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Core Innovation 2/27/25 Core Innovation 2/27/25

OPTIMINER Project Launch: A Collaborative Step Towards Sustainable Mining

Author: Eleni Natsi

February 27th 2025

The OPTIMINER project’s kick-off meeting, held over two days in Athens, Greece, marked a significant milestone in the journey to revolutionise Europe’s mining industry. Organised successfully by I-SENSE Group/ICCS, the project coordinator, the meeting served as a key platform for all project partners to gather, discuss the core aspects of the project, and set the stage for what promises to be a transformative European initiative.

During the meeting, each partner had the opportunity to introduce themselves and engage in a fruitful discussion about the project's goals, the different work packages, and upcoming steps. A thorough presentation of the six use cases in Spain, Greece, Poland, Finland, and Chile, focusing on CRM recovery (specifically magnesium, tungsten, REE, especially neodymium, copper, cobalt, and coking coal), took place.

These detailed presentations offered insights into the planned steps, implementation strategies, and anticipated outcomes. The discussions emphasised the importance of applying cutting-edge technologies to real-world scenarios, which will be key to the project’s overall impact.

The event culminated with a delightful dinner in the heart of Athens, providing a relaxed atmosphere for project members to connect, exchange ideas, and reinforce their shared commitment to the project’s success.

The vision

The OPTIMINER project aims to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in Europe’s mining sector: efficiently and sustainably recovering critical raw materials (CRMs) from complex, low-grade ores. This ambitious initiative blends advanced technologies with sustainability efforts, striving to enhance mining efficiency while minimising environmental impact. At its core, OPTIMINER integrates innovative, AI-driven solutions to address challenges across five key modules:

REMINER: Advanced CRM recovery technologies, such as smart ore sorting, bioleaching, and phytomining, powered by an AI-driven CRM Recovery Selector.
DIGIMINER: A digital platform for smart monitoring and control, featuring a Decision Support System, Virtual Miner assistant, and Digital Twins for process optimisation.
ECOMINER: Tools designed to optimise energy and water use, along with waste valorisation, contributing to enhanced sustainability and resilience.
DEMOMINER: Real-world pilot demonstrations in Spain, Greece, Poland, Finland, and Chile, focused on CRMs like magnesium, tungsten, neodymium, copper, cobalt, and coking coal.
GLOBEMINER: Promoting global awareness and fostering EU-Chile strategic cooperation to accelerate market uptake.

CORE Innovation Centre’s Role

As a key partner in the OPTIMINER project, CORE IC will play a pivotal role across several areas:

Technical plan preparation: Leading the effort for the technical plan of each use case, including technical specifications and technological expertise (AS IS situations, data availability, sensors connectivity, and other operating systems).
CRM Recovery Selector: Responsible for defining the criteria and parameters for the CRM Recovery Selector, developing the technology database, and creating detailed profiles for each use case. This also includes the development of customizable algorithms and UI design, along with integrating a digital assistant based on Natural Language Processing (NLP).
Virtual Miner: Tasked with developing an NLP-based multi-role assistant capable of verbal interaction with miners, operators, and managers in the field. This virtual assistant will integrate with the OPTIMINER DSS to provide real-time verbal insights on predictive analytics and strategic planning.
DIGIMINER Platform: Leading the design of the DIGIMINER platform, built on data-driven Digital Twins. This will leverage sensor, historical, and operational data with proper abstraction and distribution among data sources. The goal is to design the connections and interactions of Digital Twins, DSS, and Virtual Miner, as well as establish a cloud infrastructure, featuring a hybrid data warehouse. The platform will also include a modular AI-augmented market observatory to forecast mining market values.
Dissemination, Communication, and Innovation Management: Taking the lead in raising awareness about the project’s outcomes and its impact on sustainable raw materials production. The focus is on communication, exploitation, and innovation management to ensure that the benefits of OPTIMINER reach broader audiences and translate into actionable solutions within the industry.

*Stefanos Kokkorikos, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of CORE Group, presenting CORE IC at the kick-off meeting.*

Our Consortium

The OPTIMINER project is a collaborative effort, involving 21 partners from 8 countries, combining academic and industrial expertise. With a total budget of €7.29 million over 48 months, the project aims to integrate state-of-the-art technological developments with practical, on-the-ground applications.

Notable partners in the OPTIMINER project include: I-SENSE Group/ICCS, Tapojarvi, JSW (Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA), SALORO SL, Leonore Development, TERNAMAG (part of TERNA S.A.), EUROCORE CONSULTING, AHK Business Centre SA, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), EcoCastulum, CogniSensus, CORE Innovation Centre (CORE IC), ITA · Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón, Fraunhofer Chile, DigitalTwin Technology GmbH, Łukasiewicz – IMN, Główny Instytut Górnictwa (GIG) - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Fraunhofer, Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster | ISMC, LIBRA AI Technologies and HANNUKAINEN MINING OY.

Looking ahead

With the successful launch of the OPTIMINER project, the partners are now focused on the practical implementation of the project’s use cases, the development of new technologies, and increasing awareness through targeted communication and dissemination activities. The coming months will be crucial as teams work to bring the project’s objectives to life.

The OPTIMINER project holds tremendous promise for the future of mining, offering innovative and sustainable methods for recovering and utilising critical raw materials -essential for Europe’s green transition and the global mining industry.

Core Innovation 2/20/25 Core Innovation 2/20/25

FAIRE: Federated Artificial Intelligence for Remaining useful life Edge analytics

Revolutionising Industrial Operations with FAIRE: Federated AI for Predictive Maintenance

Author: Konstantina Tsioli, Pavlos Stavrou

February 20th 2025

At CORE Innovation Days in January, CORE unveiled a groundbreaking demonstration of FAIRE (Federated Artificial Intelligence for Remaining Useful Life Edge Analytics), a cutting-edge solution that combines AI, edge computing, and federated learning to address critical challenges in industrial operations.

This innovative approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures data privacy and scalability, making it a game-changer for industries like manufacturing, energy, and pharmaceutical.

What is FAIRE

FAIRE is a ground-breaking solution based on the MODUL4R and RE4DY EU projects. FAIRE is a federated AI solution designed to optimise industrial processes by leveraging edge computing and federated learning.

It enables real-time data processing and predictive analytics, while keeping sensitive data secure and on-premise. FAIRE showcased how it can be applied to predictive maintenance for CNC machines, but its applications extend far beyond this use case.

Key FAIRE Features

Edge Computing: This solution utilises edge devices deployed directly on the shop floor to collect and process data locally. This reduces latency, minimises bandwidth usage, and ensures real-time insights without relying on constant cloud connectivity.

In the demo, two edge devices were connected to CNC machines, collecting data relevant to tool wear and predicting the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of milling tools.

Remaining Useful Life (RUL): is a predictive tool that estimates the time left before a machine or component fails or requires maintenance, based on real-time data and historical performance patterns. In the context of FAIRE, the RUL model predicts tool wear in CNC machines, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing downtime while ensuring data privacy and security.

Federated Learning: FAIRE employs federated learning to enable collaborative intelligence across multiple machines or factories. Instead of sharing raw data, only model parameters (e.g., insights and updates) are sent to a central server, ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulations like GDPR. This approach allows machines to "learn" from each other, improving prediction accuracy and operational efficiency without compromising sensitive information.

Data Privacy and Security: By keeping data on-premise and sharing only model updates, FAIRE ensures that proprietary information remains secure. This is particularly important for industries with strict data protection requirements.

Scalability and Flexibility: FAIRE’s architecture is designed to scale effortlessly. As new machines or edge devices are added to the network, they can seamlessly integrate into the federated learning ecosystem, enhancing the system’s overall intelligence and resilience.

Predictive Maintenance for CNC Machines

The demonstration of FAIRE solution focuses on a real life application: predictive maintenance for CNC machines. Here’s how it worked:

Data Collection: Two edge devices were connected to two CNC machines, collecting real-time data on tool wear and machine performance using industrial protocols like OPC-UA and MQTT.
Local Processing: The edge devices preprocessed the data locally, running AI models to detect anomalies and predict RUL. Results were displayed on monitors, providing operators with actionable insights.
Federated Learning: Model updates from each edge device were aggregated to a central server to update the global model. The updated model was then sent back to the edge devices, enhancing their predictive accuracy.
Real-Time Insights: Operators then could monitor tool wear and RUL in real time, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing downtime.

The benefits of FAIRE

FAIRE offers numerous benefits for industrial operations:

Smarter Machines: Continuous learning and adaptation improve machine performance and operational efficiency.
Enhanced Data Privacy: Sensitive data remains on-premise, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and/or requirements.
Cost Optimisation: Reduced data transmission and proactive maintenance minimise operational costs.
Collaborative Intelligence: Federated learning enables machines to learn from each other, improving model accuracy across the network.
Scalability: The solution can easily scale to include additional machines or factories, making it suitable for large industrial networks.

