EU Funded Projects

Acronym: CRACY
Title: CRA CompliancY (made easy)

Can you provide a brief overview of the CRACY project and its primary objectives?
CRACY was launched to help companies, mainly small and medium-sized engineering companies, comply with the new Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which has recently been approved by the European Parliament and which will fully enter into force by December 2027. [1] It seeks to improve the reliability and (cyber)security of both software applications and physical products that employ software systems, such as electronic appliances. The CRA requires manufacturers to perform risk assessments regarding the security of their devices and the extent to which these devices are vulnerable to hackers. Furthermore, manufacturers will be required to provide mechanisms for providing continuous security updates over the course of the device’s lifecycle.

Implementing such protocols is very labour-intensive. Smaller enterprises especially may not have the in-house expertise available to comply with the new regulation, which in turn will make it more difficult for them to compete against larger companies. Furthermore, as the CRA targets a broad spectrum of products, it must necessarily adopt a technology-agnostic, high-level view of how software systems are created and maintained. This makes it more difficult for companies to translate the CRA’s legal framework into actionable insights that they can implement themselves.

CRACY will therefore develop free and open-source tools, mechanisms, checklists, and guidelines to help companies comply with the CRA by performing the necessary technical assessments of their products themselves. It will furthermore create content for webinars, workshops, training sessions, etc. to help shed light on the obligations imposed by the CRA.

[1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR18991/cyber-resilience-act-meps-adopt-plans-to-boost-security-of-digital-products

What role does VUB play in the CRACY project, and what are some of its key contributions?
Modern software systems are comprised of many different interacting software components, software libraries, and software services, collectively termed dependencies. Often, even the developers of a system are not aware of exactly which dependencies have been included in a software system, as these dependencies are often reused between different systems. Some of these dependencies are made open-source, so that they are available to a large group of developers. A downside, however, is that any security vulnerability in a popular dependency may also introduce a vulnerability in a system in which they are included. The CRA therefore requires the manufacturer of a product to perform a thorough risk assessment of the product’s software, including its dependencies.

The role of the VUB in this project is to develop an open-source tool to automatically scan the various software dependencies that are used in a software system. This tool produces a so-called “Software Bill of Materials”, which includes, for each dependency, information on e.g., known vulnerabilities, the mechanism for reporting vulnerabilities to the dependency’s developers, and the software license in use. Such tools already exist, but they require considerable intervention from developers with expert knowledge. The goal of the VUB is, therefore, to investigate how we can fully automate this analysis, so it also becomes available to non-experts, and how we can make the scan more comprehensive, so that it also considers dependencies which are currently ignored by state-of-the-art scanners.

This tool will help lower the barrier for developers to create secure and reliable products. This tool will reduce the likelihood that a product is released with known security vulnerabilities. Furthermore, it will also enable developers to be automatically notified whenever a security vulnerability is reported for one of the dependencies that are used in their system. This will make it easier to quickly fix vulnerabilities if any are discovered after the product’s release.

What will be the broader impact of the CRACY project?
Because of the complexity of modern software, making an application fully secure and resistant to every conceivable attack is a herculean task. This problem grows even larger for applications which are actively updated and which frequently receive new features, as each update may introduce a new vulnerability. Large organisations often employ dedicated teams to test the security of their products and to fix issues as soon as they are reported. These teams consist of security experts who use sophisticated tools to discover and fix vulnerabilities. 
CRACY will democratize knowledge on software security by developing new tools, mechanisms, and guidelines for improving the security and reliability of products, and by partially automating some of the required technical assessments. As CRACY is funded by the EU’s Digital Europe Programme, all of these tools will be made available as free and open-source software, so they can be adopted by developers worldwide. This will make it much easier to ship new products without known security exploits. Even if new exploits are discovered after a product has already been released, the tools developed by CRACY will help developers to patch these exploits more quickly.

CRACY will also organise educational activities, including webinars, workshops, and training sessions, to help organisations make their products CRA-compliant by December 2027. As with the tools developed by CRACY, the content of these activities will also be made publicly available.

More information on the CRA and CRACY can be found at https://cra-cy.eu/.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101190492. 

