Project description
Enhancing data centre capacity with low-energy optical solutions
Today's data centre interconnects are under increasing pressure to meet surging bandwidth demands. With Europe's data centres projected to account for 20 % of energy use by 2030, increasing bandwidth capacity while achieving climate goals is a challenge. Current data centre interconnect solutions rely on additional single-wavelength laser sources but struggle to meet capacity and energy efficiency requirements. The EIC-funded M-ENGINE project proposes a groundbreaking solution using optical frequency combs, offering a scalable, low-energy alternative to traditional systems. By integrating advanced photonic chip technology and micro-transfer printing, M-ENGINE's compact system can replace hundreds of lasers, providing efficient, high-capacity data transmission. With a market valued at EUR 14 billion by 2029, M-ENGINE aims to revolutionise the data centre industry.
Objective
M-ENGINE proposes a unique solution to the rapidly increasing bandwidth demands of data centers. With the massive growth of AI and social media in an increasingly connected world, data centers are expected to account for 20% of Europe's energy use by 2030, posing a significant challenge to meet the EU's climate goals. Current solutions to increase bandwidth in optical communications involve adding more single-channel lasers, which neither meets the capacity needs nor the energy requirements. Our proposal offers a scalable solution based on the Nobel prize-winning technology of optical frequency combs to provide highly coherent multi-channel lasers for high-capacity, low energy consumption data transmission. M-ENGINE's solution can replace 100s of individual lasers used in connecting data centers with just one compact system. The proposal combines Enlightra's photonic chip technology with X-Celeprint's cutting-edge solution of micro-transfer printing for scalable heterogeneous integration of all necessary photonic and electronic components. Eblana photonics high-power distributed feedback lasers will be transformed for transfer printing on the wafer scale, while Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB) will contribute recent breakthroughs in chip-integrated frequency combs enabling increased efficiency, stability, and equalized power of the generated data channels. Dublin City University (DCU) will perform independent performance testing for telecom before test devices are sent out to customers for pilot projects. The result will be a scalable photonic chip engine meeting future data needs with reliability, long-term operation, and a clear business case. M-ENGINE's primary market focus will be data centers, but it will have the flexibility to address related markets, such as photonic computing. The consortium aims to create a viable solution in 5 years when the market is expected to be valued at 14Bn.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2023-TRANSITION-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9 Dublin
Ireland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.