Application areas

While the demonstration of FAIRE solution involved an example of CNC machines, its capabilities extend to various industries:

Pharmaceutical: In a sector where protecting sensitive and production data is paramount, this solution safeguards data privacy and security.
Automotive: Enhance predictive maintenance for automotive production lines.
Aerospace: Improve the performance and reliability of aircraft components.
Energy and Smart Grids: Monitor and optimise power grid equipment like transformers and substations.
Mining: Optimise the operation of heavy machinery like excavators and drilling equipment.

FAIRE represents a significant leap forward in industrial AI, combining the power of edge computing and federated learning to deliver real-time insights, enhance data privacy, and optimise operations. By addressing critical challenges like unexpected downtime, inefficient data handling, and legacy equipment limitations, FAIRE empowers industries to achieve smarter, safer, and more efficient operations.

Solutions like FAIRE will play a critical role in shaping the future of industrial automation and data-driven decision-making.

Core Innovation 11/13/24 Core Innovation 11/13/24

CORE Group participated in a focus group workshop at HALCOR

Author: Maria Tassi

November 13th 2024

A successful Focus Group Workshop was held on 31st of October 2024 at the HALCOR facilities, in Boeotia, Greece as part of the CARDIMED project.

Participants in the workshop included representatives from CORE Group, ICCS, NTUA, HALCOR employees and managers, as well as regional stakeholders, enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The CARDIMED project

CARDIMED is a project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme focused on boosting Mediterranean climate resilience through widespread adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) across regions and communities.

Our CORE team will develop a cloud-based orchestration middleware for efficient data handling across diverse sources, and also focus our efforts on industrial symbiosis through smart water management in the HALCOR demo site, using digital twin technologies.

The workshop aimed at promoting innovative solutions in industrial manufacturing, conducted in the context of Digital Solutions creation that offer tailored views for visualising information to non-experts, citizens etc., with emphasis on the Demonstration case of Industrial symbiosis through smart water management.

Workshop goals and objectives

The main objective of the workshop was to engage end users to gather feedback and prioritise the requirements, and consequently translate the business requirements of end user, HALCOR, to technical requirements leading to implementation of digital solutions and bringing innovation to the industry.

The workshop was opened by M.Sc. Efstathia Ziata (HALCOR), who presented the CARDIMED project and its objectives. Following her presentation, Dr. Ioannis Meintanis (CORE IC) gave insights on the digital twin solution, which is a replica of a physical asset that simulates its behaviour in a virtual environment, highlighting its role in supporting Water-Industrial Symbiosis within HALCOR's factories.

Dr. Maria Tassi (CORE IC) presented other Digital Solutions implemented as part of the HALCOR demo, such as the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) definition and scenario-based impact assessment interface, the climate resilience dashboards and data storytelling, the citizen engagement app and intervention content management and the NBS exploitation and transferability support module, highlighting their potential to enhance efficiency and sustainability in operations.

Notable contributors to the round table discussions included M.Sc. Katerina Karagiannopoulou (ICCS) and M.Sc. Nikolaos Gevrekis (CORE IC), who provided valuable perspectives on the digital solutions.

Impact on Industry

The success of the workshop lies in end users’ discussions on the various digital solutions, who provided valuable feedback and prioritised user requirements to be integrated in the Digital Twin solution. Their insights will be critical in shaping a final product that effectively addresses the evolving demands of the industry.

These innovations are set to significantly impact the manufacturing industry, by enhancing resource efficiency and sustainability. They will help optimise water usage and promote resource reuse across interconnected processes, leading to cost savings and reduced environmental footprints.

CORE Group’s collaboration with HALCOR

These technological advances will enable HALCOR to optimise its manufacturing processes and resource management in real time, resulting in improved operational efficiency, significant cost savings and reduced water consumption. By adopting sustainable practices, HALCOR can strengthen its reputation as an industry leader in sustainability and appeal to environmentally conscious stakeholders.

HALCOR is a strategic partner for CORE Group, with a collaboration extending across three more Horizon Europe projects, TRINEFLEX, StreamSTEP and THESEUS. As part of the TRINEFLEX project, HALCOR has integrated COREbeat, CORE Group’s all-in-one Predictive Maintenance Platform at its Copper Tubes Plant facility in Boeotia. COREbeat’s asset monitoring capabilities are helping HALCOR acquire deep monitoring insights and increase the availability, flexibility, efficiency and reliability of their equipment.

COREbeat, our all-in-one Predictive Maintenance solution, relies on the beatBox hardware component, pictured here.

Core Innovation 9/26/24 Core Innovation 9/26/24

The TEAMING.AI project reaches a successful conclusion

Authors: Maria Lentoudi, Ioannis Batas

26th September 2024

The TEAMING.AI project has officially wrapped up its activities, with a Final Review meeting held earlier this summer in Valencia, at the premises of Industrias Alegre. This meeting marked the culmination of 3.5 years of dedicated effort, showcasing the remarkable outcomes of this collaborative project.

Comprising a consortium of 15 partners from 8 countries, TEAMING.AI entered into force in January 2021 with the goal of increasing the sustainability of EU production with the help of Artificial Intelligence. The project has since yielded remarkable results, including more than 23 open-access publications.

Project overview

TEAMING.AI project’s aim was to make breakthroughs in smart manufacturing by introducing greater customisation and personalisation of products and services in AI technologies. Through a new human and AI teaming framework, the aim of our consortium was to optimise manufacturing processes, maximising the strengths of both the human and AI elements, while maintaining and re-examining safety and ethical compliance guidelines.

This was achieved through the development of an innovative operational framework, designed to cope with the heterogeneity of data types and the uncertainty and dynamic changes in the context of human-AI interaction with update dynamics more instantly than with pre-existing technologies.

Our CORE team led on the Dissemination and Exploitation Work Package, being involved in various tasks within the project framework to expand TEAMING.AI’s impact. More specifically, we led the project’s strategic management and replicability, as well as leading the dissemination and communication strategy.

Strategic Management & Replicability of TEAMING.AI

The CORE innovation team was responsible for the strategic management of the consortium, identifying Key Exploitable Results of the project and carrying out market analysis. Our work for this part of the project included:

Identifying Market Barriers: Our team conducted a market barriers analysis, based on input provided through a custom questionnaire. The project’s end users were surveyed, and the survey was also circulated to the ICT-38 2020 projects, increasing our end user sample. After completing the survey, we identified mitigation strategies for the barriers discussed.

Pains & Gains: We identified the most significant pains our end users face based on a unique research plan. The results of this part of our research were highly impactful, being included in Chapter 23 of the “Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing” open access book. You can find out more here.

Value Propositions: Our team identified the value propositions offered throughout the project, through interactive workshops with our partners to help us align the identified jobs, pains, and gains with the Teaming.AI Engine result.

PESTLE Analysis: A PESTLE analysis was performed to describe Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors that are related to Teaming.AI. Results show strong political presence to enable further scale-up activities of the project’s results. The uncertain economic conditions may influence investment decisions. The social factors indicate the need for more efficient activities and upskilling. The technologies are emerging and considered enablers according to Gartner. Finally, from an environmental point of view, results have remained a little stagnant according to the IPCC.

Market Replication & Analysis: As a final task, our team worked on Market Replication. The technology providers relevant to Teaming.AI were considered a possible segment for replication besides the project’s end users. A workshop was held with the project’s technology providers to determine requirements to address these segments.

Dissemination and Communication Activities

When it comes to dissemination and communication, the evaluation revealed a strongly positive outcome for our team’s strategy. CORE worked hand-in-hand with the entire consortium to maximize the project's impact and ensure the project’s objectives were communicated effectively to relevant audiences and stakeholders.

The project’s official website acted as its main communication hub, supported by a strong presence on social media platforms, the creation of various communication materials, including 11 videos throughout the duration of the project, the publication of 33 media articles, the release of 10 dedicated newsletter editions, and 11 press releases. These efforts were aimed at increasing the project’s visibility and public engagement.

TEAMING.AI consortium also produced 28 scientific peer-reviewed publications in top-ranked journals or conferences, attended 43 events delivering 38 presentations, promoted TEAMING.AI through 3 exhibit booths at key industry events, and organised one final conference. TEAMING.AI also joined the AI4MANUFACTURING Cluster and participated in 5 cluster workshops alongside 13 other H2020 and Horizon EU research projects to expand its impact.

A recording of the final workshop is available here for viewing on YouTube. Additionally, 10 more short videos introducing the TEAMING.AI concept and summarizing its research activities are accessible via the project’s YouTube channel.

The project’s website, designed and maintained by CORE, will continue as a central hub for useful information and resources. Visitors can learn more about important research activities performed and results through press-releases, newsletters, open-access scientific papers and public deliverables that can be found on the website.

The project has also shaped significant online communities, with more than 1.300 followers on LinkedIn and 900 on X.

The dissemination and communication activities have played a crucial role in ensuring that the TEAMING.AI project’s activities and results were effectively shared with both scientific and industry communities, as well as the general public.

It was great working with our TEAMING.AI consortium to deliver impactful change in human-AI interactions for the manufacturing sector. Looking forward to future collaborations.

Core Innovation 9/10/24 Core Innovation 9/10/24

CORE Group awarded 9 new Horizon EU projects

Author: CORE Innovation Centre

10th September 2024

CORE Group and CORE Innovation Centre are joining forces with partners across the EU in a total of 9 new Horizon Europe projects. Our team is responsible for 4 of these successful research proposals.

