Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Development of novel Non Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques and autonomous robots to be deployed by Remote Operating Vehicles for the sub-sea inspection of offshore structure welds - DEMOnstration (SUBCTESTDEMO)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Demonstration Activity
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Italy,Greece,Norway
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2014-10-01
End date: 2016-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1813104.6
EU funding (EUR): 990000.0
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

The SubCTest Demo project, a continuation of the FP7 R4S SubCTest project, has the objective to successfully demonstrate a robust NDT system, deployed by a Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV), that will reliably detect and evaluate discontinuities in pipes, risers and tubular structural components, including the welds. Long range ultrasonic testing (LRUT) will be used to detect, locate and qualitatively assess the indications over distances of tens of metres either side the test site. Ultrasonic testing using electro-magnetic techniques will be used to evaluate, size and quantitatively assess discontinuities detected by LRUT. Validation of the scanning and clamping manipulator systems will be demonstrated and analysis of the achieved accuracy will be conducted. Validation procedures will test both the reliability and robustness of the NDT system within prescribed underwater pipes or structures.

Keywords: monitoring,sensors,rov,ultrasonics,acfm,subsea robots
SemLib to Market (STOM)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Demonstration Activity
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Italy,United Kingdom,Poland
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2014-05-01
End date: 2016-04-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1538170.0
EU funding (EUR): 858000.0
Participants: 5
Project status: CLOSED

StoM uses as the foundation stone the results of a previous Research for SME project called SemLib, which produced two state-of-the-art general purpose software components: a semantic annotation system and a semantic recommendation engine. To bridge the gap between research and market, these results will be integrated in StoM into two software-as-a-service platforms: PunditBrain and EventPlace. PunditBrain aims at providing online services for content annotation, document collection management, personal note taking and collaborative story building. The intended target audience is composed of professional web users who need advanced tools to analyze, interpret, repurpose and reuse web content. It includes, but is not limited to: scholars, corporate researchers, PhD students, data journalists and editors. EventPlace manages event-related and location based collections of multimedia content. It will offer services for participants and organizers of events, conferences and festivals. Currently these target groups lack integrated solutions for managing mainstream event content (e.g. presentations, video recordings, video promotions, documents) and user-generated content (e.g. photos from participants, images of the surroundings, sharing impressions of social dinner): EventPlace's offering aims at filling this niche. StoM involves two companies that participated to the original SemLib project, Net7 (Italy), and IN2 search interfaces development (UK). Net7 focuses on software development and professional consultancy on Web and Semantic Web technologies, while IN2 develops custom web-based software and tools to enrich and publish multimedia content, also using a software-as-a-service model. StoM consortium is also composed by SpazioDati (Italy), a startup focused on a data-as-a-service offering, targeted to data consumers and application developers, and two companies, Innova (Italy) and Techin (Poland). These two SMEs have a significant expertise on marketing and business development: in StoM they will focus on refining the initial business ideas, by performing market analysis and validation, to develop effective business exploitation strategies to allow the commercialisation of StoM's outcomes.

Keywords: semantic web,web clipping,collaborative annotation
Establishment of an integrated process chain for the cost-efficient manufacturing complex glass optics (CENTIMO)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: Germany,Czechia,Germany,United Kingdom,Italy
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1145205.29
EU funding (EUR): 844722.17
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

Demand for complex yet low-cost glass optics is growing within the sectors of lighting technology, automotive engineering and in the areas of renewable energy. However European SMEs are continuously being confronted with the dual challenge arising from the trend towards increasingly complex geometries coupled with intense pressure on market prices. Still the state-of-the-art to manufacture complex shaped glass optics is not efficient enough to meet the requirements of mass production sufficiently. The process requires large amounts of energy and manual work resulting in a very time-consuming and expensive process. Therefore the European SMEs pull for new technology developments enabling them to build up a new and improved process chain which allows for an efficient and economically viable glass optic replication. The key to success in developing an efficient integrated production chain for complex optics is to mould optics directly from a gob of molten glass. By moulding directly from a gob of molten glass reheating of glass is obsolete saving large amounts of energy. Due to the precise cutting of glass gobs no subsequent mechanical processing is necessary and the amount of glass waste will be reduced to almost zero. In order to provide the SMEs with this efficient and economically viable production chain extensive developments are necessary. The project CENTiMO will start with a detailed analysis of the gobforming and the moulding process. Based on this the RTD Partners Fraunhofer IPT and Glass Service will develop a suitable melting and gobforming process which is able to form gobs which can directly be moulded into glass optics. In parallel, the glass moulding process will be developed. In order to achieve the required quality and mould lifetime new mould materials will be evaluated. Finally an evaluation and qualification of the developed processes will give decisive feedback for the improvement of the whole process chain.

