The (European) mining industry is under great pressure due to a number of reasons, e.g. high number of injuries/fatalities and environmental accidents, bad reputation, low commodity prices, depleting resources and decreasing ore grades, etc. The only way to overcome these challenges is to completely “rethink” the process of traditional mining via progressively digitising mining operations and introducing ground-breaking innovations (e.g. remote controlled robots, autonomous drones, novel sensor systems, etc.), accompanied by the extensive use of data analytics and new forms of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). illuMINEation will illuminate important digitalization aspects in underground mining operations in order to achieve the next level of safety, environment and economic performance, and to retain and gain a social licence to operate. The project will develop a robust multi-level distributed IIoT platform (including cloud computing & distributed cloud management) that connects via wireless communication with the physical mining world, defined by massively installed low-cost all-embracing sensor networks. Advanced analytical algorithms will support the implementation of powerful, sophisticated automated control systems. Mobile user interfaces, dashboards, augmented and virtual reality as well as digital twins will be utilised for data visualisation and operational control. illuMINEation will ensure that all mining personnel receive the best possible information that the enormous amount of data has to offer, whilst ensuring all data is properly protected via a rigorous cyber security approach. The illuMINEation consortium provides the necessary resources and comprehensive skills and capabilities to operate across organizational boundaries with the aim to bring together the different parts of the entire digital mining business value chain and create cross-industry innovations.

Cloud storage and computing, big data analytics and social media are driving the need for higher bandwidth communications in data centres (DCs). Concurrently, disaggregation and virtualization trends in the DC are forcing the traffic to be between servers and storage elements in the east-west direction. These changes require massive switching capabilities from the discrete switch elements. However, the technology is rapidly reaching a limit. The result is a multi-layered DC topology with high power consumption and long latency. The L3MATRIX project provides novel technological innovations in the fields of silicon photonics (SiP) and 3D device integration. The project will develop a novel SiP matrix with a scale larger than any similar device with more than 100 modulators on a single chip and will integrate embedded laser sources with a logic chip thus breaking the limitations on the bandwidth-distance product. Use of embedded laser sources and integration with a full logic CMOS chip are innovative steps that will have a profound effect on the European market as these technologies will make a noticeable change in the power consumption, performance and cost of DCs. A novel approach will be used with embedded III-V sources on the SOI substrate which will eliminate the need to use an external light source for the modulators. L3MATRIX provides a new method of building switching elements that are both high radix and have an extended bandwidth of 25 Gb/s in single mode fibres and waveguides with low latency. The power consumption of DC networks built with these devices is 10-fold lower compared to the conventional technology. The outcome of this approach is that large networks, in the Pb/s scale can be built as a single stage, non-blocking network. The single mode nature of the SiP chip allows scaling the network to the 2000 m range required in modern DCs.

EdgeAI is as a key initiative for the European digital transition towards intelligent processing solutions at the edge. EdgeAI will develop new electronic components and systems, processing architectures, connectivity, software, algorithms, and middleware through the combination of microelectronics, AI, embedded systems, and edge computing. EdgeAI will ensure that Europe has the necessary tools, skills, and technologies to enable edge AI as a viable alternative deployment option to legacy centralised solutions, unlocking the potential of ubiquitous AI deployment, with the long-term objective of Europe taking the lead of Intelligent Edge. EdgeAI will contribute to the Green Deal twin transition with a systemic, cross-sectoral approach, and will deliver enhanced AI-based electronic components and systems, edge processing platforms, AI frameworks and middleware. It will develop methodologies to ease, advance and tailor the design of edge AI technologies by co-ordinating efforts across 48 of the brightest and best R&D organizations across Europe. It will demonstrate the applicability of the developed approaches across a variety of vertical solutions, considering security, trust, and energy efficiency demands inherent in each of these use cases. EdgeAI will significantly contribute to the grand societal challenge to increase the intelligent processing capabilities at the edge.