The new projects bring our total to over 50 research projects, ongoing or completed, and increase our research budget to over 24 million €. We are very excited for these brand new R&I initiatives, a preview of which you can get below, and look forward to working with our partners to transform industry with the power of AI.

DEXPLORE

DEXPLORE seeks to revolutionise mineral exploration in Europe by developing innovative approaches to counter declining ore deposit discovery rates, focusing on deep-seated deposits critical for the economy's decarbonisation. The project emphasises engaging the general public and stakeholders, combining innovation at various levels, and utilising cutting-edge tools and technologies. Targeting essential materials across extensive geological terrains, DEXPLORE proposes a holistic innovation package, integrating UAV-assisted in-field mineral detection, advanced Earth Observation methods, and novel deep-land geophysics techniques to reach at least 600 m depth.

The initiative outlines the development of updated ore models, improving exploration technologies, and providing a visualisation platform. This platform will integrate geological, remote sensing, and geophysical data to enhance access to information about EU potential in critical raw materials, while increasing public awareness. DEXPLORE also aims to strengthen cooperation with strategic partner countries, establishing a robust Advisory Board and fostering collaboration with other EU initiatives for joint activities and result sharing.

DEXPLORE represents a collaborative effort to advance mineral exploration, contribute to sustainable sourcing of critical raw materials, and ensure EU's open strategic autonomy.

We will determine technical specifications for the software platform and a cloud-based infrastructure, ensuring compatibility with diverse data types and sources. Essential aspects like data ingestion protocols, storage solutions and security measures will be outlined. We will design and implement a robust and secure infrastructure for on-demand data distribution, utilizing established industry tools and frameworks. DEXPLORE will transform data from various devices and components into suitable formats and transmitting them to real-time and near real-time pipelines, through middleware.
We are also in charge of the visualisation dashboard and the UI, catering diverse user needs and preferences and making the user's interaction easier with complex data. We are aiming for an intuitive, responsive, and visually appealing UI with advanced visualization techniques, like 3D accelerated maps by Xcalibur, graphs and charts for data exploration and analysis, while ensuring robust and safe data exchange along. Design, development and use of an Augmented Reality (AR) application by ICCS, will be implemented to the platform, improving awareness of the general public and educate them through immersive visualizations. AR tool will be part of the open days to ensure social participation and engagement.
Additionally, we are heavily involved on the exploitation planning and technoeconomic analysis.

PRIM-ROCK

PRIM-ROCK addresses advanced techniques for the pre-processing of the raw material, calcination and roasting processes, that are commonly used in the mineral and cement industries, supplemented by simulations and decision support systems. The project aims to design, develop, and validate innovative and higher resource efficient processes, optimising existing ones and lowering the level of GHG emissions of extractive industries. AI data-driven models will be utilised and a digital twin for each process will be developed. Finally, the consortium will investigate waste reduction and re-utilisation strategies. The PRIM-ROCK solutions will be demonstrated in 3 different ASPIRE sectors, namely Minerals (magnesite, laterite), Cement (limestone) and Non-ferrous metals (sphalerite, chalcopyrite).

We are leading the effort of optimization and integration of Digital Twinning processing (DSS & UI), enhancing the resource efficiency of the calcination and roasting processes. The DSS will integrate diverse streams of heterogeneous information from various models (data-driven models, physics-based models or hybrid models). This system will deliver real-time insights and alerts. A prototype of the UI will be designed, tested and refined based on user feedback. The final UI will be developed integrating the data models and the DSS and user acceptance testing will be conducted.
CORE IC is also leading the effort of Virtual scale up and expansion study suggesting configurations within the energy system’s boundary conditions, linking of additional added value technologies, mainly CCUS and synthetic fuel production. A Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm will be employed to train the planning model as well as Black-box models
Finally, we are leading the 3-phased dissemination and communication activities. The early phase will be dedicated to raising awareness among the target groups and will include the brand and visual identity of PRIM-ROCK, with Dissemination activities targetingboth the academic and industry professional communities, through online events like webinars, congresses, etc. The middle phase will be dedicated to growing and consolidating awareness, informing stakeholders and groups about technological breakthroughs and business benefits. The final phase will ensure the long-term impact within targeted communities.

ALCHEMHY

ALCHEMHY aims to develop a set of innovative electrified processes to produce platform chemicals, particularly ammonia, and methanol and a Plasma-Catalytic Hydrogenation process (PCH). To this end, processes configuration will be optimised and novel materials and catalysts compatible with the electric input will be developed, optimising their performance, ramp-up times and enabling milder conditions. This will support the intensification and downscaling of the ammonia and methanol production, facilitating decentralised production integrated with downstream processes and renewable energy generation. The project will contribute to the development of a sustainable chemical industry, by decarbonising the production of both chemicals, supporting the creation of green jobs and improving the competitiveness of European industries, while contributing to a more resilient and secure energy system for the EU, reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels.

CORE Group is leading the development of AI-based data-driven models of the methanol and and ammonia production processes and their combination with the ROMs produced, in order to develop the Hybrid Digital Twin of each of these projects. Data-driven models will consume the available data from the lab scale facilities. Moreover, exploitation of the generated data will provide further insights and information that can attempt to correlate any process parameters with the relevant molecular dynamics properties and interactions of the involved products, optimising the manufacturing parameters and detecting any potential anomalous behaviour of the involved assets. The investigation of Physics-Informed models can be performed for validating the performance of the generated ROMs.
Additionaly, we are responsible for ALCHEMY's Exploitation Plan and IPR management, which involves a three-phase process of analysing results, defining exploitation routes, and developing a post-project roadmap to ensure effective commercialisation and industry impact. The plan includes tailored business models, market size and competition analysis, and a SWOT analysis to address customer needs and validate the value proposition of ALCHEMY's KERs

StreamSTEP

StreamSTEP is a collaborative initiative by 31 organisations across the EU, Switzerland, and the UK, aimed at enhancing heating energy management in industrial processes. The project focuses on waste heat recovery across a wide temperature range using innovative heat exchanger prototypes and high-temperature heat pumps. Advanced manufacturing techniques and novel material alloys will enable these innovations, which will be demonstrated in five sectors: non-ferrous metals, ceramics, minerals, plastics, and refining. Integral to the project is a holistic process digital twinning pipeline, providing infrastructure for optimization agents to manage energy balance, storage, GHG avoidance, and data-driven LCA, ultimately recovering and reusing 50%-90% of waste heat with a payback period of less than three years, while boosting productivity and energy flexibility.

CORE IC is responsible for the development and integration of the project's technical components. This includes creating the data architecture and middleware for the digital infrastructure, integrating smart IoT components, and developing hybrid process digital twins. Additionally, CORE leads the effort to expand the Energy Management System (EMS), implementing advanced techniques like machine learning and deep neural networks to optimise industrial processes and energy management .
CORE IC will also be handling the project's communication and leading on the exploitation strategy, with Exploitation Routes (technical and commercial) for KERs, considering IPRs, ensuring that project results are effectively communicated and positioned for market uptake, maximising the impact and commercial potential of the innovations developed.

OPTIMINER

The OPTIMINER project addresses Europe's challenge of efficiently and sustainably recovering Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) from complex and low-grade ores. It aims to reduce Europe's heavy reliance on CRM imports by innovating in recovery methods and promoting sustainable mining practices. Key components include advanced technologies like an AI-enabled CRM Recovery Selector and a digital platform (DIGIMINER) for smart monitoring and control. ECOMINER focuses on sustainability through energy and water optimization, waste valorisation, and toxicity management. DEMOMINER showcases pilot lines across multiple countries, demonstrating practical applications, while GLOBEMINER promotes market awareness and strategic EU-Chile cooperation in CRM recovery.

CORE IC is leading the effort for the technical plan of each use case, including technical specifications and technological experties (AS IS situations, data availability, sensors connectivity, other operating systems). We are also in charge of the CRM Recovery Selector, defining criteria and parameters, developing technology database with a detailed profile of each use case, along with algorithm development with customizable capabilities and a UI design intergating a digital assistant (NPL-based).
The DIGIMINER platform will be built on data-driven Digital Twins, by leveraging sensorial, historical and operational data and proper abstraction and distribution among the data sources. We will design the connections and interactions of Digital Twins, DSS and Virtual Miner, as well as, establish a cloud infrasturucture, featuring hybrid data warehouse. New data from simulation results and experimental data cross corellation will be adjusted to the model. A modular AI-augmented market observatory will be designed forecasting mining market values.
The team of experts at CORE IC will also be leading dissemination and communication, as well as exploitation and innovation management activities, with a heavy focus on awareness about the project's outcomes and their impact, emphasizing sustainable raw materials production.

