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EFROGAINS

EFRO: GAINS

Full Name: deep tech co-innovation center in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor photonics

Duration: 1/9/2023-1/9/2026

Partners:

  • Universiteit Gent
  • Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen
  • Alides

Objective:

  • Project GAINS, the deep tech co-innovation center in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor photonics of Ghent University (UGent), the Flemish Investment Company (PMV), and Alides REIM (hereinafter referred to as 'Alides'), is a large-scale public-private partnership aimed at accelerating sustainable, deep tech digital innovations.
  • The Flemish and European policy choices for a sustainable digital transition and strategic autonomy require AI and semiconductor photonics (integrated photonics, silicon photonics, semiconductor photonics). However, Flemish companies aiming to focus on these areas have limited access to the necessary knowledge, talent, and infrastructure required for the complex product development needed. As a result, there is untapped innovation potential in AI and semiconductor photonics, even though these are two fields where Flanders plays a leading international role.
  • In GAINS, the unique expertise in semiconductor photonics and AI is combined to create disruptive solutions within three application domains: Health, Industry 5.0, and Energy/Planet. By combining developments in both research fields, AI and semiconductor photonics, robust 'digital sensors' become possible, making it feasible to detect difficult-to-measure phenomena. This includes biological parameters, contaminants, harmful emissions, wear, and more. Moreover, both technologies are essential for the data centers of the future, where digital communication and the associated computations must become increasingly efficient, faster, and cheaper.
  • The project encompasses a full range of infrastructure and activities, allowing SMEs to accelerate their efforts in the sustainable digital transition through innovations based on AI and semiconductor photonics. GAINS ensures that companies and entrepreneurs can develop an idea into a product with a unique test-before-invest infrastructure, alongside a critical mass of AI and photonics experts.
  • The GAINS infrastructure is sustainable and includes a new tower building ('GAINS AI Campus Hub') with 5000 sqm of AI research labs, a fab lab for prototyping, and an extended and renovated cleanroom ('GAINS cleanroom') of 4328 sqm. The GAINS cleanroom includes meeting space, a maker lab for light chip technologies, and a biolab that researchers and companies can use for prototyping and limited production runs of photonics solutions, as well as their validation on biological samples.
  • The GAINS project is supplemented with private funds so that the GAINS AI Campus Hub will also include 12,500 sqm of office space for companies, community spaces, and incubator space. This results in a total investment of 68 million euro for this flagship project at the Tech Lane Ghent Science Park technology campus.
  • The project will bring together more than 250 AI and photonics experts from academia and at least 300 AI and photonics experts from the industry. Such an epicenter is unprecedented in Europe and puts Flanders on the global map for R&D&I activities in the combined field of AI and photonics.

INTEC's Role:

  • Coordination extension and renovation of the GAINS semiconductor cleanroom in Zwijnaarde

Project Web site: https://www.efro-projecten.be/nl/zoek-een-europees-project/gains~1034/