The University of Oslo, serving as the project coordinator under the leadership of Henrik Hovde Sønsteby, provides insights into the CONCEPT project. Read the whole interview highlighting the partner’s perspective and ambitions.
Tell us more about the very beginning of CONCEPT – the proposal, setting up the team, and your very first impressions.
CONCEPT had a quite funny conception. It all started with a Twitter DM from me to Michael Nolan of Tyndall, where I asked if he had any contacts there that could be interested in some recent progress we had made on thin films using ALD. Michael set me up with Paul and Karim, and after some initial discussions we brought Jean Fompeyrine of Lumiphase and Beatriz Noheda of University of Groningen into the mix. From there it quickly grew into a Pathfinder proposal (that we did not get) and a Horizon Europe proposal (that we did not get). With the full set of partners in place in late 2022, we made some important changes to the proposal and submitted a new proposal for Horizon Europe which was finally successful! I think we were all quite certain that we had a good idea – but it takes some iterations to be convincing towards reviewers and people that do not know the full story!
As project coordinator what do you think will be your biggest challenge?
This is the first really big project I coordinate, and it does of course feel overwhelming at times. We really do have a great consortium with people that are very pleasant to work together with, so I have to say I’ve had a mild start to the coordinator role.
As most other scientists my heart lies with the fundamental science and knowledge. So, I think my biggest challenge will be to accept that I have a somewhat different role this time, and that I have to use a lot of effort on the project coordination itself. In the beginning of the project this has mostly been related to making sure that collaboration channels are working – but when more results start to come in, I’m sure it will take more active coordination to get the right synergy.
How do you think the CONCEPT project will provide a new ICT paradigm and achieve its goals?
If CONCEPT realizes it’s main goal: A low-temperature and industrially friendly route to implementation of nanoscale ferroelectrics in electronics and photonics, there is no doubt that we will enter a new paradigm. Implementation of such materials will open for devices that consume much less energy while still being smarter than the current technology. Take AI as an example. Right now, it is running on virtual neural networks that consume enormous amounts of energy. CONCEPT will play a role in creating physical manifestations of such networks, which really will mimic biological brains and allow AI with much lower energy consumption.
There is still a stretch of road ahead before we get to this point, but I’m certain that CONCEPT at least will play a major role in progressing towards such devices.
What is the main result that CONCEPT will deliver?
An industrially applicable route for implementing complex materials and functionality in electronic devices, using techniques that are already in widespread use in the community. It will be an immediate game changer, as big tech industry can use the same tools as Today but create devices with far superior functionality. On the way there we will also get deeper insight in the fundamentals of the materials we employ, providing knowledge that can aid further development in the field. This part of the project should really not be underestimated!
Describe the project in one word: Bold!
Describe the project in one word:
Bold!