Acronym:  FLEXMCS
Title: Flexible Megawatt Charging Systems, open software architectures, and planning modules creating multi-charger hubs for the European electric mobility system

What are the main challenges regarding charging infrastructure for the mass deployment of electric trucks?
The transition to electric heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) faces several major hurdles. Charging infrastructure is currently insufficient, both in terms of availability and power capacity. The grid must be able to support high-power fast charging, but capacity limitations and energy distribution inefficiencies present significant challenges. Additionally, charging stations need to be flexible and scalable, accommodating different types of vehicles while ensuring cost-effective deployment

Can you provide a brief overview of how the FLEXMCS project will address these challenges?
In the EU FLEXMCS project, we are developing multiport Megawatt charging systems with 4 MCS and up to 18 CCS outlets, optimizing usage by enabling fast charging for HDVs and overnight charging for light vehicles. To reduce grid impact and energy losses, we will integrate renewable energy sources and stationary energy storage systems (BESS). Additionally, an Open Charging Framework will enable real-time data exchange between charge point operators (CPOs) and trucks, ensuring smart energy management. The project will be validated through a real-world demonstration in Karlsruhe, Germany, assessing scalability, technology effectiveness, and business viability.

What role does VUB play in the FLEXMCS consortium, and what will be some of its key contributions?
VUB, through the EPOWERS Research Group at VUB-ETEC-MOBI, is coordinating the EU FLEXMCS project. VUB will also develop tools to optimize both the chargers' power electronics architecture and charging site layout. These tools will enable enhanced combined charging for both CCS and MCs outlets and provide an optimal site design for different business cases. Further, VUB will define the multi-layer EMS architecture and specifically contribute to a medium-level controller, for the optimal modular operation of the chargers. VUB will also provide a lifetime assessment tool for power electronics health degradation. Finally, VUB will support in the TCO assessment linked to large-scale geographical deployment strategies of the solutions.

What will be the broader impact of FLEXMCS?
EU FLEXMCS will accelerate the deployment of megawatt charging infrastructure, making zero-emission freight transport more viable and cost-effective. By optimizing charging efficiency, expanding grid capacity, and integrating renewable energy, the project will help logistics operators reduce costs, lower emissions, and increase fleet reliability.

Acronym:  HARPOONERS
Title: High voltAge, modulaR and low weight electric POwertrains fOr NExt generation waterborne tRanSport

What are the main challenges in decarbonising maritime and inland waterway vessels?
The decarbonization of maritime and inland waterway (IW) vessels is progressing slowly due to several challenges related to battery energy storage systems (BESS), which must be addressed before they can effectively compete with conventional solutions. The key challenges are:

• Weight: High storage capacity in BESS results in significant weight, which limits the cargo capacity of small and medium-sized vessels.
• Reliability: Ensuring trouble-free operation, reducing unexpected failures, and lowering operating and maintenance costs is essential.
• Safety: Large-scale adoption of BESS depends on addressing safety concerns to gain vessel owners' trust and compliance with regulations.

These challenges are critical in making electrification a viable solution for decarbonization. 

How will HARPOONERS address these challenges?
The HARPOONERS project directly tackles these challenges through its three Innovation Pillars:

1.    Weight Reduction:

• HARPOONERS is developing a compact and modular high-voltage (HV) battery system that integrates key components, reducing overall system weight.
• The system eliminates the need for a transformer and additional cooling, making it significantly lighter.
• This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized vessels, allowing for full electrification without sacrificing cargo capacity.

2.    Reliability Improvement:

• The project introduces an "AC battery system" that enhances efficiency and ensures trouble-free routing, lowering operational and maintenance costs.
• Advanced management systems will be developed for stable operation in both all-electric and hybrid vessel powertrains.

3.    Enhanced Safety:

• By eliminating certain complex components (like the transformer and additional cooling system), the new system improves safety while maintaining performance.
• The design enhances the adoption potential of BESS by minimizing risks for vessel owners.

Additionally, HARPOONERS' European-wide partnership (involving research institutions, battery manufacturers, power electronics experts, and shipping owners) ensures a well-rounded approach to making electrification viable across different vessel types.
With a €7.5M budget and a 36-month timeline (starting February 2025), HARPOONERS aims to accelerate the adoption of BESS, contributing significantly to the decarbonization of the maritime and IW sectors.
 

Acronym:  EURL-PH-DIPE
Title: European reference laboratory network for EURL for public health in the field of Diphtheria and Pertussis

What is the EURL-PH-DIPE project about and what are the main goals?
This project is about two vaccine-preventable diseases that still circulate in EU-countries, pertussis and diphtheria. The European Center for disease Control (ECDC) launched a call for the establishment of a network of National Reference Laboratories (NRL) to meet a need for harmonization of methods, capacity building and professional exchanges of expertise and materials at the European level.