Keywords: mould material,integrated process chain,gobforming,gobcutting,moulding
New generation of protective coatings alternative to hard chrome (HARDALT)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SME associations
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Belgium,United Kingdom,Italy,Greece,Cyprus,United Kingdom,Slovakia,Spain
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-12-01
End date: 2016-11-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2281391.86
EU funding (EUR): 1676000.0
Participants: 12
Project status: CLOSED

The total annual estimated direct cost of corrosion, not including wear damage, in the worlds is estimated at about 3.1% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Protective coatings serve to prevent wear and corrosion and thus reduce the total loss from corrosion and wear. Hard chromium plating is one of the most widely used techniques for production of such coatings. However, hard chromium faces many problems: EU restrictions due to use hexavalent chromium, health issues for the plating industry personnel due to cancers events, functional defects of the coatings and low current efficiency. Thus, there is an urgent need to substitute chrome plating with an alternative one that could provide the same or even enhanced benefits that chrome has, without causing the above problems. The target of the project is to eliminate the use of hard chromium plating in European electroplating industry by delivering a suitable alternative, which will be the nano structured Ni-P and Ni-P composite coatings (with SiC or WC as reinforcing nanoparticles). The successful outcome of the HardAlt project will lead to the restriction or even elimination of the use of hexavalent chromium in electrodeposition industry and will not be subjected in EU legislations. As HardAlt coatings will present equal or even enhanced functional properties compared to hard chrome, they will be adopted by the metal working industry in applications where wear and corrosion resistance is of crucial importance. Significant benefit will be the customization of the HardAlt coatings in the need of each application using the same bath leading to raw materials saving and minimization of wastes from electroplating industry.

Keywords: electrodeposition,nickel-phosphorous coatings,amorphous/nanocrystalline coatings,pulse electrodeposition,composite coatings,structural modifications,thermal treatment,functional properties
An innovative, fully automated, intelligent vehicle fire and smoke detection and extinguishing system for buses/coaches. (VULCAN)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: Bulgaria,Luxembourg,Estonia,Croatia,Sweden,Sweden,Sweden,Italy
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1529435.2
EU funding (EUR): 1156000.0
Participants: 8
Project status: CLOSED

Between 1999 and 2004, there was an average of 122 bus fires reported in Sweden alone, and that this equated to buses being 5 to 10 times more likely to catch fire than trucks. In addition, estimated unreported bus fires are 2/3 of reported incidents (~ 81 incidents). In the EU27 alone, there are an estimated 700,000 buses and coaches in use and about 35,000 buses sold annually – of these only 25% have some sort of fire protection systems. The major drawback of existing systems is that they only react to a fire incident and cannot prevent its occurrence. Current vehicle fire detection and suppression systems also have following problems: -They cannot determine the extent of the problem and locate the actual position of the problem and therefore a graduated response is not possible; -They are incapable of giving early warning of potential problems such as electrical faults; and -They are stand-alone systems, and are not integrated into the vehicle (Can-Bus) control system, with the result that fuel flow cannot be stopped in the event of a fire. VULCAN will develop a fully automated, intelligent, fixed installation, vehicle fire and smoke detection and extinguishing system for buses and coaches. The system will comprise of heat and aspirating smoke detectors and a fire extinguishing system controlled by an intelligent response system embedded in the vehicle CAN-bus control system. The VULCAN project will help the European bus and coach operators to increase passenger safety and reduce bus fires by up to 25% through predictive detection. The VULCAN project will focus on developing three important subsystems and components: a) Vehicle smoke detection system b) Optimal agent tank, nozzles and piping system design, and c) Control system integrated with vehicle Can-Bus control system Our calculations, based on 2,8% of EU and 0.7% of global market penetration, 5 years post project, show €48m additional sales and €13.5m profit for SMEPs involved with the project.

