GENESIS, backed by Horizon Europe, aims to make semiconductor manufacturing sustainable, aligning with the European Green Deal, by minimizing environmental impact with eco-friendly innovations. [Objectives] GENESIS aims to replace harmful materials with safer options, improve waste management, and enhance the use and recyclability of scarce materials. [Innovations] GENESIS introduces innovations in three key areas: • Innovative materials: PFAS-free polymer and eco-friendly gas alternatives complying with EU regulations. • Waste & emissions monitoring: Cutting-edge sensors detect hazardous substances for efficient aqueous and gas waste elimination, reducing environmental and health risks. • Scarce material management: New integration technologies optimize material usage and initiate recycling of scarce materials like Gallium, Niobium, and silicon carbide. [Methodology] GENESIS employs four technical work packages to research sustainable material substitution, emission reduction, and resource management. This modular approach promotes scalability and integration with existing processes, fostering a circular economy in the semiconductor sector. Supervised by management work packages, it quantifies environmental efficiency and engages in dissemination to promote European technological achievements [Outcomes] The project targets a 50% cut in hazardous materials, 30% decrease in emissions and waste, and improved scarce material recyclability, boosting EU semiconductor sustainability and global competitiveness. [Impact] GENESIS supports EU's tech sovereignty and resilience through accurate monitoring and sustainable practices. It positions Europe as a leader in sustainable semiconductor tech, setting new standards for impact-oriented communication and dissemination.

With anticipated exponential growth of connected devices, future networks require an open solutions architecture facilitated by standards and a strong ecosystem. Such devices need an easy interface to the connected network to request the kind of communication service characterized by guarantees about bandwidth, delay, jitter, packet loss or redundancy. In response, the network should grant the requested network resources automatically and program the intermediate networking devices based on device profile and privileges. Similar requirement also comes from business applications where application itself asks for particular network resources based on its needs. Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) provide promising combination leading to programmable connectivity, rapid service provisioning and service chaining. As a part of 5G PPP programme, VirtuWind will develop and demonstrate SDN & NFV ecosystem, based on open, modular and secure framework showcasing a prototype for intra-domain and inter-domain scenarios in real wind parks as a representative use case of industrial networks, and validate the economic viability of the demonstrated solution. The wind park control network has been chosen as a professional application in VirtuWind as wind energy has now established itself as a mainstream of sustainable energy generation. By envisioning lower capital expenditure and operational expenditure costs in control network infrastructure, VirtuWind will play important role in assisting wind energy sector to achieve cost reductions. Further applicability of VirtuWind solution in other industrial domains will bring multifold benefits in their communication networks. The VirtuWind consortium consists of strong industry and academic partners covering the whole value chain of programmable networks. The consortium is striving for a common vision of creating industrial capability of SDN/NFV in Europe.

The rise of quantum technology has opened the eyes of the ICT industry with respect to cryogenics. It is considered an enabler bringing in quantum functionalities and enhanced system performance and we are observing a massive growth of cryogenics from coolers to cryogenic electronics and photonics. ArCTIC is a joint effort of top European RTOs, industrial fabrication facilities, and leading application partners (23 industrial among which 14 SMEs, 7 RTO, 6 academic), sharing the vision to take a joint EU step towards the era of cryogenic classical and quantum microsystems. We aim to close the gap between qubit research and interfacing control machinery, highly needed for scaled-up quantum systems. The main goal of ArCTIC is to develop scalable cryogenic ICT microsystems and control technology for quantum processors. The technologies developed will have applications in many fields from sensing to communication, leading to important cross-fertilization that will strengthen the forming European ecosystem on cryogenic classical and quantum microsystems. ArCTIC will advance semiconductor technologies and materials, and tailor these for QT requirements and cryogenic applications. Multi-scale physics and data-driven models, cryogenic PDK modelling, device characterization, circuit design activities will support the development of cryogenic microelectronics. We will develop quantum processor platforms and broaden the applicability of microelectronic devices and circuits for cryogenic operation by developing cryo-compatible ultra-low loss substrates and thin-films, microelectronic and photonic circuits, semiconductor packaging and heterogeneous-integration techniques and benchmark the developed technologies. Scientific and Industrial ArCTIC-demonstrators and applications are driving our developments enabling the European industry to maintain and expand its leading edge in semiconductor components and processes and QT and strengthen sustainable manufacturing technologies