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory disease mainly caused by Bordetella pertussis. In infants too young to be vaccinated, the disease is especially serious and still sometimes deadly. Despite extensive vaccination, pertussis remains endemic and epidemic worldwide, peaking every three to five years. After a very low prevalence due to social containment measures for Covid-19, an extensive epidemic is occurring in Europe since 2022.

Diphtheria presents mainly as a severe respiratory disease with systemic complications) e.g. cardiac and neurological symptoms), or a cutaneous infection.  It is caused by toxigenic corynebacteria; Corynebacterium diphtheriae, highly contagious among humans, and the zoonotic C. ulcerans, only exceptionally transmitted between humans but occasionally acquired after contact with domestic animals (mainly cats and dogs), cattle, or sometimes wild animals. This disease became very rare in Europe, but in 2022 and 2023, an increase of cases was observed, of which the majority were diagnosed in migrant-related facilities.

How does an ideal vaccination program look like?
Both diseases are included in the basis childhood vaccination schemes in all European countries, followed by life-long boosters. However, both present shortcomings.

Pertussis immunization, both after vaccination or natural disease, is waning after a few years and mild, often unrecognized, pertussis episodes manifesting as cough, occur at any age, resulting in a reservoir of contamination for children too young to be vaccinated. In children less than one year old, pertussis has an atypical course, with few coughs but episodes of potentially fatal breathing pauses (apnea). Since 2013, the Superior Health Council advises a booster vaccination in pregnant women, to transfer immunity through the placenta and provide passive protection until infant vaccination can be provided. Unfortunately, maternal vaccine coverage is still too low, due to vaccine hesitancy.

Diphtheria immunization is very complete in Europe, but migrants from countries where vaccination programs were disrupted by war and other societal problems often did not receive childhood vaccinees and can be a source of infection for insufficiently immunized adults. Indeed, a recent serological survey demonstrated that up to 82% of adults aged 40 to 59 years lack the protective level of diphtheria antibodies in many European countries.

What will be the broader societal impact of EURL-PH-DIPE?
This EURL project will enhance protection and preparedness against pertussis and diphtheria in Europe, through different tasks aiming to improve functions of each NRL, and by providing guidance and help to both ECDC and NRLs.

What is VUB’s role in the EURL-PH-DIPE consortium?
The Belgian National Reference Centers (NRC) for pertussis and diphtheria are both coordinated by the laboratory of microbiology of the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussels (UZB). They combine our expertise on the detection and characterization of B. pertussis, the agent of pertussis (whooping cough) and C. diphtheriae and C. ulcerans, the agents of diphtheria, with the expertise of the laboratory of immunology of Sciensano on the immunological response to these pathogens.

In the frame of this European Reference Laboratory led by Finland and in collaboration with France and Germany, UZB will organise two rounds of External Quality Assessments for B. pertussis detection, give scientific advice and technical support and organize training activities to other NRCs and ECDC, and organize scientific meetings.

Acronym:  Shift2Zero
Title: Shifting to zero-emission logistics with right-sized, mission-focused, N1 eLCVs

Why is there a mismatch between current small commercial vehicles and the demand for efficient, environmentally friendly solutions? 
There is a gap between supply and demand in the market for small commercial vehicles (N1 LCVs) due to several reasons:

• Slow adoption of e-LCVs: In 2023, 1.2M new Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) were diesel-powered, while only 108,200 were battery-electric, indicating a clear gap in the adoption of electrical LCVs.
• Lack of mission-specific vehicle designs: Most Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) focus on general-purpose vehicles rather than mission-specific solutions for urban logistics. The OEMs involved in the project include IVECO SPA, Alkè Electric Vehicles, and Paxster AS.
• Operational inefficiencies in last-mile logistics: Last-mile logistics, the final stage of delivery from a distribution hub to the end customer, are often inefficient and can account for a significant portion of the total logistics cost. These inefficiencies can be due to different factors like the use of oversized vehicles, lack of energy-efficient solutions and unforeseeable circumstances like urban congestions.
• New emission regulations: Expanding Low-Emission Zones (LEZs), new EU vehicle standards (Euro 7), and urban access restrictions drive the demand for zero-emission solutions, but available eLCVs are often too costly or not optimized for specific logistics needs. 
   

