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.
