MapCOM will transition the fundamental research carried out in the COOPNET project (the PI’s Starting Grant Project) to concrete applications related to power-efficient and scalable resource allocation for cellular networks, in particular for 5G communications. The key idea is to harness uncertain location information to build statistical radio maps, which can be used to predict radio signal quality and perform long-term proactive resource allocation. This will reduce operating costs for operators, provide better user experience for high-throughput applications, and enable new services and applications where low latency, reliable, and scalable communication is key (e.g., autonomous vehicles). Our COOPNET research has indicated the importance of explicitly accounting for various sources of uncertainty. We are now ready to establish the innovation potential of this research for commercial and societal benefit. Funded by the Western Sweden Innovation Office, we have already taken initial steps in this direction and have established possible innovation potential through meetings with Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, two equipment manufacturers. In this ERC Proof of Concept, we plan to demonstrate the technology and determine the market potential by: (i) confirming that the performance gains seen in theory also hold up in the real world; (ii) identifying possible market applications starting with telecom equipment manufacturers and telecom operators, but also other ICT industries. This analysis will allow us to identify, together with industrial actors, where the market value of the COOPNET concept lies. If successful, telecom equipment manufacturers and/or telecom operators will be able to provide the COOPNET functionality as part of their future products and services, giving them a significant advantage over competitors. We also expect this to be a first step towards multiple possible market applications to be identified in various areas of the ICT industries.

UNITED-GRID aspires to be the arrow-head within “Integrated cyber-physical solutions for intelligent distribution grid with distributed energy resources” and addresses the challenges in the “competitive low-carbon energy", relevant to next generation of active distribution grids. UNITED-GRID will develop a tool-box with technologies enabling at least 80% renewable-based energy production on an annual basis, with an increased reliability performance of 50%, while decreasing grid losses by 10%. The developed technologies include e.g. solutions for real-time system awareness and control, short term generation and load forecasting, setting-less protection schemes and new business models. The tool-box will be integrated into a professional system ensuring interoperability and smooth integration with existing EMS/DMS on the market. To enhance future impacts, at least 2/3 of novel solutions which have been positively validated will have an agreed and financed development processes for the next TRL level beyond the project. The project team has been selected carefully and has proven R&I, demonstration and deployment capabilities as well as established regulatory and policy channels. The team includes experienced research organisations (SP, TU/e, CEA, and Chalmers), 3 DSOs, a DMS provider and expert SME partners to ensure the exploitation of the developed solutions. To further enhance the deployment towards a low carbon energy society, the project will together with at least 20 market actors define pathways to navigate in the rapidly changing energy environment. Furthermore, at least 25% of the test-pilots will sign a letter of commitment to execute parts of the developed pathways. The real-life demonstrators, covering more than 80% of European market conditions, are provided by the project partners in-kind to an estimated value of €4.1M. With the requested EC contribution of €4M, the project encloses €8M, matching the UNITED-GRID projects ambitions and objectives.

FLEXI-GRID will demonstrate cutting-edge technologies and innovative flexible markets enabled by advanced cross-platforms for local energy exchanges and providing flexibility to distribution system operators in order to ensure a secure, stable and affordable operations of electrical distribution grids for de-carbonising energy systems with high shares of renewables (up to and beyond 100%). By leveraging digital, smart grid technologies, IoT, blockchain, FLEXI-GRID will provide a transparent data management platform by broadcasting real-time information on the conditions of the network to optimise the observability of the grid and market functioning. The project’s geographical coverage, with four test sites in Bulgaria, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey, allows validating solutions in multiple market conditions, and ensures post project scalability, knowledge transfer, scaling and replication. The key demonstration activities include i) grid monitoring, control and flexibility intervention; ii) local energy exchanges and provision of grid services; iii) blockchain based energy exchange and provision of grid services; iv) flexibility measures and grid services provided by local energy storage, Power to Gas, Vehicle to Grid, and local renewable resources. It is the first time that small and medium size DSOs show interest to test innovative tools and solutions. The project is strengthened by collaborating with Canada and backed by financial institutions to ensure successful commercial paths of innovative solutions.

The IRIS project supports the Lighthouse cities of Utrecht (NL), Göteborg (SE) and Nice Côte d’Azur (FR) and their Follower cities Vaasa (FI), Alexandroupolis (GR), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (ES), and Focsani (RO) to address their urgent need to deliver energy and mobility services in their cities that are cheaper, better accessible, reliable, and that contribute to a better and more sustainable urban quality of life. By demonstrating smart solutions that integrate energy, mobility and ict, rooted in a City Innovation Platform, IRIS quantifies their value, and connects interests of many different stakeholders in innovative business models, allowing for upscale and replication of integrated solutions for sustainable cities across Europe and world-wide. To achieve this, IRIS works along five Transition Tracks based on common challenges, encompassing 16 integrated solutions that cities can mix and match according to their characteristics and district specific needs. Track 1, 2 and 3 enhance energy efficiency and utilize grid flexibility by balancing supply and demand dynamically and by 2nd life battery and V2G storage, to allow increase of renewable energy production and roll-out of e-cars and e-buses. Track 4 supports this by data sharing, a common architecture, use of standards, and governance practices accelerating innovation, standardisation and implementation of affordable smart applications. Track 5 integrates interdisciplinary citizen engagement and co-creation in Tracks 1 to 4, connecting the needs of end-users with those of other stakeholders, in further support of innovative business models. The expected impacts of IRIS are an open innovation ecosystem motivating citizens to act as prosumers; more effective urban planning and governance of integrated solutions; exploitation of validated innovative business models based on multi-stakeholder collaboration; more stable, secure and affordable energy and mobility services for citizens, with improved air quality.