How will the Shift2Zero project address this?
Shift2Zero is built on a strong industry-academia collaboration and takes a user- and mission-centric approach to design zero-emission LCVs that are tailored to meet the specific needs of urban logistics, it will:

• Co-develop six innovative e-LCV concepts tailored to key urban logistics sectors like e-commerce, cold chain (temperature-controlled deliveries), and dual-use transport of people and goods.
• Enhance vehicle efficiency and sustainability through optimized designs, such as adaptable cargo spaces with eutectic evaporators and movable panels for dynamic temperature zones, new control strategies that optimize energy management and driving efficiency, and bi-directional charging capabilities that enable eLCVs to supply energy back to the grid.
• Test solutions across six pilot sites in Belgium, Greece, Italy, Norway, and Poland with logistics operators to validate real-life performance.
• Integrate vehicles into advanced logistics systems for smarter and more efficient delivery networks, leveraging:
  •    Physical Internet (PI): As an open global logistics system founded on physical, digital, and operational interconnectivity through encapsulation, standardized interfaces, and protocols. This enables seamless, efficient freight movement across multiple logistics providers and transport modes.
  •    Synchromodal Logistics: As a real-time, dynamic extension of the existing intermodal transport by including real-time re-routing to adapt to disturbances, infrastructure constraints, and customer requirements, ensuring optimal transport efficiency.
• Support market adoption by ensuring the vehicles are cost-effective, scalable, and compliant with regulatory requirements. 
   

What role does VUB play in the Shift2Zero consortium, and what are some of its key contributions?
MOBILISE leads the work package focused on defining user- and mission-centric vehicle requirements for zero-emission LCVs for urban and suburban logistics and freight mobility. MOBILISE will bridge its expertise in city logistics and transport modelling through different key contributions:

• Defining user- and mission-centric needs – Conducting stakeholder engagement, choice-experiment surveys, and user trade-off analysis to inform the vehicle design.
• Ensuring user-centricity – Coordinating and integrating diverse stakeholder perspectives, crucial in urban logistics. This specifically includes operators using e-LCVs, such as drivers, who are often overlooked in vehicle design but whose insights are essential for usability and efficiency.
• Exploring logistics innovations – Assessing how Shift2Zero vehicle designs integrate with new logistics models, such as Physical Internet and synchromodal transport, to enhance delivery networks.
• Simulation & real-life demonstrations – Executing transport modeling and optimization simulations to support pilot implementations, and supporting the implementation of the Brussels pilot, where shared-use e-LCVs will be tested.

What will be the broader impact of the Shift2Zero project?
The broader impact of Shift2Zero will be the acceleration of the transition to zero-emission, efficient, and sustainable logistics in urban and suburban areas. The key areas of impact include:

• Societal impact: Reducing societal impact of logistics operations by lowering CO2 emissions, noise, and pressure on public spaces, while improving safety.
• Scientific and technological impact: Developing validated methodologies and innovative e-LCV designs for urban logistics optimization.
• Economic impact: Increasing logistics efficiency, reducing costs for e-LCVs through reduced operational expenses, and enabling new business models for clean and affordable urban logistics solutions.
   

Acronym:  aSIEMmetry
Title: Employ entropy models to pre-emptively detect novel risks for monitored SIEM assets and enhance SOC processes and analysts leveraging AI capabilities

What is the aSIEMmetry project about and what are the main goals?
aSIEMmetry project aligns perfectly with the call DIGITAL-ECCC-2044- Novel applications of AI and other Enabling Technologies for Security Operation Centres (SOC). Indeed, the project is about testing and implementing new ways of modelling complex behaviour of networked computers and raising the capabilities for private and national SOCs creating advanced Machine Learning (ML)/AI pipelines to detect patterns and anomalies continuously.

On a broader scale, the project aims to create an EU-based resilient ecosystem and reusable solutions blueprints which will enhance the capacity to protect regional/national/EU public and private organisations.

In this project the AI LAB of the VUB is working with two partners:

EXPERTWARE SRL is a Romanian company established in 2006 with services in the area of cybersecurity, IT transformation, Big Data & analytics and web development.
They have a demonstrated a track record as a trusted service provider for large European companies. The company grew to 95 employees holding over 200 professional certifications and it achieved a 100% customer retention for the last 5 years and 97% employee retention.

