Project description
Breakthrough imaging and detection technologies for science and society
Turning scientific breakthrough technologies in the field of imaging, detection and computation into products and services is the goal of the EU-funded ATTRACT initiative. With the first phase of the ATTRACT project complete (170 projects reaching the end of the 12-month proof-of-concept stage), the project’s second phase, ATTRACT2, focuses on the most promising opportunities from Phase 1. The emphasis will be on turning the proof-of-concepts into clear applications in the realms of science and industry. The project aims to ensure that no selected breakthrough idea is lost along the way. The ATTRACT initiative addresses the detection and imaging sector, which is a cornerstone of Europe’s economy.
Objective
The ATTRACT Phase-1 project proposes a new collaboration paradigm aligned with the ‘Open Science, Open Innovation and Open to the World’ philosophy. Its objective is the identification and initial development of breakthrough detection and imaging technology concepts for expanding fundamental research frontiers and suitable for future industrial upscaling for novel applications and business. It promotes the involvement of national and pan-European Research Infrastructures and their associated research communities, industrial organizations (especially SMEs) and innovation and business specialists. It proposes a co-innovation approach in which scientific and industrial communities jointly pursue and generate breakthrough concepts in close and equal partnership. The project implementation starts with the launch of an Open Call by the project consortium for €17 million of financial support to Third-Parties. The proposals received will be peer-reviewed by an Independent R&D&I Committee of top experts in the field of detection and imaging technologies. After this process 170 breakthrough technology concepts will receive €100,000 of seed funding each (“lump sum”) to develop the concepts further during one year. The funded projects will then present their results in a Final Assessment Conference in Brussels. The ATTRACT Phase-1 consortium members will provide business assessments to the funded project teams to enhance awareness of future commercial applications. Furthermore, two pilots based on design thinking methodologies will be run for/with interdisciplinary master level students, aimed at discovering and generating social value applications inspired by the technologies of the funded projects. The ATTRACT Phase-1 project consortium comprises top partners capable of catalysing a large variety of key stakeholders towards a future unique European innovation ecosystem. The project will take 28 months to complete.
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
1211 GENEVE 23
Switzerland