detect and quantify this. We propose to show how these can be used for a user interface that adapts to its user. This will allow novice users to use more extended and therefore more learnable versions of actions, while the system adapts when users become more adept at using the interface and reduce their actions. Because the system is adaptive, the user is not constrained in how they do this. Concretely, we propose to implement these two tools, investigate how they can be used optimally and advertise them to interested companies, starting with ones with which we have contact, but extending our network at the start of the project through a business case development. In order to disseminate the results we propose to involve a user committee and organize one or more workshops.

Keywords: user interface design,continuous user interfaces,iterated learning
New prECision thErapieS for uveal melanoma (targeting the Gαq/GNAQ oncogenic Signaling cIrcuiTrY) (NECESSITY)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Italy,United States
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2022-01-01
End date: 2024-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 269002.56
EU funding (EUR): 269002.56
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of cell surface proteins involved in signal transmission. Nearly 30% of human cancers harbor mutations in GPCRs/G proteins. Activating mutations in GNAQ and GNA11 have been discovered in 90% of Uveal Melanoma (UM).UM is the most common primary cancer of the eye in adults and to date there are no effective treatments. 50% of UM patients develop metastatic disease, which is refractory to current chemotherapies leading to patient death within a year. Prolonged Gaq signaling leads to the activation of YAP, a transcriptional co-activator regulated, necessary for UM growth. GNAQ stimulates YAP through FAK. Inhibition of FAK reduces UM growth,leading FAK to be a potential therapeutic target for UM. In UM, the particular Gαq–regulated pathways that when overactive can render FAK inhibitor(FAKi) ineffective, as well as what feedback mechanisms should be targeted to optimize therapeutic responses to FAKi are still unknown. I will use a panel of GNAQ-driven UM cells and perform a genetic screen using the Cancer Signaling Toolkit to discover molecular determinants of sensitivity or resistance to FAK inhibition. Signaling candidates and screening hits discovered will be prioritized and their biological impact in UM growth and FAKi sensitivity will be evaluated. To increase FAKi activity and reduce therapy resistance, I will also investigate whether co-targeting candidate GNAQ-effector and FAKi resistance pathways will synergize with FAKi, resulting in UM cell death. Finally,I will explore the mechanism of UM cell death by co-targeting. My studies will reveal new targeted(precision) strategies for multiple Gαq-driven pathological conditions in cancer The project will be supervised by Dr. Gutikind and Dr.Martini two experts in GPRC/G proteins. Through this work, I aim to broaden my scientific expertise (including technical and transferable skills) and to establish myself as an independent researcher in cancer biology

Keywords: uveal melanoma,cancer,cell signaling,screening,g proteins and,or gpcr,drug,resistance,precision therapy
Identification and analysis of novel mitochondrial proteins encoded by small open reading frames (MITOsmORFs)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Panel description: Molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics, synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling
Countries involved: Germany,Germany
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2014-CoG, 2014)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2021-08-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1094166.25
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Mitochondria are essential organelles with crucial roles in cellular energy metabolism, Fe-S cluster biogenesis, signaling and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction causes encephalomyopathy and neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria possess a remarkably high content of small proteins compared to other cellular compartments. About one third of the cellular proteins ≤15 kDa characterized to date are located in mitochondria. Functional examples of such small proteins cover the whole mitochondrial biology like cristae morphology, Fe-S cluster formation, metabolite transport, protein biogenesis and respiration. However, the intracellular localization and function of most small proteins is unknown. These small proteins constitute one third of the uncharacterized open reading frames and even three quarters of the dubious open reading frames in the model organism budding yeast. Taken together we predict that more than 10% of the mitochondrial proteome deserves to be discovered. In an initial study we demonstrated the mitochondrial localization of several uncharacterized small open reading frame (smORF) proteins. MITOsmORFs aims to identify over 100 novel small mitochondrial proteins. MITOsmORFs will determine the submitochondrial localization and the functional role of the novel mitochondrial proteins by genetic, proteomic, metabolomic and lipidomic analysis, including interaction mapping and characterization of mitochondrial activities in vivo and in organello to explore the unknown biology of smORF proteins localized to mitochondria.