DNSC (DIRECTORATUL NATIONAL DE SECURITATE CIBERNETICA) - is the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate established in 2022. It is the specialized body of the central public administration under the authority of the government. Its main responsibility is to ensure the cyber security of the national civilian cyberspace in collaboration with the competent institutions and authorities.
The consortium assembles a good mix of expertise, competences and ressources since it includes partners with complementatry expertise: academical institutions, SMEs and public administration (NAtional Cyber Security Center)
 

What are the main challenges Security Operations Centers (SOCs) face?
The main challenges are the high numbers of alerts that SOC analysts are faced with and the lack of ranking by importance of the alerts.
The project addresses these challenges by:
-    modelling complex behavior of network asset which should lead in the reduction of the number of alerts. 
-    developing machine learning models that will properly learn how to rank the alert based on SOC analysts’ feedback. 

What is VUB’s role in the aSIEMmetry consortium?
The VUB AI LAB will research and develop the algorithms that will be used by the project partners.  VUB role is also to model a network asset behavior (computers, servers, phones etc) and train machine learning models that will perform anomaly detection of the behaviors.

Acronym:  FULL-MAP
Title: FULLy integrated, autonomous & chemistry agnostic Materials Acceleration Platform for sustainable batteries

Can you provide an overview of FULL-MAP and explain its primary goals?
The FULL-MAP (FULLy integrated, autonomous and chemistry agnostic – Materials Acceleration Platform) project is a major European initiative aimed at revolutionizing the development of battery technologies. As part of the broader Battery 2030+ vision, it seeks to transform how batteries are designed, optimized, and commercialized. FULL-MAP focuses on accelerating the discovery and design of advanced materials and interfaces, as well as enabling the deployment of next-generation sustainable batteries. Emphasizing improved performance, sustainability, and efficiency, the project unites interdisciplinary teams, cutting-edge tools, and advanced computational techniques to tackle the challenges facing the battery sector.

The traditional development of battery materials follows the Edisonian approach. How is the FULL-MAP’s approach different and innovative from the Edisonian approach?
The traditional Edisonian approach to battery material development relies on a ‘trial-and-error ‘methodology, where researchers experiment with various materials and processes without fully understanding the underlying principles. While this approach has historically yielded important discoveries, it is often slow, costly, and resource-intensive due to its reliance on extensive testing and iterative experimentation. In contrast, FULL-MAP adopts a systematic, data-driven strategy, leveraging advanced computational tools, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies. By utilizing digital simulations, predictive models, and machine learning, FULL-MAP accelerates and streamlines the discovery process, offering a more efficient and targeted pathway to innovative battery materials and interfaces.

What is VUB’s role in the FULL-MAP consortium?
As the main coordinator of FULL-MAP, VUB plays a pivotal role in accelerating the development of next-generation battery technologies. Its contributions span advanced AI-accelerated multiscale computational tools, data integration, materials discovery, and optimization. VUB’s efforts are instrumental in advancing the discovery of high-performance, sustainable battery materials, transforming the development process into a more data-driven, efficient, and environmentally friendly paradigm.

What will the broader societal impact of FULL-MAP be?
The FULL-MAP project holds transformative potential to address global challenges by advancing next-generation battery technologies. As the world transitions to sustainable energy solutions and electric mobility, FULL-MAP’s innovative approach will drive progress in energy storage, combat climate change, and support the shift to a green economy. Its societal impact is profound—fostering clean energy adoption, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, promoting a circular economy, and stimulating economic growth. By improving energy access, enhancing quality of life, and supporting health and sustainability, FULL-MAP is paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future while driving innovation and job creation in clean technology.

Want to know more about FULL-MAP? Check out the article in BRUZZ:

 https://www.bruzz.be/actua/wetenschap/vub-trekt-europese-zoektocht-naar-nieuwe-batterijmaterialen-2025-01-23

Acronym:  TORNADO
Title: foundaTion mOdels for Robots that haNdle smAll, soft and Deformable Objects

