Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest

The SkillCirc Doctoral Network addresses the critical challenge of transitioning from a linear plastic economy to a circular, sustainable paradigm by advancing eco-plastic technologies and fostering interdisciplinary research. This initiative brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of leading academic and industry partners to train the next generation of researchers capable of driving innovation in plastic reuse, recycling, and sustainability. SkillCirc will train 11 Doctoral Candidates through a holistic program combining rigorous scientific research, hands-on laboratory experience, and engagement with industry and policy actors. Each DC will tackle a critical aspect of the plastic life cycle, from the development of bio-based and indefinitely recyclable polymers to the integration of artificial intelligence for real-time process monitoring and optimization. Innovative approaches such as biocoloring, biocatalytic depolymerization, and eco-polymer film development will pave the way for high-performance, sustainable alternatives to plastics. Alongside technical advancements, SkillCirc will explore the social, economic, and policy dimensions of plastic use, including public attitudes, household practices, and policy narratives, ensuring that innovations are socially embedded and widely adopted. The program employs advanced training methodologies, including interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, to equip DCs with a diverse skill set. Reflective practice, structured industry placements, and exposure to social scientific perspectives will prepare researchers to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world applications. Through collaboration, innovation, and a strong commitment to sustainability, SkillCirc aims to not only revolutionize the lifecycle of plastics but also cultivate the next generation of leaders who will drive transformative change in academia, industry, and policy-making, shaping a greener, more sustainable future.

EC contribution:

EUR 1M

Start:

2027-01-01

End:

2030-12-31

Status:

SIGNED

Scheme:

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Call:

HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01

View on CORDIS (DOI 10.3030/101312678)

The future of media experiences is still to be written, and the maturity of eXtended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies provides a unique window of opportunity for the European Creative and Cultural Sector (CCS) to reimagine digital co-creation, interaction and engagement possibilities. TransMIXR, a consortium of eight representatives from the CCS and twelve leading industrial and academic partners, combines the necessary interdisciplinary skillsets and domain expertise to create a range of human-centric tools for remote content production and consumption via social virtual reality. The project’s TransMIXR platform will provide (i) a distributed XR Creation Environment that supports remote collaboration practices, and (ii) XR Media Experience Environment for the delivery and consumption of highly evocative and highly-social immersive media experiences. The ground-breaking AI techniques for the understanding and processing of complex media content will enable the reuse of heterogeneous assets across immersive content delivery platforms. Using the Living Labs methodology, TransMIXR will develop and evaluate four pilots that bring the vision of future media experiences to life in four CCS domains: (i) news media & broadcasting, (ii) performing arts, and (iii) cultural heritage. Additionally, the project will harness the creativity of the CCS and will forge interdisciplinary collaborations to demonstrate how immersive social experiences could be transferred to new application areas beyond the CCS. The results of the project will contribute to the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan from the European Commission, in particular boosting the adoption of XR technologies, opening new business models opportunities in new application areas and markets, and gaining worldwide leadership in XR technologies while being deeply grounded in European values such as veracity, diversity, connectedness and universality.

EC contribution:

EUR 1M

Start:

2022-10-01

End:

2025-12-31

Status:

SIGNED

Scheme:

HORIZON-IA

Call:

HORIZON-CL4-2021-HUMAN-01

View on CORDIS (DOI 10.3030/101070109)

GENerative and connected intelligence for 6G Open ManagemEnt (GENOME) research and training programme aims at investigating, developing/fine-tuning and validating large language models (LLMs) for the autonomous management and orchestration of various network technological domains (O-RAN, edge, cloud) through intent-based networking and task-agnostic network functions. It also targets the establishment of a connected intelligence framework for the coordination between these functions via on-the-fly protocol learning to mitigate conflicting management decisions and maximize utilization. Network configuration will also be generated automatically through innovative neuro-symbolic AI algorithms. Moreover, the transparency and resilience of the AI models is researched. All the developed components will be validated via both simulation and testbed experiments, and integrated into a final proof-of-concept. Besides, a detailed training plan is designed including schools, industrial days and soft-skills courses. It involves industrial partners to ensure that career perspectives of ESRs will be significantly increased by participation in the project. High quality dissemination and exploitation activities are also considered.

EC contribution:

EUR 0

Start:

2026-01-01

End:

2029-12-31

Status:

SIGNED

Scheme:

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Call:

HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01