Theseus

The Theseus project focuses on implementing Industrial-Urban symbiosis (I-US) through Hubs4Circularity (H4C) in Europe, starting with the Athens/Attica region in Greece. This initiative involves municipalities and industries collaborating to manage resources, waste, energy, water, and infrastructure in a sustainable manner. The project aims to establish the first-of-its-kind H4C hub in Greece, leveraging regional needs and digital technologies to develop solutions for water, energy, and materials. These efforts align with EU objectives, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 and closing resource loops through innovative governance models and stakeholder cooperation. Theseus integrates existing innovations and aims to replicate successful solutions across other EU regions, drawing parallels to the transformative legacy of Theseus in Athenian mythology.

CORE Group will work on defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring impacts across various dimensions, facilitating informed decision-making in subsequent project tasks. The project focuses on coordinating digital plans for pilots and mapping data requirements to finalize a comprehensive data model. CORE Group will also be leading the integration of diverse data sources and ensuring secure and efficient data exchange across all project activities, collaborating closely with partners to implement cost-effective and robust data acquisition measures. Additionally, we are going to design and operate a Predictive Resource Logistics Module (PRLM) within the Hubs4Circularity framework, predicting material and water flows and generating socio-economic and environmental indicators. It aims to identify bottlenecks, business opportunities, and scalability options, with plans for post-project automation. A digital platform will be developed, integrating various modules and services for industrial symbiosis, enabling collaboration and resource tracking, supported by advanced analytics and user feedback for iterative platform optimization. Outputs include detailed reports and functional platform releases.

JOULIA

The JOULIA project aims to develop and demonstrate innovative induction and microwave heating processes for rubber vulcanisation and glue thermal activation in the rubber and plastic sectors, optimising them for flexibility, energy savings, and integration of renewable energy sources. These processes will be refined using digital models and simulations, ensuring adaptability, cost optimization, and compliance with health and safety standards, while predictive maintenance tools support ongoing operation. The project involves 16 partners from 7 EU countries and aims to enhance European industrial resilience, decrease fossil fuel dependence, and improve energy efficiency and sustainability, with potential applications in other sectors like food and ceramics.

We are responsible for leading the identification of Funding Sources and Financial Instruments that can support the replication and upscaling of JOULIA innovations. We are also involved in the task of business models development that leverage the project's technological advancements to identify new market opportunities and in the task of the identification of Regulatory and Standardization Barriers that may hinder in the market uptake of JOULIA technologies.
We are involved in exploitation management tasks, contributing to the overall coordination and decision-making processes within the project.

rEUman

The European remanufacturing industry is essential for Europe's sustainable transition due to its energy, material, and functionality savings, along with significant socio-economic benefits like job creation and technological advancement. To enhance competitiveness and future-proof the industry, it is crucial to address barriers such as limited automation, poor human inclusion, and lack of digitalisation.

The rEUman project aims to develop a human-centric remanufacturing approach by improving factory-level regeneration and traceability and ensuring stability in the value-chain, while demonstrating its effectiveness in the automotive, home appliances, and optoelectronics sectors.

Our technical role in the rEUman project encompasses the design and development of digital and AI-driven systems that evaluate the condition of returned products through image analysis at collection points, such as workshops or service centers. By assessing the remanufacturability of parts, the system aims to optimize decision-making regarding whether parts should be sent for remanufacturing, considering both technical and economic feasibility. This process is intended to minimize logistics costs and environmental impacts by avoiding the unnecessary transportation of non-remanufacturable parts.

INBLANC

Significant challenges in the building and construction value chain stem from fragmentation and siloing, necessitating a systemic change through lifecycle perspectives to uncover interactions and opportunities. INBLANC aims to establish an open ecosystem focused on building lifecycle data, using low-cost data collection, consolidation in Building Digital Logbooks, and interfacing with EU dataspaces. The project will demonstrate its approach through six diverse demo cases, engage actors across the value chain, and integrate high-value services for energy planning, facility management, and renovation planning, aiming for near-market readiness.

CORE IC is responsible for the development of smart energy services tools like the RES Selector and Energy Management System (EMS), which optimise renewable energy source investments and balance system energy consumption and their validation using gap detection and optimization for city-scale identification and remedy recommendation. We are creating new technologies using high-performance computing infrastructure for tasks such as deep learning model development and energy consumption forecasting that support support advanced modeling, simulation, and machine learning applications.
Furthermore, CORE is also leading the communication, dissemination, innovation and exploitation activities.
We are also leading the communication, dissemination, innovation and exploitation activities.

Learn more about our Projects

Core Innovation 3/19/24 Core Innovation 3/19/24

The InComEss project wraps up

Authors: Clio Drimala, Dimitris Eleftheriou

19th March 2024

Having successfully completed 4 years of operations, the InComEss project officially wrapped up its activities last month, and held the project’s Final Review Meeting with the European Commission’s Project Officer on March 13, in Brussels, at the premises of SONACA.

With a core team of 18 partners from 10 countries, InComEss entered into force in March 2020. Now, after a four-year lifespan, the project has yielded remarkable results, including more than 17 open-access academic publications, and has driven outstanding research on the development of polymer-based smart materials with energy harvesting and storage capabilities in a cost-efficient manner for the widespread implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT).

CORE Group was involved in various tasks within the project framework to expand InComEss’s impact. In particular, we were responsible for devising and managing the consortium’s exploitation strategy, as well as leading the dissemination and communication strategy.

Project overview

Besides our involvement, overall achievements of the project include the development of:

Piezoelectric and thermoelectric energy harvesters with a proven ability to generate electricity through mechanical vibrations and temperature differences.
Monolithic printed supercapacitors that demonstrated their efficacy to store the harvested energy when integrated with a conditioner circuit and generators.
A power conditioning circuit that enhances energy transfer efficiency between generators and end-use electronics.
A miniaturized Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS) interrogator, with reduced power consumption, was showcased for its utility in energy harvesting.

Furthermore, Bluetooth Wireless MEMS and FOS communications were optimized and seamlessly integrated into an IoT platform, offering data monitoring capabilities. Among the research highlights being implemented within InComEss are also three impactful use-cases within the aeronautic, automotive, and smart buildings sectors.

Exploitation activities

The exploitation activities encompass an exhaustive market analysis targeting the consortium’s end users and other markets that could potential leverage the project’s innovations. The specific markets addressed were: 1) Smart Buildings, 2) Aeronautics, 3) Automotive, 4) Oil & Gas Pipelines, 5) Sports Environment, 6) Pacemakers, 7) Railway, and 8) GPS tracking devices. We identified market barriers that would slow down the adoption of the project’s technologies, which we categorized in regard to their nature (Sociopolitical, Economic, Environmental, Technological, Organisational). Based on the information provided, unique selling points of the results with commercial orientation were discerned.

Moreover, results were identified with a clear IPR protection path and exploitation route option. Partners decided whether they would use their results for further research or commercially. We developed business models for the more marketable results based on sustainability-oriented archetypes. The business model included the list of partners participating in the commercial exploitation and their associated activities and resources required to bring the system to the abovementioned market segments. Potential avenues such as ΣEureka and InnoEnergy were considered to reduce the initial investment costs and improve access to market.

The activities were manifested in the development of business plans for the Automotive and Aeronautics use cases. The analysis considered the potential benefits that the route-to-market partners would receive, namely Photonfirst and Smart Material and specifically the point where they would expect a return on their initial investment if they further progressed their results. Based on the activities and resources needed, an appropriate revenue model was in place to perform a financial analysis for both use cases. Moreover, we worked on a cost-benefit analysis for the end users to understand their benefit of acquiring the commercialized version of the InComEss system. Specifically, the aeronautics scenario included an installation in the wing slats, while the automotive scenario in the exhaust systems.

Dissemination and Communication Activities

When it comes to dissemination and communication (D&C), CORE devised and oversaw the dissemination and communication strategy, working hand-in-hand with the entire consortium to maximize the project's impact and resonance.

The InComEss team generated 17 open-access scientific articles, an important legacy of the project, and plans to publish 7 more in the upcoming months. Partners also participated in 32 events delivering 50 presentations and a lecture, presenting 5 posters and promoting InComEss through 2 exhibit booths and a stand in landmark industry-related events.

Beyond that, 2 workshops were organized namely, Mid-Term Workshop on InComEss EU Project and the InComEss Final Workshop. Video recordings from the workshops are available to watch here and on YouTube [Part 1], [Part 2]. 11 more short, engaging videos introducing the InComEss concept and recapping its research activities are also available on the project’s YouTube Channel.

The project’s website, designed and maintained by CORE, will continue as a central hub for useful information and resources. Visitors can learn more about important research activities performed and results through 11 press-releases, 10 newsletter issues, open-access scientific papers, public deliverables and training materials that can be found on the website.

The project has also shaped significant online communities, with more than 1000 followers on LinkedIn and 700 on X, another reflection of the overall effectiveness of the InComEss D&C strategy.

It has been a pleasure working with all our partners for the InComEss project.

Until the next one.

Core Innovation 3/13/24 Core Innovation 3/13/24

The MOSES project reaches a highly succesful conclusion

Authors: Pantelis Papachristou, Konstantinos Nikolopoulos

13th March 2024

After 3 and a half years, the MOSES project has reached its culmination, marked by a closing conference held online. The central goal of the project was to enhance the Short Sea Shipping (SSS) component of the European container supply chain by implementing the following three groundbreaking innovations:

The development of a hybrid electric feeder vessel, equipped with a robotic container-handling system, to increase the utilisation rate of small ports.
The establishment of a digital collaboration and matchmaking platform to match demand and supply of cargo volumes, utilising Machine Learning (ML) to maximise Short Sea Shipping traffic.
The introduction of an autonomous vessel maneuvering and docking scheme, based on the cooperation of a swarm of autonomous tugboats coupled with an automated docking system.