What is the TORNADO project about and what are the main goals?
The TORNADO project aims to develop a groundbreaking cloud robotics system for the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) in handling small, soft or deformable objects (SSDs), within complex and dynamic environments. From a functional perspective, the core vision of TORNADO is to build and integrate advanced AI-empowered mechanisms that will robustly underpin sophisticated robotic perception, cognition, interaction and action tasks in real-world environments, providing AMRs with advanced SSD manipulation capabilities. The project’s objectives are: (i) Boosting ability of AMRs to handle SSDs within complex and dynamic environments, by making breakthrough advances in the use of Framework Models (FMs) and AI/robotics technologies for self-adjusting planning, navigation and manipulation; (ii) Improving adaptivity of FMs for AMRs operating in complex, dynamic settings; (iii) Raising the level of robotic perception and safe interaction, in varied contexts; (iv) Developing advanced hardware solutions facilitating cloud-enabled AMRs capable of completing difficult SSD manipulation tasks, and/or the diffusion of autonomous robots to new sectors; (v) Delivering a functional system of cooperating, cloud/AI-enabled autonomous robots and improve performance in various industry sectors under challenging conditions.

What are the present-day limitations and challenges in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)?
At present, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) equipped with arms/grippers can only effectively grab and release certain types of objects in uncluttered environments and perform a range of simple manipulation actions, such as throwing, sliding, pushing, and poking. Current solutions face challenges in more complex scenarios, such as dexterously handling small, soft or deformable objects (SSDs) within crowded spaces where humans are also operating and interact with the robots. Many SSDs can be unpredictable to manipulate, changing shape and properties in response to contact with the robot or the environment, thus often requiring real time adaptation to changing conditions. In addition, SSDs may have complex internal structures which are not easily visible or measurable, while their dynamics may be difficult to model accurately.

In which different contexts can the TORNADO AMR be used?
It is envisaged that the TORNADO cloud robotics system will be used in many different contexts, and find applications across various industry sectors. To demonstrate this, the system will be pilot tested in three distinct use-case scenarios, namely: a) flexible small gears manipulation and deformable ply-sheets handling at a mechanical precision parts factory, with a focus on adaptivity for manipulation of SSDs of different sizes in human-robot collaboration environments; b) palliative patient care at a healthcare setting, with a focus on social interaction, HRI and LfD; and c) product quality sampling/waste picking at a dairy processing factory, with a focus on optimal accommodation of multiple, independently issued human orders, LfD and manipulation of many SSD product/material types of various forms.

What is VUB’s role in the TORNADO consortium?
In the scope of task 1.3 (Legal, ethical and data collection monitoring), VUB will carry out a comprehensive assessment for the identification and analysis of legal and ethical issues associated with the development of the TORNADO system, pinpoint any legal considerations and ethics-related risks related to the deployment of the AMR in different contexts, and offer recommendations to ensure the project outputs are in line with EU and Horizon Programme requirements. Moreover, VUB will have an active role in monitoring research activities in the project to ensure they adhere to international standards and core principles for the ethical conduct of research.


 

Acronym:  REBORN
Title: Reusable battery module and management system development for reliable 2nd life

Can you briefly overview the REBORN project and its primary objectives?
The REBORN project will address the technological challenges for a smoother transition from the primary application to the secondary. It aims to design and develop battery systems and electronics facilitating easy dismantling, interoperability, etc. addressing the key issues in firmware upgrade, cyber security, etc. The project will also develop hardware and software solutions such as semi-automatic dismantling robotic arms, wireless communication, advanced battery models, and unique battery footprints demonstrating the final solution in TRL 7. 

What role does VUB play in the REBORN project, and what are some of its key contributions?
Besides coordinating the project, VUB will develop novel techniques for quick sorting used batteries for 2nd life clearance performing short to long-term tests in the MOBI’s state-of-the-art battery labs. VUB will develop and implement novel battery models in an interoperable BMS to ensure improved performance, extended lifetime, and a more reliable battery system. Moreover, VUB will also perform a prospective life cycle analysis for the proposed methodology.

How will VUB benefit from the REBORN project outcome?
The REBORN project will address some key technological barriers and overcome them by developing innovative solutions.

What will be the broader impact of the REBORN project?
REBORN will demonstrate how a well-designed battery system with interoperable battery electronics could facilitate a smooth transition from one application to another making the battery more sustainable. The extended life cycle of batteries in the field maximizes the energy use contributing to the circular battery economy. 
 