Keywords: fire technology,can-bus,control systems,extinguisher systems,liquid flow,intelligent response system algorithms,fluid flow dynamics,control software
MINIaturised diagnostics and frequency-conversion MODuleS for ultrafast lasers (MINIMODS)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Poland,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Germany,Spain
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1953763.2
EU funding (EUR): 1489000.0
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

There is a strong pull for practical ultrafast laser sources from a magnitude of applications and associated markets. These applications often demand systems with high reliability and maintenance-/alignment-free operation while at the same time, be highly adaptable to cater the numerous requirements imposed by the specific application. One of the key issues that prevent state-of-the-art ultrafast lasers offering such capabilities is their intrinsic complexity which often causes the requirement of intervention from highly skilled engineers and makes implementation of ultrafast technology into demanding applications outside research laboratories almost impossible. MiniMods aims to address these short comings by developing miniaturised laser diagnostic tools and frequency conversion modules that are small enough to be integrated directly into the optical heads of ultrafast lasers and synchronously-pumped optical parametric oscillators. These modules will not only add direct readouts of key performance (e.g. pulse duration, spectrum, beam quality) and functionality but will also offer the ability to use adaptive control loops to control the laser performance parameters to unprecedented accuracy. This will negate the need for any user intervention when operating these systems, thereby making them suitable for a wide range of real world applications. While there are various ultrafast diagnostic tools on the market already, these are generally very expensive and bulky apparatus that don’t lend themselves for integration into fully engineered systems. MiniMods will overcome this by exploiting a series of new technological concepts developed by the consortium to realise autocorrelators, beam quality detectors, spectrometers, compressors and third harmonic generators. In this context, cost effectiveness and a highly compact form are paramount factors to ensure that these systems can be utilized as a main stream component in future generations of ultrafast oscillators.

Keywords: photonics,ultrafast,ultrashort pulse,autocorrelator,spectrometer,frequency converter,pulse compressor,m squared detector,near-/mid-ir,laser diagnostics,laser,optical parametric oscillator
Development of an Automated System for Safely Securing Cargo on Haulage Trucks Using High Tensile Multi-layer Fabric (TRUCK-SAFE)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: Estonia,Finland,Finland,United Kingdom,Sweden,Sweden,Spain
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2014-01-01
End date: 2015-12-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1696116.0
EU funding (EUR): 1276000.0
Participants: 9
Project status: CLOSED

The Truck-Safe project focuses on improving cargo securing on HGVs as there are potentially 147 deaths and economic loss of €6.8 billion occurred as a result of avoidable insecure cargo securing in EU alone. The European market will have a production demand of 330,000 trailer units, Truck-Safe consortium is looking to achieve a minimum 3% market penetration which gives total predicted sales of about 9,500 units for year five post-project, resulting for SMEPs €128m additional sales and €50m additional profit. Truck-Safe will be uniquely placed in the market of cargo securing solutions, having following set of differentiations: -be fully automated reducing lashing times by 60 minutes and minimizing likelihood of human error -integration of alarm functions will provide detection system and automatically adjust load stress -incorporation of fibres into interwoven textile fabric matrix to improve resistance to environment -integrated sensor systems within the automatic tensioning device to keep cargo under tension -development of energy storage unit for truck-free usage of the system -fully automated self-ratcheting system with automatic return system and automatic pulling of fabric -on-board alarm to alert the driver in case of reduced tension on the cargo or over tension in the cargo securing straps. In order to provide these benefits, we will develop: -Multi-layer fabric -Automated self ratcheting system -Integrated sensor system, and integrate, optimize and validate the prototype.

Keywords: multi-layer fabric,integrated sensor system,textile fabric matrix,energy storage unit
Application and Analytics Platform Demonstration (AAPD)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Demonstration Activity
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-07-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1344660.0
EU funding (EUR): 801000.0
Participants: 4
Project status: CLOSED