Keywords: mitochondrial biogenesis,mitochondrial function,mitochondrial proteins
Analog Quantum Simulation using Superconducting Qubits (AQSuS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Panel description: Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics
Countries involved: Austria,Austria
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2016-STG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2022-12-31
Duration (months): 69.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498514.94
EU funding (EUR): 751328.26
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

AQSuS aims at experimentally implementing analogue quantum simulation of interacting spin models in two-dimensional geometries. The proposed experimental approach paves the way to investigate a broad range of currently inaccessible quantum phenomena, for which existing analytical and numerical methods reach their limitations. Developing precisely controlled interacting quantum systems in 2D is an important current goal well beyond the field of quantum simulation and has applications in e.g. solid state physics, computing and metrology. To access these models, I propose to develop a novel circuit quantum-electrodynamics (cQED) platform based on the 3D transmon qubit architecture. This platform utilizes the highly engineerable properties and long coherence times of these qubits. A central novel idea behind AQSuS is to exploit the spatial dependence of the naturally occurring dipolar interactions between the qubits to engineer the desired spin-spin interactions. This approach avoids the complicated wiring, typical for other cQED experiments and reduces the complexity of the experimental setup. The scheme is therefore directly scalable to larger systems. The experimental goals are: 1) Demonstrate analogue quantum simulation of an interacting spin system in 1D & 2D. 2) Establish methods to precisely initialize the state of the system, control the interactions and readout single qubit states and multi-qubit correlations. 3) Investigate unobserved quantum phenomena on 2D geometries e.g. kagome and triangular lattices. 4) Study open system dynamics with interacting spin systems. AQSuS builds on my backgrounds in both superconducting qubits and quantum simulation with trapped-ions. With theory collaborators my young research group and I have recently published an article in PRB [9] describing and analysing the proposed platform. The ERC starting grant would allow me to open a big new research direction and capitalize on the foundations established over the last two years.

Keywords: superconducting qubits,cavity and circuit quantum electro dynamics,superconducting microwave circuits,quantum optics,quantum simulation,quantum information
Mass-customisation of custom-made medical implants (INOVER21)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Lithuania
Call: New business models for inclusive, innovative and reflective societies (H2020-SMEINST-2-2016-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2017-07-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2267398.75
EU funding (EUR): 1587179.13
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Custom-Made Implants (CMIs) are considered to be a superior solution for the treatment of patients with rare and severe clinical conditions since they ensure better fit, lower surgical invasiveness, shorter surgery time, faster healing, reduce risks of infection, joint dislocation and revision surgeries leading to lower total pathology treatment costs. Also, they provide fuller restoration of patient’s physical performance and higher quality of life by reducing or avoiding side effects. Thus, CMIs provide added value for all - patients, surgeons, medical institutions and health insurance funds. However, CMIs currently fail to achieve large-scale commercial success due to high price, long lead times and dominated surgical approach oriented towards standard solutions. Currently CMIs in value account for only ~1.4% of implant market. Ortho Baltic has developed the technological infrastructure for CMIs design, manufacturing and validation. It consist of surgeon-manufacturer co-creation and communication tool MICE (Medical Implants Customization Engine) and factory floor management system MC Dynamics (Mass Customization Dynamics) that together provide a chance to proceed to mass customization of CMIs. This will lead to the significant decrease of manufacturing costs and lead times. Already today Ortho Baltic offers CMIs for a ~21% lower price than standard modular implants. However, with the successful implementation of the project it could offer CMIs twice cheaper (for an average price of €3260) by 2023 and with lead time < 2 weeks. The profit is expected to be around 1,5 million in 2023. To reach this, during Phase 2 project Ortho Baltic will expand the functionalities of both systems, transfer them to new technology platforms (MICE - to web based platform),pilot them as well as develop supporting tools for CMI application in surgical treatment (clinical decision support and training software MICE Trainer and international curriculum for medical students and surgeons).

Keywords: custom made implants,patient specific implants,personalized medicine,mass customization of implants,medical implants,empowerment of patient,advanced manufacturing
Integrated on-farm Aquaponics systems for co-production of fish, halophyte vegetables, bioactive compounds, and bioenergy (AQUACOMBINE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Theme: Sustainable and competitive bio-based industries and supporting the development of a European bio-economy
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Germany,Germany,Germany,Spain,Belgium,Sweden,Belgium,France,Portugal,Portugal,Portugal,Denmark,Denmark,Denmark
Call: Circular bio-based business models for rural communities (H2020-RUR-2019-1, 2019)
Start date: 2019-10-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Duration (months): 51.0
Total project cost (EUR): 11046894.99
EU funding (EUR): 9789883.64
Participants: 18
Project status: SIGNED

One of the most important challenges of the 21st century is to meet the world's demand for sustainably produced biomass for both food and the growing bio-products sector. Increased use of fresh water for agriculture and loss of farmland due to salinity are related concerns. Salicornia europaea (S. europaea) is grown commercially in the EU for its fresh tips, which are edible as salad (marsh samphire). It is a halophyte plant and can grow on saline lands without requiring freshwater for irrigation. When grown as a vegetable only the fresh tips are used while the woody part of the plant is considered a residue. Today, European farmers are using part of the fibrous residue for soil amendment and drying the fibers to produce herbal salt. However, the amount of residue to food product is large (approximately 80%) and the salt content of the residue is a problem when used for soil amendment, as it returns the salt to the soil. There is a great wish from Salicornia farmers to increase the value of this fraction in line with the principles of circular economy. The woody residue part of Salicornia has been investigated as a source of pharma- and nutraceutical products due to its high content of phytochemicals e.g. hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA). To help increase Salicornia farming there is a wish to valorize these residues via biochemicals and bioenergy production. The project will also examine the combination of aquaculture and Salicornia farming creating synergies such as formulation and test of phyto-chemicals rich functional fish feed and formulation and test of protein and lipids rich fish feed. The outcomes of this study will enable Salicornia farmers and aquaponics farms to utilize all fractions of the produced biomass and produce value added HCAs, functional fish feed, and bioenergy. This will create new circular industries with co-production of food, pharma, and bioenergy from this new sustainable type of crop with very little or no production of waste streams.