Acronym:  RESKILLING
Title: : Research initiative for Enhancing and Adapting Workforce SKILLs for Implementing TraNsport Automation with Employment Growth

What is RESKILLING's main goal for Europe's mobility sector?
RESKILLING envisions to implement a strategic approach, which will empower the workforce and businesses of Europe's mobility (of people and goods) sector, to effectively cope with the anticipated changes in the sector from CCAM* deployment, but also to actively participate in advancing and refining the sector. RESKILLING aims to propose, implement, apply and validate a comprehensive approach, guided by inclusiveness, co-creation, and social innovation principles, which will efficiently and sustainably coordinate a range of novel services and tools, fostering optimal adaptation of the mobility sector (covering both people and goods) to the deployment of CCAM solutions and services. This will range from analysing the socio-economic and employment impacts of CCAM across the entire value chain to facilitating businesses and workers in mitigating drawbacks and leveraging opportunities brought about by CCAM deployment. This involves innovating business models and employing mechanisms and tools for skill enhancement and adaptation, with an emphasis on their replication and transferability potential and customised scalability for adoption throughout the EU. RESKILLING aspires to create a CCAM (socially) innovative system capable of not only generating innovation but also delivering solutions to societal challenges.

How will RESKILLING help workers adapt to automated mobility?
RESKILLING aims to support the development of educational plans and activities (e.g. for curricula, lifelong learning initiatives) as well as reskilling efforts to develop human capital in innovative mobility systems and services through education and training, thereby realising the benefits of a large deployment of CCAM solutions through the definition and prioritisation of at least 20 novel (re/up)skilling schemes, the development and adaptation of at least 10 training curricula and the full development of at least 3 novel training modules (inclusive of content and related tools). These developed trainings will address the identified skills and (re)training requirements and the diverse training profiles for (re/up)skilling, providing particular attention to specialized workforce categories and their requirements for (re)training. These schemes will be evaluated through the project’s case studies and contribute to the RESKILLING Guidelines, Policy Recommendations and Roadmap.

How does RESKILLING plan to address broader societal challenges?
RESKILLING delves into three areas that have the potential to foster job creation and job growth through strategies that aim to boost innovation capabilities and develop competitive CCAM solutions and associated businesses: (i) human capital development, through (re)skilling journeys and training profiles that cover primary and lifelong training along the entire CCAM value chain, encompassing also the analysis of workforce skills transferability and integration for multimodal transport; (ii) business models & schemes for CCAM innovation and jobs promotion and (iii) a systemic approach for achieving tailored scalability for EU-wide adoption. Moreover, a collaborative mission for a socially innovative ecosystem will be established to empower stakeholders to design training and reskilling initiatives that align with societal needs. To achieve this, future scenarios will be also collaboratively developed and appropriate strategies will be formulated for their dissemination. Guidelines and policy recommendations to maximise positive impacts on workforce skills and employment growth, allowing also proactive planning, will be co-created, as well as a Roadmap, offering a structured and forward-thinking strategy for facilitating an equitable socio-economic transition to CCAM that will lay the groundwork for job growth, enhanced innovation capacity, as well as the definition of skill requirements over a defined time frame: the short term (up to 2030), mid-term (up to 2040), and long term (up to 2050).

What is VUB’s role in the RESKILLING consortium?
MOBI is work package leader of WP5 Impact Assessment & Roadmap. The aim of this WP is to assess the project’s impact on the mobility of people & goods sector, focusing on enhancing and adapting workforce skills; to build an impact assessment framework to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of CCAM deployment on employment, education and training; to foster tailored scalability for EU-wide adoption; to provide guidelines and policy recommendations for support and accelerate the take- up of CCAM, based on the assessment findings and to develop a Roadmap to support the socio-economic transition to CCAM and enhance the adaptation of workforce skills, implementing CCAM deployment with employment growth. Within this WP, VUB is task leader of task 5.4 Roadmap to support the socio-economic transition to CCAM. In this task, a full Roadmap will be developed, presenting a structured and forward-looking approach on how to facilitate the fair socio-economic transition to CCAM and provide prerequisites for job growth, strengthened innovation capabilities, and demands for skills in the short (until 2030), mid (until 2040) and long (until 2050) terms. The roadmap will build on the guidelines and policy recommendations of T5.3, suggesting changes to existing policies, regulations, and strategies, giving special emphasis on the social impact considerations of WP3 and WP5, considering both employment growth and innovation capabilities but also potential challenges and risks and strategies to mitigate these risks (SWOT & FMEA analyses will be utilised for this purpose).

*Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) refers to the integration of advanced technologies that enable vehicles to communicate with each other (V2V) and with infrastructure (V2I). The goal of CCAM is to make transportation safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly by leveraging automation and connectivity.