New energy storage technologies can significantly improve the performance of batteries for zero-emission waterborne transport and reduce R&D and operational costs. V-ACCESS brings together expertise on supercapacitors, superconductive magnetic energy storage systems (SMES), design and control of shipboard power systems, power electronics, lifetime cycle analysis, and ship classification to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of hybrid storage systems, i.e. combining a battery with either supercapacitors, SMES, or both. They will be integrated into an innovative DC shipboard microgrid to control flexibly the power sharing between the different energy storage technologies. The proposed technologies are analysed from the components levels, already tested and validated at TRL3, and modelled into the vessel's power system, also using control hardware-in-the-loop simulators. Then, the individual components are assembled together and integrated into a realistic shipboard power system available at the ETEF facility of the University of Trieste to reach TRL5. Business models and standardisation needs will be deeply analysed and measures to unlock existing barriers and will be promoted in parallel to the technical knowledge generated from the project to ensure further exploitation of the project results and the definition of the steps to upscale the design of the V-ACCESS system, paving the ground for a full-scale demonstrator to be developed after the end of this project and bringing the proposed technologies closer to market.

The CERN’s projects, HL-LHC and FCC, will create a big push in the state of the art of High-Field Superconducting magnets in the ten coming years. The performance of superconducting materials such as Nb3Sn and HTS will be developed to yield higher performance at lower costs and the construction materials and techniques will be advanced. At the same time, in the context of Energy’s savings, Industry is experiencing a renewed interest in the domain of industrial superconductivity with fault current limiters, wind generators, electric energy storage, etc. Besides, Medical Research shows a strong interest in High-Field MRI, especially for the brain observation. Considering the social impact of the investment of the HL-LHC project and FCC study, CERN and CEA have established a Working Group on Future Superconducting Magnet Technology (FuSuMaTech).The Working Group has explored a large spectrum of possible synergies with Industry, and has proposed a set of relevant R&D&I projects to be conducted between Academia and industry. To keep the leading position of Europe in the domain, the most efficient way is to support joint activities of Industry and academic partners on the common concerns in view of overcoming the technological barriers. The FuSuMaTech Initiative aims to create the frame of collaborations and to provide common tools to all the EU actors of the domain. The FuSuMatech Initiative is a dedicated and large scale silo breaking programme which will create a sustainable European Cluster in applied Superconductivity. It will enlarge the innovative potential especially in High Field NMR and MRI, opening future breakthroughs in the brain observation. The FuSuMaTech Phase 1 is the first step of the FuSuMaTech Initiative. It is based on practical cases studies and will consist in preparing: 1. The administrative and legal conditions; 2. The detailed description of generic R&D&I actions and of the Technology demonstrators; 3. The funding scheme for the future actions.

MArine REciprocating Superconducting Generator (RSG). MARES aims at developing a next generation of ultrahigh force Superconducting Direct Drive PTOs for wave energy conversion. The maximum power that can be extracted from a planar wave is proportional to the wave period and to the square of the wave amplitude but, to extract this power, the hydrodynamic parameters of the Wave Energy Converter must be modified and this means having the availability of producing high reactive forces. The proposed Reciprocating Superconducting Generator (RSG) is simpler than other existing superconducting generators due to the fact that its alternating movement allows the direct integration into wave energy converters where the primary energy source is also moving in a reciprocating way. This RSG consists of a Circular Switched Reluctance Machine housed inside a flexible moving cryostat with bellows, avoiding the need of any feedthrough for any moving part. The machine is cooled down using a Cryogenic Supply System (CSS) which recirculates helium gas through the coils and the radiation screen and current leads at two different temperatures. The project proposes to build a full system prototype to be tested at the laboratory scale and to analyse its implementation into two existing WEC systems developed by two technologists participating in the project. A set of the prototype generator coils will be made from MgB2 superconducting technology, while the other one will use REBCO tapes. The achieved results for different temperatures will be compared. In both cases the proposed technology will profit from the latest advances in superconductivity and very specifically in recent developments in superconducting magnet technology provided by six of the participants, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), a world leader in such activities, in a perfect example of bringing the forefront technologies to social applications.

Superconducting medium-voltage cables, based on HTS and MgB2 materials, have the potential to become the preferred solution for energy transmission from many renewable energy sites to the electricity grid. Onshore HTS cables provide a compact design, which preserves the environment in protected areas and minimizes land use in urban areas where space is limited. Offshore HTS cables compete on cost and – compared to conventional HVDC cables – have the clear benefit of eliminating the need for large and costly converter stations on the offshore platforms. MgB2 cables in combination with safe liquid hydrogen transport directly from renewable energy generation sites to e.g., ports and heavy industries, introduce a new paradigm of two energy vectors used simultaneously in the future. Both HTS, cooled with liquid nitrogen, and MgB2, cooled with liquid hydrogen, MVDC superconducting cables will be designed, manufactured, and tested, including a six-month test for the MgB2 cable. For grid protection, a high-current superconducting fault current limiter module will be designed and tested. Furthermore, the technology developments will be supported by techno-economic analyses, and a study of elpipes, large cross-section conductors for high-power transfer, will be performed. The superconductor technology developments will accelerate the energy transition towards a low-carbon society by the direct key impacts of the project: • 30% LCOE reduction for offshore windfarm export cables • 15% reduction in total cost of entire offshore windfarms • Possibility to transfer 0.5 GW in the form of H2 and 1 GW electric energy in one combined system • Installation of cables for 90 GW transmission capacity by the consortium partners by 2050 • Creation of 5 000 European jobs within the field of sustainable energy

Radiotherapy (RT) is a mainstay of modern cancer treatment. Conventionally, RT is delivered to the patient lying on a treatment couch, while a beam steering device (gantry) aims the radiation from any angle around the target. Positioning the patients in upright body posture (upRT) instead enables to orient the patient arbitrarily toward a fixed beam. This enables smaller facility footprint and reduced treatment cost, placing upRT in the core of the UN sustainable development goals, and opening global access to advanced treatment options: 80% of cancer patients live in countries which host only 5% of the world’s RT resources. Moreover, upRT improves patient comfort and is associated with anatomical and physiological advantages, such as reduced breathing motion. It therefore comes as no surprise that, with new upright patient positioning & imaging solutions entering the market, upRT is enjoying a surge in interest. Yet, key scientific questions remain, international guidelines for upRT are lacking, and existing RT workflows are geared to lying patients. As the first clinics adopt new upRT technologies, there is a global need for trained professionals in industry, clinics and academia, to reach the promised benefits for patient care. UPLIFT builds this next generation of experts by addressing key research questions related to: treatment planning, clinical workflow and equipment design. Leveraging latest upRT technology available through our world-class consortium, UPLIFT propels Europe to the forefront of the upRT paradigm shift. UPLIFT focuses on: Learning (through its academic and clinical centres of excellence); Innovation (through its leading industrial partners); Fellowship & Training (through an outstanding cross-sector programme of workshops, secondments & mentoring). Input from patient advocacy groups and an internationally renowned advisory board will maximise its impact. UPLIFT will revolutionize modern RT, making it more human, accessible and sustainable.