The project AAPD is the follow-up of RAISME, the very successful 'Research for SMEs' project (Grant Agreement number 262469), that came to a successful conclusion on 31st of August 2012. RAISME was aimed at providing a configurable platform for rapid development of software applications, with embedded advanced interactive interfaces and visualisation services, enabled to allow an integration ecology of users, developers and providers. There is a very significant opportunity given the rapid global uptake in cloud computing and the EU’s unique infrastructure of SMEs to deliver the RAISME platform and it’s innovative services for all EU SMEs enabling access to more advanced ICT than through usual architectures. This will generate more ‘adventurous’ use of computing, faster progress into new markets incurring less financial risk, and access to advanced concepts requiring high performance or high throughput computing. Facts live outside the building where future customers live and work and AAPD project fully embraces this concept to ensure an intimate understanding of future customers and markets. AAPD learns about customers, validating their needs and achieving insights through carefully controlled experiments and by analysis of data from experiments. It also establishes processes to “get’ and “keep” customers. The Risk Management domain is used to customise the capabilities of the platform into a concrete bundle of services; to be achieved by close interaction with an early-evangelist customer. The AAPD demonstrator platform will handle the type of large and diverse datasets (i.e. Big Data) used in risk and insurance analysis. EU investment will be used for speed of route to market and to commercialise the innovative lead which RAISME has generated. A rapid return on investment is envisaged with early payback of RAISME and AAPD costs.

Keywords: sme,demonstration,risk analysis,business plan,viability,market analysis,complex systems,customisation,testing,prototype,stabilisation,scale-up,platform,open service innovation
INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS FOR EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT MASONRY ENCLOSURES IN RC BUILDINGS (INSYSME)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SME associations
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: Italy,Portugal,Portugal,Italy,Greece,Germany,Türkiye,Belgium,Germany,Germany,Romania
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2016-12-31
Duration (months): 39.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2697131.61
EU funding (EUR): 1827000.0
Participants: 16
Project status: CLOSED

The project aims at developing innovative systems for masonry enclosures, to be used for façades, envelopes and internal partitions of reinforced concrete framed buildings, to derive sound concepts for their analysis and to develop reliable, simple and efficient methods for their design in the everyday engineering practice. Masonry enclosure systems have excellent, yet still improvable, performance with respect to healthy indoor environment, temperature, noise, moisture, fire and durability. However, they have been considered for long time as non-load-bearing, non-structural elements. In reality, they can play a structural role in the overall seismic behavior of buildings. Enclosure walls need to be checked against excessive damage and potential out-of-plane collapse. Under this respect, as proven by recent earthquakes, if they are not properly detailed to accommodate seismic loads and correctly designed, they represent a significant hazard and can result in extensive economic losses as well as in a source of danger for human lives. Hence, it is necessary to reconsider the structural role of enclosures, in order to establish reliable analysis and design procedures and to provide background for an update of current structural codes. The adopted approach starts from material and technology development. Technical and economical feasibility of the envisaged construction systems will be demonstrated by performing parallel experimental and theoretical studies and will be validated by prototypes construction. Experimental and numerical characterization will be aimed at deriving structural requirements of masonry infill walls, as well as tools and methods for their assessment. The research will offer innovative solutions to scientific and technological problems which have a broad-spectrum impact. The experience of SME associations involved in the project, with the aid of all the partners, will ensure that the needs of large communities of SMEs are met

Keywords: construction,masonry infill walls,masonry veneer walls,seismic behavior
Demonstration of a novel microwave processing application for nutritional and shelf stable milk (MICROMILK-DEMO)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Demonstration Activity
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Germany,Germany,Netherlands,Norway,Germany,Germany
Call:  (FP7-SME-2013, 2013)
Start date: 2013-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1867560.9
EU funding (EUR): 1077000.0
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

The MicroMilk project (Grant Agreement Number: 262603) funded by the R4SME programme (call identifier: FP7-SME-2010-1) delivered high quality science and technology development. MicroMilk involved the RTD of a novel process to facilitate cost-effective, energy efficient and flexible processing of a wide range of different milk variants, including those with high viscosities with minimum start-up and shut-down, minimal surface fouling and therefore less cleaning efforts and water being wasted. A novel continuous microwave milk pasteurization system was successfully developed and validated. The results showed that heating times are 3 times shorter than state of the art indirect heating. Both the indirect and microwave heating result in comparable microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory quality (experimental & commercial). This confirmed that microwave pasteurisation is suited for the commercial production and distribution of drinking milk. The developed cavity reactor was integrated into a standard milk pasteurization plant, including CIP cleaning and full energy recovery. An industrial scale unit has been designed and specified. Further demonstration at industrial sites to confirm long-term performance, operational costs and economic viability must be undertaken. These include industrialisation of manufacturing processes to enable economies of scale to be achieved. The consortium has identified a number of market opportunities and is keen to bring this development into an industrial stage.

Keywords: milk pasteurisation,microwave,cavity reactor,sensory quality,minimum surface fouling,reduced waste water,high solid liquid products