Our role in the project

As part of the project, CORE has been involved in the third innovation concept, pioneering the transition from traditional docking procedures to an autonomous swarm of tugboats. These advancements were facilitated by creating a sophisticated simulation environment and the application of ML techniques, which refined docking strategies. This digital twin technology, coupled with an AutoPilot control system, exemplifies a significant leap forward in maritime operations, reducing docking time and enhancing port service availability and environmental sustainability.

Machine learning approach

Initially, our team created a virtual environment to simulate the real-life components, such as the port, water mass, tugboats and containership. To ensure fidelity to actual conditions, the virtual environment integrated results from hydrodynamic simulations conducted by MOSES partners, analysing the navigation and evaluating the hydrodynamic parameters, such as the friction resistances for each ship object separately. Additionally, Finite Element Model simulations (FEM) were employed to assess the interactions between the tugboats and the containership, by evaluating force-reactions and stresses.

*MOSES Unity test scene displayed during training of 3 push agents next to the “Advanced Ship Controller” and “Behaviour parameters” component.*

The simulation environment served as a training environment for the developed swarm intelligence machine learning algorithm, allowing agents to learn from their experiences. Specifically, the agents (tugboats) were trained using deep reinforcement learning techniques, where the learning procedure is based on the interaction of the agents with the environment and the accumulation of feedback (rewards or penalties), while the agents collected observations through LiDAR and GPS sensors. The goal was to discover optimal strategies that maximise cumulative rewards over time. The developed digital twin was deployed at the edge, along with an AutoPilot system to control the steering and thrust of the tugboats based on the digital twin’s inference.

The digital twin was successfully demonstrated and validated in relevant environment (TRL6) at the Faaborg port in Denmark, employing a swarm of two tugboats pushing a bargue towards the dock. The accompanying video below illustrates the precision of the simulation outcomes (displayed on the left-hand side) compared with the actual real-world demonstration (on the right-hand side). This live demonstration underscored a remarkable achievement: more than a 25% reduction in manoeuvring and docking times, leading to a corresponding significant decrease in port emissions and a notable increase in the availability of port services.

Comparison of the simulation outcomoes (left-hand side) with the real demonstration in Faaborg port (right-hand side) considering the scenario where two tugboats push a bargue to the dock.

The commercilisation phase

To ensure successful commercialisation, CORE developed an Innovation Strategy, focusing on clear value propositions and competition mapping. Additionally, CORE developed a model for profit simulation, with a focus on the innovations introduced by the autonomous tugboat system, which is the only technology solution combining autonomous operation, sustainability and safety, with the highest TRL and exposed in real conditions.

Understanding our pilot

For more information on Pilot 1 of the MOSES Project, where our technical team was heavily involved, our consortium partners have created a comprehensive video explaining the AutoDock System and how it works. You can watch it below.

Over the past 42 months, we were very happy to work closely with our consortium partners to successfully deliver an autonomous vessel manoeuvring and docking system which has the potential to completely transform the Short Sea Shipping and container supply chain of the European Union.

We look forward to future, even more fruitful collaborations.

Core Innovation 11/20/23 Core Innovation 11/20/23

CORE Group takes on 7 new EU research projects

Author: CORE Innovation Centre

20th November 2023

CORE Group and CORE Innovation Centre are continuing on our trailblazing EU research journey, participating in a total of 7 new Horizon Europe projects. Our new research projects, which focus on the digital and green transitions, will help us put our expertise to good use, always focusing on our four CORE missions; Digital Transformation, Digital Tools, Digital Twins and Green Industry.

The new projects bring our total to over 40 research projects, ongoing or completed, and increase our research budget to over 13 million €. We are very excited for our participation in all these new projects, a preview of which you can get below, and look forward to working with our partners to deliver impactful change through machine learning.

M4ESTRO

M4estro aims to revolutionise manufacturing with its trust-based Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) platform, offering proactive resilience and disruption readiness. It aims to unite industrial stakeholders for secure service exchange and emphasize workforce development. The platform analyses internal and external factors, aiming for reduced process ramp-up times, enhanced efficiency, lower costs, and job creation, ultimately delivering a significant return on investment for the consortium. M4estro, beyond a research project, can serve as a transformative force for industry resilience and sustainability.

As part of the project, our team will create an optimisation engine to assess product entry into the value chain, providing ranked paths based on resiliency. The results are going to be displayed on an interactive web application, featuring frontend and backend connections, fetching industrial capacities, visualising optimal paths and calculating efficiency and resiliency scores. Under the M4estro framework, resilience strategies are going to be adjusted for each pilot, addressing multiple level manufacturing processes, value networks, human-centricity, and manufacturing assets by focusing on both the component-level development (vertical) and the process chain implementation (horizontal).
Our team will also drive dissemination and communication activities for the project, establish a strong visual identity, utilise diverse channels, and spearhead Intellectual Property Rights management, exploitation planning, and the development of sustainable business models for the M4estro solution.

METAWAVE

The Metawave consortium’s main goal is to implement advanced microwave-based heating systems in high-temperature heating processes in process industries, to enhance process efficiency, reduce energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The project also focuses on integrating renewable energy sources through Virtual Power Plant configurations, accompanied by a smart Energy Management System (EMS), and fostering industrial symbiosis, ultimately achieving significant energy savings, emissions reduction, productivity increase, and economic growth for multiple stakeholders.

Our research team will lead the development of a smart EMS tailored for industrial microwave furnaces, forecasting the power demand and effectively managing the energy sources and storage components. Furthermore, we aim to utilise data-driven techniques, employing Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence models, to support the development of a Digital Twin for modelling and optimizing the heating process. The findings of the EMS and the Digital Twin will feed a Decision Support System, accompanied by a friendly User Interface, so users can monitor and control of the heating process.
Additionally, we will define the necessary principles and provide support in the selection of scalable architectures, targeting to make the process industries metaverse-ready. Finally, our team will take charge of the exploitation and innovation management of the project, aiming to develop an exploitation roadmap to launch the Metawave technologies to the market.

CARDIMED

Cardimed is a ground-breaking project which aims to unite efforts for Climate Resilience in the Mediterranean region. As part of Cardimed, a digital framework that will be developed to harmonise Nature Based Solutions (NBS) data by engaging communities through smart tools and a multi-stakeholder strategy. Adopting holistic modelling tools for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach, the consortium will aim to address socio-ecological challenges across 9 demo sites, using 47 distinct NBS for a total 83 interventions across sites. Participating regions and communities will establish the Cardimed Resilience Alliance, which will function as a vehicle for the expanding network, via upscaling existing sites and adding new ones. The project expects to have 28 regions and 70 communities by 2030, creating 8000 NBS sector jobs, leveraging 450 million € in climate investments. With 5 defined replicable use cases and the aim to identify 10 more through the project, Cardimed will lead in building a resilient, sustainable future by transforming aspirations into impactful realities.

Follow CARDIMED on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) to stay in touch with project updates.

CORE will contribute on the refinement activities of user requirements and will develop a cloud-based orchestration middleware for efficient data handling across diverse sources, ensuring security and scalability. We will also focus our efforts on industrial symbiosis through smart water management in the HALCOR demo site, developing designs for NBS and auxiliary solutions such as Digital Twins. Our innovation team will also contribute to the overall exploitation and wider outreach of the project’s outcomes.

SM4RTENANCE

The Sm4rtenance project is a transformative endeavour focused on improving the manufacturing industry through data-driven predictive maintenance and dynamic asset management services. It encompasses various tasks, from harmonising embryonic data spaces to developing innovative service models such as Manufacturing Asset as a Service (MAaaS). Focusing on technical building blocks, data quality standards, digital twin technologies, and AI model development, the projects aims to revolutionise the way the manufacturing sector works. In addition, the project addresses regulatory compliance and GDPR and promotes a collaborative, cross-sector approach.

You can find out more about the project on its dedicated website, or through following our consortium on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Our team will orchestrate and execute a comprehensive commercial exploitation strategy for the consortium, involving the monitoring and planning of commercial viability through market studies and concrete partner plans, integrating the Sm4rtenance solution into various product lines, technology enhancement, academic research, and knowledge transfer within research centers. We will also be involved in collaborative net-zero operation services for asset energy efficiency & low carbon dioxide footprint, with a focus on innovative data spaces.

TERRAVISION

Terravision aims to revolutionise the critical raw materials value chain with its integrated Earth Observation (EO) Mining Services Platform. Supported by four innovation pillars, the Terravision platform will leverage data from the Copernicus satellite, ground radar, drone, and in-situ sensing for comprehensive monitoring. Our consortium will introduce a novel framework for processing multisensory EO data, creating an open and standardised raw material spectral library. The EO services will cater to the mining industry's critical needs, including mapping of materials, mineral exploration, extraction rates, and hazard mapping for proactive risk management. A Green & Resilience Accountability component will be developed, to ensure sustainability by quantifying environmental and socio-economic impacts throughout mining phases. Demonstrated in the EU and beyond, and validated at 6 mining sites, Terravision can pave the way for impactful systemic innovations with EU-wide significance.

