Final Report Summary - FACETS-ITN (Fast Analog Computing with Emergent Transient States - Initial Training Network (FACETS-ITN))
FACETS-ITN
From Neuroscience to
Neuro-Inspired Computing
www.facets-project.org/ITN
A new kind of Science
Information science has been the driving force of economical and social development in the 20th century. Based on the concept of Turing’s universal computing machine and the availability of semiconductor based devices, the IT industry has been able to follow a roadmap of ever increasing performance according to power laws like the well known Moore's Law. The brain is dramatically different from conventional computers. The differences are not only due to the use of biological tissue rather than silicon but also in terms of the computing architecture. The brain is based on a huge number of massively parallel non-linear processing elements, a very high connectivity and highly complex processes of self-organisation, which gives rise to the capability to learn. In order to work on the fundamental understanding of this architecture and the transfer to novel, neuro-inspired computing systems, FACETS-ITN followed the proven concept of interdisciplinary research organisation pioneered in the FACETS project. The strength of this approach is the combination of research in 3 established areas (neurobiology, modelling and microelectronics) which are then brought together in an integrating activity addressing the key question about the computational principles realised in neural circuits and here in particular the concepts of plasticity and learning.
A new kind of Collaboration
Research and training programmes with a strong interdisciplinary content like FACETS-ITN require excellent scientists at all academic levels contributing state-of-the-art knowledge of their own discipline and with a solid understanding of the research goals and the language of the other fields represented in the project. The combination of strong disciplinary knowledge with the ability to communicate with the other fields has been considered the main challenge for FACETS-ITN. The network has performed pioneering and ground-breaking work in this context.
A new kind of Students
Excellent students selected in a global competition formed the backbone of the FACETS-ITN network. They combine their excellent disciplinary education with the enthusiasm for the interdisciplinary challenge of combining neuroscience and information science. The major part of their interdisciplinary training has been obtained “on-the-job” during the common scientific work facilitated by secondments in partner laboratories. In addition, a solid scientific introduction to all of the scientific areas treated in FACETS-ITN has been essential for the young researchers. To achieve this o, a sizable programme of scientific training workshops for Ph.D. students and young postdoctoral researchers was organised during the 4 years of FACETS-ITN.
FACETS-ITN - A Role Model for the Human Brain Project
The pioneering role of FACETS-ITN has recently been underlined by the approval of the European Human Brain Flagship Project (HBP). Similar to its predecessors, the research projects FACETS and BrainScaleS, HBP aims at a fundamental understanding of information processing in the brain and the development of novel, brain-inspired computing architectures. HBP has demonstrated European leadership in this approach as can be seen by the US BRAIN initiative similar projects in Japan and China as a follow up of the European action. Also, HBP will need a student training and exchange network offering interdisciplinary education. The FACETS-ITN model has already provided experience and inspiration for the corresponding program in HBP.
From Neuroscience to
Neuro-Inspired Computing
www.facets-project.org/ITN
A new kind of Science
Information science has been the driving force of economical and social development in the 20th century. Based on the concept of Turing’s universal computing machine and the availability of semiconductor based devices, the IT industry has been able to follow a roadmap of ever increasing performance according to power laws like the well known Moore's Law. The brain is dramatically different from conventional computers. The differences are not only due to the use of biological tissue rather than silicon but also in terms of the computing architecture. The brain is based on a huge number of massively parallel non-linear processing elements, a very high connectivity and highly complex processes of self-organisation, which gives rise to the capability to learn. In order to work on the fundamental understanding of this architecture and the transfer to novel, neuro-inspired computing systems, FACETS-ITN followed the proven concept of interdisciplinary research organisation pioneered in the FACETS project. The strength of this approach is the combination of research in 3 established areas (neurobiology, modelling and microelectronics) which are then brought together in an integrating activity addressing the key question about the computational principles realised in neural circuits and here in particular the concepts of plasticity and learning.
A new kind of Collaboration
Research and training programmes with a strong interdisciplinary content like FACETS-ITN require excellent scientists at all academic levels contributing state-of-the-art knowledge of their own discipline and with a solid understanding of the research goals and the language of the other fields represented in the project. The combination of strong disciplinary knowledge with the ability to communicate with the other fields has been considered the main challenge for FACETS-ITN. The network has performed pioneering and ground-breaking work in this context.
A new kind of Students
Excellent students selected in a global competition formed the backbone of the FACETS-ITN network. They combine their excellent disciplinary education with the enthusiasm for the interdisciplinary challenge of combining neuroscience and information science. The major part of their interdisciplinary training has been obtained “on-the-job” during the common scientific work facilitated by secondments in partner laboratories. In addition, a solid scientific introduction to all of the scientific areas treated in FACETS-ITN has been essential for the young researchers. To achieve this o, a sizable programme of scientific training workshops for Ph.D. students and young postdoctoral researchers was organised during the 4 years of FACETS-ITN.
FACETS-ITN - A Role Model for the Human Brain Project
The pioneering role of FACETS-ITN has recently been underlined by the approval of the European Human Brain Flagship Project (HBP). Similar to its predecessors, the research projects FACETS and BrainScaleS, HBP aims at a fundamental understanding of information processing in the brain and the development of novel, brain-inspired computing architectures. HBP has demonstrated European leadership in this approach as can be seen by the US BRAIN initiative similar projects in Japan and China as a follow up of the European action. Also, HBP will need a student training and exchange network offering interdisciplinary education. The FACETS-ITN model has already provided experience and inspiration for the corresponding program in HBP.