„Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have the potential to become the next big computing platform, and as we saw with the PC and Smartphone, we expect new markets to be created and existing markets to be disrupted.“ (Understanding the Race for the Next Computing Platform, Goldman Sachs 2016). While its technology is still considered in the early stages of development, it is already mature in the video game area. VR/AR has the potential to change the way we do business, social interactions or education, but its applicability beyond gaming requires further development. An important field of research is the audio part. The importance of sound becomes evident when considering how people orientate themselves in space. Unlike seeing, hearing allows us to perceive instantly from all angles, and plays a leading role in giving us clues where to look at. To support natural orientation in VR/AR, the visual and auditory information has to closely match, as otherwise the illusion is shattered and the experience is not convincing. VRACE aims at providing physically correct and perceptually convincing soundscapes in VR. This goal is pursued through dedicated training of ESRs in all VR-related domains, namely physical modelling, sound propagation, audio rendering and psychoacoustics. Specific research projects involve modelling of sound sources, such as musical instruments, voices, vehicles, colliding objects or environmental sound sources, studying sound propagation in complex interior spaces like concert halls and in outdoor environments such as urban or rural areas and investigating human perception and localisation of sounds. With an estimated revenue of $80bn by 2025 (G&S) the demand for trained VR audio experts will increase rapidly. Besides advancing methodologies in this cutting-edge technology, VRACE will train 15 ESRs who will multiply and spread this knowledge in industry and academia. VRACE thus gives European industry a competitive edge in this global race.

The aim of this project is to develop a recycling supply chain for rare earth magnets in the EU and to demonstrate these new materials on a pilot scale within a range of application sectors. Rare earth magnets based upon neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB, also containing dysprosium) are used in a wide range of products, including for example clean energy technologies (wind turbines and electric vehicles) and high tech sectors such as electronics. However in recent years the supply of these materials has come under considerable pressure and neodymium and dysprosium are now deemed to be of greatest supply risk for all elements. The EU imports far more NdFeB magnets than it manufactures (>1,000 tonnes manufactured per annum). It has been estimated that ~ 2,000-3,000 tonnes/annum of NdFeB will be available by 2020 for recycling, which presents a significant opportunity. The aim of this project is to identify, separate, recycle and demonstrate recycled magnets at a pilot scale with a multidisciplinary team located across the EU. The project will target three of the main application sectors including automotive, electronics and wind turbines. The project will develop new sensing and robotic sorting lines for the identified EoL products, building upon technologies developed in the FP7 project Remanence. New hydrogen based technologies will be demonstrated at scale for separating and purifying NdFeB powders from the robotically sorted parts and this technology will be duplicated at another partner in the project. The separated powders will be re-manufactured into sintered magnets, injection moulded magnets, metal injection moulded magnets and cast alloys, at 4 different companies across 3 countries, building upon work in the Repromag Horizon 2020 project. A techno economic assessment will be performed for each potential recycling route alongside a life cycle assessment to assess the environmental benefits over primary production.

5G-RECORDS aims to explore the opportunities which new 5G technology components bring to the professional audio-visual content production. 5G-RECORDS targets the development, integration, validation and demonstration of 5G components for professional media content production, as part of an overall ecosystem representing a subset of 5G network functions. The project will take a business-to-business (B2B) perspective, where 5G becomes part of the audio-visual (AV) infrastructure backbone. The challenge is to use 5G components from previous 5G-PPP projects and earlier R&D investments and further develop them. These components will be evaluated in specific end-to-end 5G infrastructures. In particular, the project will provide three end-to-end 5G infrastructures. This includes the core network (5GC), radio access network (RAN) and end devices. The project aims to use of non-public networks (NPNs) as a way to bring these new components to emerging markets and new market actors. NPNs can be deployed as independent and standalone 5G networks or in conjunction with a public network. To ensure the successful demonstration of these use cases, the project brings together a set of experienced partners whose expertise covers both 5G and content production value chains. Most of the 5G components will be developed and implemented by a specific key partner, being mostly innovative SMEs. The presence of SMEs is particularly strong in the consortium, since they represent the 44.5%. The 5G-RECORDS implemented technologies will be based on existing 3GPP Rel-15 and Rel-16 specifications, while also prototyping some emerging Rel-17 capabilities. All technology components are expected to reach by the end of the project a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7. 5G-RECORDS has considered 3 use cases to embrace some of the most challenging scenarios in the framework of professional content production: live audio production, a multi-camera wireless studio and live immersive media production.

The overall objective of the REProMag project is to develop and validate an innovative, resource-efficient manufacturing route (SDS process) for Rare Earth magnets that allows for the economically efficient production of net-shape magnetic parts with complex structures and geometries, while being 100% waste-free along the whole manufacturing chain. The new Shaping, Debinding and Sintering (SDS) process for Rare Earth magnets is an innovative automated manufacturing route to realise complex 3D- and multilayered parts; resulting in a significant increase in the material efficiency of at least 30% during manufacturing; while at the same time allowing additional geometrical features such as threads, cooling channels, small laminations/segments (e.g. to increase the efficiency of electrical motors) and structural optimisations such as lightweight-structures or the joint-free realisation. As part of the project, the possibility to produce hybrid parts such as an improved moving-coil transducer for headphones, loudspeakers and microphones will be evaluated. The SDS process allows a new level of sustainability in production, as the energy efficiency along the whole manufacturing chain can be increased by more than 30% when compared to conventional production routes. Moreover, the used raw material is 100% recycled and can be again recycled in the same way at the end of the lifetime of the products. In short, the innovative REProMag SDS process has the potential to manufacture complex structures of high quality and productivity with minimum use of material and energy, resulting in significant economic advantages compared to conventional manufacturing. The REProMag project is a highly innovative combination of applied research, technology development and integration, resulting in small-scale prototypes and a closely connected demonstration activity clearly showing the technical feasibility of the REProMag SDS processing route in a near to operational environment.