Our team will lead the UX design and user feedback phase, employing a co-creation approach to craft a user-friendly web development tool. This component will focus on delivering a modern web tool for monitoring and analysing data, incorporating advanced technologies and visualisation techniques.
We will also take on exploitation and innovation management activities of the project, analysing Key Exploitable Results (KERs), exploring exploitation routes, and assessing innovation potential. Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) considerations, value proposition design, and sustainable business models for market-oriented KERs will be key activities driving our team forward. We will aim to address market uptake challenges for by analysing internal and external market barriers, developing roadmaps for commercializing KERs, and conducting competition and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, to understand market dynamics and the competitiveness of the Terravision solution.

ARGUS

The Argus project aims to address challenges in monitoring remote built heritage assets, with a focus on preventive preservation. It aims to create a novel Digital Twin model for heritage, which will assist in the development of advanced digitization strategies, portable measurement systems, and AI-driven threat identification, assisting informed decision-making for the preventative preservation of heritage assets across Europe.

Our role in the project is to develop the Argus Decision Support System (DSS), a key component of the project that provides real-time actionable insights on risk assessment and mitigation. The DSS will leverage data collected from various sources to monitor damage thresholds and offer rich visual analytics, infused with predictive capabilities. It will also integrate external information on standards, protocols, and mitigation plans to enhance decision-making and safety measures for existing heritage assets.

GLAS-A-FUELS

The GlaS-A-Fuels project will focus on producing advanced biofuels, such as butanol and hydrogen, from non-land and non-food bio-wastes, to address energy security and environmental concerns.

It will employ a holistic approach, combining recyclable catalysts and a unique photonic glass reactor powered by solar energy to maximize the effectiveness of photo-amplified single-atom catalysts. This innovative process aims to achieve high catalytic performance and challenging reaction intermediates. The project leverages expertise in materials science, catalysis, laser technologies, and process control to develop efficient and sustainable production methods for these advanced biofuels, contributing to the EU's climate-neutral goals by 2050.

CORE Innovation Centre will have a high level of participation in the project, putting our technical, exploitation, communication and dissemination skills to use. Our engineering team will develop an intelligent software control system to explore various control theories, employing actual and virtual sensors. CORE aims to engineer the lab-scale solar reactor, by integrating it with process monitoring sensors and the control system which is embedded in an IoT-based system, leveraging different wireless technologies for high-level control and real-time monitoring.
Our innovation team will play a key role in maximising the project's innovation potential by evaluating the potential for the development of widely marketable solutions, the readiness of the industry for innovation, and innovation management. This includes creating an innovation roadmap and a detailed exploitation plan, as well as establishing suitable Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection methods, based on the technologies developed by the consortium.
Our communication team will collaborate with partners to ensure the consortium successfully reaches out to all stakeholders with its solutions and research finding. We will be leading dissemination and communication efforts, creating a distinct visual identity for the project and transmitting information using all relevant communication channels (social media, industry press, brochures, posters, newsletters, etc.). Additionally, we will hold technology transfer seminars, to present project results and facilitate integration of the Glas-A-Fuels solutions into targeted value chains, focusing on industrial trade fairs and scientific conferences.

Learn more about our Projects

Core Innovation 11/7/23 Core Innovation 11/7/23

The CAPRI project reaches its conclusion

Authors: Konstantina Tsioli, Ioannis Maimaris, Ilia Kantartzi

7th November 2023

After four years, the CAPRI project has come to an end with its final results and an online closing conference. CAPRI’s main goal was to develop cognitive solutions to the Process Industry, in order to facilitate its Digital Transformation. CORE Innovation Centre has been involved in various tasks as part of the project, and we are excited to see project outcomes reach their maturity.

As part of the project, our team developed advanced deep learning models for anomaly detection and Remaining Useful Life estimation of critical components in the asphalt use case. We were also responsible for delivering some of the consortium’s exploitation activities, as well as fully managing all project-related communication tasks.

The goal of CAPRI was to develop, test, experiment and deliver an innovative Cognitive Automation Platform which incorporates cognitive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced automation, to enhance the operations within the Process Industry. Critical outcomes include actions to enhance the flexibility of operations, making the processes more adaptive and responsive, as well as actions to improve operational performance by reducing costs, improving maintenance efficiency, optimising resource utilisation and more.

Deep learning models

The deep learning tools developed by our team have been applied to a use case for asphalt production (EIFFAGE), aiming to reduce maintenance and spare parts costs related to critical operations and to enhance the reliability and robustness of the maintenance system. More specifically:

Anomaly Detection: By leveraging deep learning techniques, this model excels at identifying potential malfunctions in the machinery of asphalt use case. It acts as an ever-watchful guardian, constantly monitoring the baghouse system to alert for anomalies before they become critical issues. This proactive approach allows maintenance to be optimised and to minimise unexpected disruptions.

Remaining Useful Life (RUL) Estimation: Extending the anomaly detection model, our team went one step further by estimating the remaining useful life of critical components. In the EIFFAGE use case, the critical sensor is located at the entrance of the baghouse. This component is essential for maintaining the efficiency and quality of the involved processes. As an outcome, through our RUL estimations, we can accurately predict the time until the next failure of this critical component, offering manufacturers with the foresight needed to plan maintenance activities effectively.

CORE Anomaly Detection model for critical component constant monitoring and for providing possible alerts prior malfunctions.

These solutions have implications for other industries and, once applied, can potentially increase cost efficiency in the steel, aluminum and copper, cement, pharmaceuticals and glass manufacturing industries. More information on the EIFFAGE use case can be found here.

The commercialisation phase

Our innovation team contributed to the exploitation of CAPRI project outcomes by analysing the financial sustainability of the applicable exploitable results, utilising our custom Profit Simulation Tool. This endeavor aimed to gain insights into the financial requirements and resources necessary to introduce the solutions to the market and identify feasible scenarios for the commercialization phase.

This involved estimating Revenues and Costs for a 5-year post-project horizon. The knowledge accumulated throughout the project, which involved the analysis of market conditions and customer segments, was further developed, projecting this analysis into the future for the market. Initially, the analysis focused on customer segments related to the project use case industries, with plans to later expand to include industries identified through the replication analysis. Various scenarios were examined, to pinpoint a pragmatic and viable strategy for partners to implement so they can successfully bring their solutions to market and deliver a sizeable impact for CAPRI on the EU process industry, while also developing their business.

Communication activities

On the communication side, our consortium participated in 32 events over the years, with a total of 13 publications and 16 articles published. The project performed exceptionally well on social media, garnering over 900 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) and over 1300 on LinkedIn. Additionally, our team ran a YouTube account, which hosts 21 videos with over 2000 views in total. The project website, which was designed by CORE IC and officially launched in the early months of the project, has gained 8400 visits in the three-year run of the project, and it will continue to serve as a central hub for all project deliverables.

It's been a pleasure working with our consortium to deliver cognitive solutions to the European process industry. To stay in touch with the project and its partners, you can visit the dedicated website, or follow the CAPRI accounts on LinkedIn and X.

Core Innovation 10/16/23 Core Innovation 10/16/23

The Level-Up project has wrapped up with its Final Conference

Authors: Dimitris Eleftheriou, Ioannis Meintanis, Yianna Sigalou

17th October 2023

After four fruitful years, the Level-Up Project has wrapped up with its final deliverables and a Final Conference held in Brussels, Belgium. The project aimed to develop a platform that extends the useful life of major capital investments.

As part of the project, CORE Innovation Centre developed a range of models using ML-based algorithms across different use cases. Our team was also responsible for exploitation and communication activities for the Consortium.

The aim of Level-Up was to offer a scalable platform covering the overall life-cycle of critical role, big industrial machines or their components, starting from the initial digital twins setup to facilitate predictive maintenance, modernisation actions to diagnose and predict the operation of physical assets, even to the refurbishment and re-manufacturing activities towards the end of a machine’s life.

Different machine learning models

The machine learning (ML) based tools developed by our team have been applied to 4 different manufacturing lines (ESMA, LUCCHINI, TOSHULIN, and IPC) at the component, work-station & shopfloor level, with different technologies used depending on the specific needs, and available data for each pilot line.

For ESMA’s cold forming press, our team implemented AI based anomaly detection (AD) algorithms using state-of-the-art Deep Learning (DL) architectures, such as Auto-Encoders and proprietary unsupervised learning algorithms. By utilizing vibration signals and a variety of IoT sensors placed in the equipment, the models can look for patterns in data that indicate failure modes for specific components (e.g. bearings) and provide insights in real-time for the machine operator.

