The project 'Impulsé' unites seven national partners, 3 industrials and 4 universities covering different regions of France, in a theoretical and experimental development for the advancement of the technology using Pulse Electric Field sintering and/or association for materials fabrications. This technique, known as 'Frittage Flash' in France or as Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) internationally, has successfully been in operation at five French sites; two of them (PNF2/CNRS and Schneider Electric Industries) are involved in this project. Due to the power and success of the technique, it has witness a spectacular increase in demand all over the world. Although it is very well adapted for material preparations, there remain still many questions to be answered concerning the kinetics, mechanisms and optimization of conditions as well as aiming for singular products. One integral part of the project is to develop theoretical tools to unravel the missing information. A parallel experimental part will be undertaken to ensure the unification of the theoretical approach. Several materials of industrial use, as well as for domestic and research, will be studied with the aim of producing exact conditions for the optimization of the fabrication technique. The project aims at primarily developing high-yield, cost-effective and energy-conserving methods to provide our industries with the desired materials. For this purpose, developing the theoretical understandings of the processes (mechanism, kinetics, and optimization) should enhance our knowledge of this black-box technological tool. As such each participant, an expert in his own field, will contribute collectively and together we look forward to complement each other with one aim in mind - to bring a full comprehension of the SPS technique from laboratory level to industrial level. The project will be effected, through collaboration, at both the governmental and industrial sites using two of the oldest operating SPS sites in France.

Unlike the control and observability put in service in HV/MV, LV networks are still being substantially managed as usual: no visibility of power and voltage or grid components status, poor knowledge of connectivity, manual operation of switches or few tools for worker support. The LV grid characteristics (radial topology, exposition to local disturbances, local accumulation of distributed generation, technical and no-technical loses, aging heterogeneous, etc.) limit the construction and refurbish of LV electric infrastructure and the integration on it of grid remote monitoring and operation and automation resources, bringing to difficulties in the implementation of the LV Smart Grid and the integration of Distributed Generation Resources and Active Demand Management (ADM). Smart metering deployment Mandates offer an opportunity to maximize the gains derived from the obliged functions to be deployed related to smart metering, developing and integrating additional innovative grid and ICT infrastructure, functions, services and tools improving grid operation performance and quality and paving the way for benefits and business opportunities for the involved actors (DSOs, customers, retailers and ESCOs). The project aims to develop, deploy and demonstrate innovative solutions (grid systems, functions, services and tools) for advanced Operation and Exploitation of LV/MV networks in a fully smart grid environment improving the capacity of that networks as enablers for Distributed Generation, ADM, Customer empowering and business opportunities. The project proposes 4 real pilots in Portugal, Poland, Spain and Sweden covering: Smart grid monitoring and operation, advanced grid maintenance, DER and ADM integration and active Consumer awareness and participation with cost efficiency. Also proposes specific WPs to maximize the socioeconomic impact of results, especially for their market uptake, business opportunities triggering and society awareness on the smart grid benefits

The WeForming project aims to change the paradigm of efficiently managing energy in buildings, paying special attention to their interaction with the energy ecosystem (energy networks and markets) by developing, deploying and demonstrating innovative solutions addressing (i) digital operation, management and maintenance and (ii) efficient and interactive energy processing for Intelligent Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (iGEBs), able to operate intelligently in a multi-energy, multi-user, multi-sector, multi-market, and multi-objective environment, without forgetting quality, comfort, health and acceptation. The WeForming Framework will deploy an umbrella framework covering all aspects around the establishment and adoption of iGEBs in cities, which consists of (i) a Building Operational Pillar encompassing all assets of iGEBs, including the energy management systems and the different platforms, aiming towards the building operational optimization, the actors and the actual flexibility resources, generation and storage components; (ii) a novel Interoperability Assurance Pillar which leverages on, adapts, evolves, and specifically validates leading-edge interoperable architectures; (iii) a Business Pillar including all necessary processes to bring the proposed solutions to the market, through the design and validation of sustainable and competitive business models, ensuring the economic viability of the investments needed for the establishment of smart cities featuring new and refurbished iGEBs; (iv) a Smart-city enabling Pillar integrating iGEBs as modular units addressing all different non-technical barriers and limitations for the widespread deployment of the proposed solutions that will create a stock of active buildings acting as active utility nodes within cities.