The objective of Car2TERA is to develop emerging sub-THz (150-330 GHz) smart electronic systems based on latest semiconductor, microsystem and nanoelectronics technologies, and to implement TRL-4 demonstrators in two high-potential application scenarios: (1) a new class of compact, high-resolution, electronic-beam-steering short-range car radar sensors, with the primary application being in-cabin passenger monitoring (currently fastest growing car sensor market) for individually and real-time adjusted crash mitigation measures; (2) short-distance, high data-rate THz-over-plastic data links for telecommunication radio-access and backbone networks facilitating the data growth demanded by 5G and IoT. Car2TERA combines, for the first time, the results of recent achievements in semiconductor, micro- and nanoelectronics scientific projects, including the Graphene Flagship, an ERC and several EU collaboration projects, with the following emerging THz technologies: (1) 600-GHz-fmax SiGe monolithic-microwave integrated circuits (MMICs); (2) silicon micromachining for system integration, packaging and phased-array antenna front-end; (3) integrated MEMS reconfigurability; and (4) large-bandwidth, high-linearity graphene MMICs; (4) advanced signal processing including OFDM radar signals and AI sensor fusion. The consortium: Veoneer, world’s largest car safety equipment manufacturer; Ericsson, world leading in telecommunication systems; Infineon, world’s largest manufacturer of SiGe radar chip sets; the academic partners Chalmers and KTH, leading in MMIC design and micromachining/THz MEMS; and three SMEs leading in sub-THz technologies and 2D-materials. With European car module manufacturers holding a market share of 79% on car radars, and European semiconductor manufacturers 90% on SiGe car-radar chip sets, this project aims at extending Europe’s success story on advanced, smart electronic sensor systems into the sub-THz frequency spectrum and into new emerging applications.

AI-PRISM is an industrial-end-user driven project that will provide a human-centred AI-based solutions ecosystem targeted to manufacturing scenarios with tasks difficult to automate and where speed and versatility are essential. The result will be an integrated and scalable ecosystem with installation-specific solutions for semi-automated and collaborative manufacturing in flexible production processes and for which specific robotic programming skills will not be required, thanks to its programming-by-demonstration modules. The ecosystem will be composed by four main pillars including 1) Human Centred Collaborative Robotic Platform, 2) Human Robot Cooperation Ambient, 3) Social Human-Agent-Robots Teams Collaboration and 4) Open Access Network Portal. In order to facilitate the assessment of the performance, transferability, scalability and large-scale deployment of these solutions, the demonstrations will be conducted under real operational environments in four pilot involving key manufacturing sectors - Furniture (ES), Food/Beverage (GR), Built-in Appliances (TR) and Electronics (PL) -, plus one generic demonstration facility (AT). The project is not just aiming at quantitative improvements in a specific sector, but to use technology innovation to support a change of paradigm where AI, robotics and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) integrated in the manufacturing domain for the improvement of flexible production processes, become a feasible and widespread alternative for European factories, especially SMEs. To achieve this, the project relies on a strong consortium of 25 partners from 12 countries including international cooperation with Korea. The consortium brings together all the actors of the Human Robot Collaboration (HRC) value chain including relevant competence centres, technology providers, equipment providers, integrators, and manufacturers/end users; and involves key expert partners in SSH, standardisation, exploitation, and dissemination.

The MIRPHAB (Mid InfraRed PHotonics devices fABrication for chemical sensing and spectroscopic applications) consortium will establish a pilot line to serve the growing needs of European industry in the field of analytical micro-sensors. Its main objectives are to: • provide a reliable supply of mid-infrared (MIR) photonic components for companies incl. in particular SMEs already active in analytical MIR sensing • reduce investment cost to access innovative MIR solutions for companies already active in the field of analytical sensors, but new to MIR photonics based sensing • attract companies new to the field of analytical sensors, aiming to integrate µ-sensors into their products. To fulfil those objectives, MIRPHAB is organized as a distributed pilot line formed by leading European industrial suppliers of MIR photonic components, complemented by first class European R&D institutes with processing facilities capable of carrying out pilot line production. MIRPHAB provides: • access to MIR photonic devices via mounted/packaged devices for laser-based analytical MIR sensors • expert design for sensor components to be fabricated in the pilot line plus training services to its customers. The platform will be organized such that new developments in MIR micro- and integrated optic components and modules can be taken up and incorporated into the MIRPHAB portfolio. MIRPHAB will work on a convincing scheme for the flow of hardware and information, suitable to operate a distributed pilot line efficiently. MIRPHAB will develop sound business cases and a compelling business plan. Potential cost-performance breakthroughs will be shown for reliable MIR sensing products based on building blocks provided by MIRPHAB. MIRPHAB will become a sustainable source of key components for new and highly competitive MIR sensors, facilitating their effective market introduction and thus significantly strengthening the position and competitiveness of the respective European industry sector.

AQUARIUS proposes disruptive improvements in laser based water sensing employing MIR quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). It is motivated by i) the EC Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) where hydrocarbons are identified as priority hazardous substances, ii) the industrial and regulatory need for fast and continuous detection of contaminants and iii) the current state-of-the-art of measuring these substances using QCLs as defined by project partner QuantaRed Technologies and described in ASTM D7678. AQUARIUS will improve this offline method by developing pervasive online and inline sensing strategies based on advanced photonic structures. For improved specificity a broadly (200 cm-1) tunable MOEMS based µEC-QCL source will be developed into a core spectrometer. High power, mode-hop free operation and unprecedentedly fast data acquisition (1000 spectra/s) will assure high S/N-ratios and thus high sensitivity. The system for online sensing (LOD: 1ppm) is based on automated liquid-liquid extraction and will be validated by project partner OMV for process and waste water monitoring. It will also be tested for identifying different sources of contaminations by project partner KWR in their water treatment and purification facilities. The system for inline sensing will be based on integrated optical circuits (IOC) including waveguides for evanescent wave sensing. Switching between individual waveguides of the IOC will enable quasi-simultaneous sample and background measurement and thus assure excellent long-term stability. By enrichment of analytes in polymer layers LODs as required for drinking (0.5ppb) and groundwater (50ppb) will be reached. AQUARIUS covers the supply chain from research institutes to system integrator and end users. It will push the online system from TRL 3 to 7 and the inline system from TRL 2 to 4 and thus reinforce the industrial leadership of the project partners regarding QCL based liquid sensing and photonic components (source, detector and IOCs).