The TOSHULIN production line consists of a large industrial vertical lathe (SKIQ16-v2), with the workpiece clamped on a clamping plate which rotates when in operation. The end-user requirement was to focus on the lubrication system of the cutting tool, to detect anomalies and assess its operation capabilities. To achieve this, we developed a combination of tools, which utilizes a forecasting model to predict the future machine states and the behavior of the oil particles, together with a flexible monitoring mechanism which utilises dynamic thresholds to detect anomalies.

LUCHINI is a full production line for machining railway axles, and for Level-Up we developed an AD procedure using multi-sensorial vibration data. The goal was to facilitate predictive maintenance for the two most critical machines of the production line. The AD procedure is currently at the on-line/production stage, and we continue to monitor the performance and accuracy of the models used.

For IPC/CRF’s pultrusion pilot line, machine learning algorithms for AD and quality control have been developed and integrated with their upgraded monitoring dashboard to assist the operator in decision making and process monitoring procedures.

A go-to-market pathway for the consortium

Our team also led on exploitation activities for the project, to maximise the impact of its results. We developed a detailed exploitation plan for 26 of the project results, across 6 different sectors for our Consortium partners. For each use case, a detailed business plan was developed, which included:

Innovation Management Activities: We analysed the external ecosystem through which Level-Up can evolve, using different strategic tools, like SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces. We analysed the market for each sector, as well as potential market barriers that might slow the adoption of the technologies developed.
Business Models: For each use case, we developed a detailed business model using the Business Model Canva tool, identifying unique selling points, customer personas, costs, potential revenue streams, and key go-to-market activities.
Exploitation Roadmap: We developed detailed exploitation roadmaps and commercialization analyses for the project technologies, accompanied by a 5-year financial plan, which partners can use as a reference in their go-to-market journey.

Reaching out to the community

Finally, CORE Innovation Centre was responsible for handling the communication and dissemination activities of Level-Up.

The project excelled on social media, attracting 904 followers on Twitter and 981 on LinkedIn. During the project, we created 22 videos overall, which collectively received over 3,600 views.

With support from our partners at AIMEN and Innovalia, we carried a series of summer workshops to showcase the project's final results. We also co-organized the project's final conference in Brussels, with more than 70 people in attendance.

Through its four-year run, our Consortium submitted over 7 papers in open access journals, with 4 more pending approval for publication, and attended over 60 industry or scientific events.

Level-Up has been a major milestone for CORE Innovation Centre & CORE Group, setting us on a mission to transform the way digital technologies are implemented in manufacturing & beyond. It has been a pleasure collaborating with our partners across Europe.

Core Innovation 1/11/23 Core Innovation 1/11/23

The new era of autonomous tugboats and intelligent docking for large ports | MOSES project

MOSES project

The new era of autonomous tugboats and intelligent docking for large ports

Author: Manthos Kampourakis

January 11th 2023

Nowadays, hub port operations are becoming less efficient due to congested waterways, manoeuvring and berthing processes that are error-prone, time-consuming, costly, vulnerable to disruptions (e.g., strikes), and accidents with significant environmental impact. The MOSES project tries to tackle all these challenges by adopting an autonomous vessel manoeuvring and docking scheme that provides operational independency from the availability of port services. This innovative scheme is based on the cooperation of a coordinated swarm of autonomous tugboats that automates manoeuvring and docking where CORE Innovation is in charge.

The first part for which CORE Innovation was responsible was the design and development of a swarm of intelligent virtual tugboat agents, capable of both performing accurate docking of a large containership and coordinating their actions. The goal of the swarm was to pull off simulations of two virtual scenarios which demonstrate the added swarm intelligence factor. For the first scenario, starting from an initial distance of about 80m from the dock, the push tugboat agent’s mission, was to assist on berthing while the large containership would apply corrective movements using its bow thruster. The pull tugboat agent aimed at maintaining the mother vessel’s yaw angle close to zero. For the second scenario, a swarm of four tugboat agents in total learnt to assist on the berthing operation (two push agents) while again maintaining the mother vessel’s yaw angle (two pull agents).

In this video, the sped-up demonstration of the first simulation scenario, the accurate docking of a large containership, is displayed. The upper right corner displays the distance between a marked position on the tip of the dock and a point at approximately the middle of the starboard of the vessel. The bow thruster applies corrective movements to the yaw angle using a custom script. The whole system covers about 70m until it reaches the dock at a predefined distance. At this point, the two tugboats decelerate and then an automated system can take over for docking.

To achieve this, the Unity3D simulation environment and the 3D models of all involved actors were used. Real-world performance was achieved by calibrating the environment physics and the development of custom Reinforcement Learning algorithms led to the successful swarm training. All relevant information needed to accomplish each agent’s task were given as inputs; the location, acceleration, and distance of virtual LiDAR sensors. Propulsion and steering control outputs enabled agents’ navigation. Learning was achieved by employing tailor-made reward signals that directed the learning process in their policies and at the same time penalized undesired tugboat actions e.g., collisions.

The second part for which CORE Innovation is responsible within MOSES project, will be completed in 2023. The goal is to repeat the above-described process in a virtual environment using pilot-specific components and train a swarm of agents in a real-life pilot demonstration.

Core Innovation 9/22/22 Core Innovation 9/22/22

CORE's technical results in the iQonic project

iQonic project

CORE's technical results

Author: Spiros Fourakis

22nd September 2022

Figure 1: Original wafer image (left) and corresponding defect detection result from CORE defect detection model (right).

The iQonic project is entering its last few months and the project’s final webinar will take place in the morning of September 22nd. The project centers around a scalable zero-defect manufacturing platform covering the overall process chain of optoelectrical parts, facing the challenge of dealing with the evolution of the equipment, instrumentation and manufacturing processes they support. CORE’s efforts focused on deep learning algorithms to ensure strong prediction and detection skills and respective reactions to achieve zero defects.

More specifically, within the iQonic project, CORE has developed a new complete framework for defect detection and quality prediction of final assembled product in two demo cases AlPES and Prima. In particular, CORE’s contribution for Alpes Demo Case concerns the development of a machine learning-based defect detection solution which is focused on defect identification on the wafer parts (Figure 1).

Figure 2: Validation in early anomaly detection

Concerning the Prima Demo Case, a new and complete framework for prediction quality of a multi-laser emitter product, based on deep learning models was developed. The framework consisted of two stages: (1) early anomaly detection, focused on investigating the suitability of the final assembled product during early production stages, and (2) accurate prediction, which focused on estimating the quality index of the final product from its’ early production stage. Both models were successfully validated with real offline data from the production line. Especially, the anomaly detection model correctly predicted all the normal assemblies and nearly all defective assemblies, with only 3 false negatives (Figure 2).

Figure 3: Validation in accurate prediction of total power

Similarly, the quality prediction model demonstrated considerably low prediction errors and good generalisation performance (Figure 3).

Core Innovation 7/20/22 Core Innovation 7/20/22

CORE brings in 6 new landmark projects under the Horizon Europe framework (2021-2027)

Under the Horizon Europe framework (2021-2027)

CORE brings in 6 new landmark projects

Author: Mike Mantzavinos

20th July 2022

CORE brings in 6 new landmark projects under the Horizon Europe framework (2021-2027).

2022 has seen CORE so far participating in 6 project launches under the new Horizon Europe framework. After joining the 6th kick-off meeting for this year, the team takes a moment to reflect on the significance of this new phase of EU’s strategic funding as well as what it means for the CORE team.

The new projects, most of which involve green and digital transition, mark a phase of maturity and recognition for our team. CORE’s experience -counting 19 projects in EU's Horizon 2020 framework programme (2014-2020)- has cemented the company’s footing as a research and technology partner, a reliable collaborator in innovation management, as well as an expert partner in communication and dissemination work for such projects.

What is Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe, the EU’s Key funding programme which runs from 2021 to 2027, sets new goals, procedures, and principles, aiming to tackle both European issues and global challenges. Energy transition, resilient industries and cities as well as health and societal transformation feature high on the agenda of this new phase of EU R&I funding. The fund’s new direction includes reinforcing and extending the leading position of the Union’s science base, driving forward European industrial resilience and competitiveness, and cultivating innovative ecosystems which will support market-creating breakthroughs.

Horizon Europe also includes key innovations resulting from lessons learned from the previous H2020 framework. Namely, an open science policy has been set in place, with the goal to further advance the diffusion of expert knowledge. New approaches to partnerships, extended association possibilities and the establishment of the European Innovation Council complete the novelties that aim to scale technological breakthroughs, support the market-uptake of innovations and realize the required green and digital transitions. The new strategic approach brings the framework in closer alignment with our own vision as a company and finds us growing towards a partner which can support the totality of Horizon Europe’s ambitions by adhering to our founding mission. That has always been to offer more industries, companies and people the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

The projects and CORE’s contribution

For CORE, the newly initiated framework marks a new chapter for the technical arm of the team, building on an already highly successful trajectory so far. Strongly positioned in the field of manufacturing transformation with 11 industrial related projects spanning to various other EU funding frameworks, the team has accrued critical expertise in the research and innovation field which has come to be known as ‘factories of the future’. The team is now part of 4 new Horizon projects in the same area of interest: Ambiance (cluster4 – digital, industry and space), s-X-AIPI (cluster4), Circular TwAIn (cluster4), and RE4DY (cluster 4).