Keywords: aquaculture,halophytes,bioprocessing,residue valorisation,botanical extracts,bio active compounds,hydroxycinnamic acids,feed protein
High-Power Ultrasound technology to disrupt the honey industry and revolutionize beekeeping sector (LIQUAM)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Innovation in SMEs
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Spain
Call: SME instrument (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2, 2019)
Start date: 2019-09-01
End date: 2022-09-30
Duration (months): 37.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1972375.0
EU funding (EUR): 1380662.5
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Crystallization is a natural phenomenon that takes place in honey in few weeks after extraction, caused by its high concentration in sugar crystals. Such crystallised honey becomes opaque and semi-solid. This unavoidable tendency is a serious problem that severely affects honey marketing due to handling issues and because most consumers only purchase liquid honey due to the widespread wrong belief that crystallized honey is spoiled or adulterated. Consequently, retail honey is heated to 80ºC for delaying crystallization +12 months post-processing and facilitate packaging. However, this thermal treatment has been proved to be detrimental to the quality and healthy properties of honey, since it losses its desirable heat sensitive enzymes and valuable antioxidants, therefore losing the abundant medicinal properties associated with it. In response to consumers’ demands for fresh and healthier food, a clear need exists in honey industry for a cost-effective non-thermal processing alternative. Sonicat System has developed a disruptive patented system, based on the use of High-Power Ultrasounds, which allows reducing the content of sugar crystals up to pasteurization levels (0.3%), without impacting on enzymes, pH, conductivity, nor Hydroxyl-Methyl-Furfural concentration, a key indicator globally used to measure honey’s quality. Our skilled team has invested more than 5 years to develop the functional prototype (allows processing up to 100kg/h) which has been validated during months at clients’ premises. We were awarded with a SMEInstrument Phase1, which allowed us to carry out the feasibility study. We are applying to Phase2 to scale-up LIQUAM reactor to industrial rates, while improving the electronics and its usability. With LIQUAM, our clients will be able to sell premium quality honey with a 15-25% increase in price, thus ensuring a return-on-investment in 1st year of operation. We expect to have €17.7 million turnover by 2024 and 1.62% of our available market.

Keywords: honey crystallization,ultrasounds,honey processing,beekeeping,apiculture,cavitation,honey quality and shelf life
Piezoelectric Nanogenerators for skin wound healing (ELECTROSKIN)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Spreading excellence and widening participation
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Other Widening
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Countries involved: Czechia
Call: Widening Fellowships (H2020-WF-02-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-04-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 144980.64
EU funding (EUR): 144980.64
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Prevalence of chronic wounds increases along with vascular diseases, diabetes and systemic factors like advanced age. It is estimated that 1-2% of the population would experience a chronic wound and the annual cost of wound care rise to 20 billion dollars in United States. Current therapies are mainly based on in situ administration of bioactive molecules incorporated in wound dressings, although there still are patients resistant to these therapies. In those cases, electroceutical therapies could be an alternative strategy. The use of electrical stimulation is used nowadays to treat neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, although it has a great potential for other tissues as skin. It is known that bioelectricity has an essential role in wound healing, and in chronic wounds, there is a loss of physiological currents. Therefore, the use of exogenous electric fields could enhance chronic wound healing. We propose the use of piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) to treat chronic skin ulcers by creating local electric fields without the need of external power and electrodes. Piezoelectric NGs are able to create an inherent electric field when they are strained, collecting the mechanical energy and transforming it to the electric energy. Piezoelectric zinc oxide and poly(vinylidene fluoride) will be tested as NGs for skin tissue applications. We will evaluate their in vitro biocompatibility as well as hemocompatibility and inflammatory properties. The development of in vitro 3D model will allow to analyse the simultaneous interaction of various cell types with NGs. We will also analyse the effect of electric fields generated on different cell types and elucidate the response of the cell membrane and changes in gene expression. Apart from the scientific knowledge, the purpose will allow to start an international multidisciplinary collaboration. The experienced researcher will be able to lead a project and expand his competences and skills in skin tissue engineering.

Keywords: skin tissue engineering,chronic wound healing,nanogenerators,electrical stimulation,biomedical devices