Moreover, OPTIWISE (cluster5 – climate, energy and mobility) project, focused on the transition of the maritime industry, completes the set of the new Horizon Europe projects, along with INPERSO (cluster5), a project aiming to bring digital technologies into the Building and Construction sector.

Ambiance project will work to develop and showcase disruptively innovative bio-based products in different sectors and manufacturing processes, while also demonstrating applicability in daily-life products, starring green urban areas that will lead the transition to sustainability.

CORE will be leading the efforts of developing an efficient framework for acquiring, correlating, synchronizing, and processing data, which will be applied in both data-driven and physics-based models. The team will also develop an advanced Decision Support System (DSS), aiming to optimize the machines’ operating parameters, as well as identify possible strong relationships among them. To further optimize the manufacturing parameters, CORE IC will co-lead the development of accurate hybrid Digital Twins, composed by physics-based and data-driven models.

s-X-AIPI will see the development of novel AI applications in the field of process industries. New data pipelines, architecture and realistic datasets from 4 use cases will be coupled with an autonomic manager aiming to create smart solutions which will minimize human-in-the-loop involvement while also exhibiting self-improving abilities.

CORE’s technical contribution will focus on developing algorithms involving quality prediction of products, based on sensorial data, recipe optimization and automating the deployed models’ optimization and re-parametrization, including keeping the human operators in-the-loop. Moreover, our Profit Simulation Tool will be deployed to explore the profitability of the s-X-AIPI business model and simulate the exploitation phase. The team will also be leading the work package relating to the communication and dissemination of the project.

Circular TwAIn, also involving the manufacturing and process industry, will see the development of an AI platform for circular manufacturing value chains, which will support the development of interoperable circular twins for end-to-end sustainability.

CORE will contribute to the design of the reference architecture and the distributed intelligence system, along with developing appropriate #dataspaces for communication exchange and provide AI enabled #digitaltwins based on deep neural networks.

Furthermore, CORE IC will lead the effort of developing an exploitation strategy plan with the aim to maximize the impact of the novel AI Platform towards a more sustainable manufacturing value chain. We will be responsible for ensuring the replicability of the project, while liaising with other AI in manufacturing projects, clusters, and initiatives.

Last, the team will also be leading the Dissemination and Communication activities, expanding the project’s impact and boosting awareness within the defined target groups.

RE4DY project plans to demonstrate how European Industry can jointly create unique data-driven manufacturing and supply networks. The consortium will build on the previous Zero Factory (zero defects, zero breakdowns, zero waste…) framework, to realize large scale distributed data-driven industrial and manufacturing networks.

CORE Innovation Centre will have an active role in the technical design of the digital 4.0 continuum framework architecture, which relates to the cognitive digital twin, as well as the self-service analytics and manufacturing data spaces. CORE IC will also participate in the development of the AI platform and more specifically, in tailoring enriched Machine Learning models via federated learning, and delivering model deployment and integration as part of the digital 4.0 continuum open toolkit. Regarding the use cases, CORE IC will contribute to setting up the pilot use cases and carrying out large scale on-site trials, in order to validate the factory 4.0 operations and produce insightful benchmarking data.

In the exploitation phase, CORE IC will lead the development of the RE4DY exploitation plan, which will outline the roadmap for launching the RE4DY technologies and their market uptake.

OPTIWISE is one of the two cluster 5 (climate, energy and mobility) projects of CORE where the team will be supporting the effort to test and further develop concepts of wind propulsion in maritime applications, while also developing new holistic vessels design, architecture and control methods to significantly improve energy savings in maritime transport.

Our main role will be energy performance monitoring and optimization of wind propelled ships towards decreased emissions and higher energy efficiency. The main tasks include the development of an energy management system (EMS) that will make decisions on the hybrid use of conventional/wind propulsion aiming at increased energy savings. The EMS will be adjusted for the needs of two demo cases of the project. Additionally, CORE will lead the Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation activities aiming to maximize the project’s impact.

INPERSO project will work towards integrating digital technologies into the Building and Construction European sector. Constituting a holistic deep renovation programme of both residential and heritage buildings which tackles challenges throughout a building’s lifecycle, the project aims to bring the Building and Construction sector into the digitalized era.

CORE Innovation Center’s involvement in the project will be quite extentensive, including technical, innovation and communication activities.

Our team will lead the development of a Multi-Stage Energy Consulting System (MuSECS), which will be achieved through the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools combined with energy data from heterogeneous sources as well as information from the energy grid provider and external services. CORE IC will also contribute to the Asset Health Monitoring module which includes condition and anomaly detection.

The team will bring its extensive expertise in the innovation work package where we will apply standardization and certification, ecosystem empowerment efforts, project development cycle and sustainable innovation management. Finally, CORE IC’s communication department will be responsible for crafting a unique digital identity, including the visual identity, document templates and website as well as other setting up other communication channels.

Learn more about our Projects

News

The vision

CORE Innovation Centre’s Role

Our Consortium

Looking ahead

The OPTIMINER project holds tremendous promise for the future of mining, offering innovative and sustainable methods for recovering and utilising critical raw materials -essential for Europe’s green transition and the global mining industry.

Revolutionising Industrial Operations with FAIRE: Federated AI for Predictive Maintenance

This innovative approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures data privacy and scalability, making it a game-changer for industries like manufacturing, energy, and pharmaceutical.

What is FAIRE

Key FAIRE Features

Predictive Maintenance for CNC Machines

The benefits of FAIRE

Application areas

Solutions like FAIRE will play a critical role in shaping the future of industrial automation and data-driven decision-making.

A successful Focus Group Workshop was held on 31st of October 2024 at the HALCOR facilities, in Boeotia, Greece as part of the CARDIMED project.

Participants in the workshop included representatives from CORE Group, ICCS, NTUA, HALCOR employees and managers, as well as regional stakeholders, enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The CARDIMED project

Workshop goals and objectives

Impact on Industry

CORE Group’s collaboration with HALCOR

Project overview

Strategic Management & Replicability of TEAMING.AI

Dissemination and Communication Activities

It was great working with our TEAMING.AI consortium to deliver impactful change in human-AI interactions for the manufacturing sector. Looking forward to future collaborations.

CORE Group and CORE Innovation Centre are joining forces with partners across the EU in a total of 9 new Horizon Europe projects. Our team is responsible for 4 of these successful research proposals.

DEXPLORE

PRIM-ROCK

ALCHEMHY

StreamSTEP

OPTIMINER

Theseus

JOULIA

rEUman

INBLANC

Having successfully completed 4 years of operations, the InComEss project officially wrapped up its activities last month, and held the project’s Final Review Meeting with the European Commission’s Project Officer on March 13, in Brussels, at the premises of SONACA.

CORE Group was involved in various tasks within the project framework to expand InComEss’s impact. In particular, we were responsible for devising and managing the consortium’s exploitation strategy, as well as leading the dissemination and communication strategy.

Project overview

Exploitation activities

Dissemination and Communication Activities

It has been a pleasure working with all our partners for the InComEss project.

Until the next one.

The development of a hybrid electric feeder vessel, equipped with a robotic container-handling system, to increase the utilisation rate of small ports.

The establishment of a digital collaboration and matchmaking platform to match demand and supply of cargo volumes, utilising Machine Learning (ML) to maximise Short Sea Shipping traffic.

The introduction of an autonomous vessel maneuvering and docking scheme, based on the cooperation of a swarm of autonomous tugboats coupled with an automated docking system.

Our role in the project

Machine learning approach

The commercilisation phase

Understanding our pilot

We look forward to future, even more fruitful collaborations.

M4ESTRO

METAWAVE

CARDIMED

SM4RTENANCE

TERRAVISION

ARGUS

GLAS-A-FUELS

Deep learning models

The commercialisation phase

Communication activities

It's been a pleasure working with our consortium to deliver cognitive solutions to the European process industry. To stay in touch with the project and its partners, you can visit the dedicated website, or follow the CAPRI accounts on LinkedIn and X.

After four fruitful years, the Level-Up Project has wrapped up with its final deliverables and a Final Conference held in Brussels, Belgium. The project aimed to develop a platform that extends the useful life of major capital investments.

As part of the project, CORE Innovation Centre developed a range of models using ML-based algorithms across different use cases. Our team was also responsible for exploitation and communication activities for the Consortium.

Different machine learning models

A go-to-market pathway for the consortium

Reaching out to the community

Level-Up has been a major milestone for CORE Innovation Centre & CORE Group, setting us on a mission to transform the way digital technologies are implemented in manufacturing & beyond. It has been a pleasure collaborating with our partners across Europe.

MOSES project

The new era of autonomous tugboats and intelligent docking for large ports

The second part for which CORE Innovation is responsible within MOSES project, will be completed in 2023. The goal is to repeat the above-described process in a virtual environment using pilot-specific components and train a swarm of agents in a real-life pilot demonstration.

iQonic project

CORE's technical results

Under the Horizon Europe framework (2021-2027)

CORE brings in 6 new landmark projects

What is Horizon Europe?

The projects and CORE’s contribution

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173 43, Athens, Greece

Email
+30 2109246730