Final Report Summary - TEMPO (Training in Embedded Predictive Control and Optimization)
TEMPO is an international PhD program for highly motivated young scientists, where
state-of-the-art research is combined with a comprehensive training program. The network is funded
by the European Community’s Seventh Framework program. It was our objective to make research
careers more attractive to young people and therefore offers early-stage researchers (ESRs) a PhD
program the opportunity to improve their research skills, join established research teams and enhance
their career prospects via the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) in the area of Embedded
Predictive Control and Optimization.
TEMPO has addressed the needs of European companies and society for embedded control technology.
The knowledge platform of TEMPO is driven by cutting edge research that aims to firmly establish the
rapidly emerging field of embedded model predictive control (MPC) and optimization as the
technology of choice in advanced embedded control systems in European industry. In particular,
TEMPO has made significant contributions to enabling technology for innovative and challenging
industrial application in different sectors where MPC is usually not used today: Automotive industry,
wind power industry, and power electronics.
More specifically, the following technical and scientific achievements are made:
# increased reliability and scalability of optimization-based and explicit MPC
targeting fast embedded control systems with enhanced functionality and performance, and reduced
cost;
# reductions in computation times, enabling optimization with microsecond
update rates with strict real-time requirements in new application areas;
# reductions in software footprint for low cost industrial embedded controllers,
such as FPGAs, micro-controllers and PLCs;
# new theories and tools for theoretical verifiable performance in terms of real-time requirements and
sub-optimality;
# a technology platform available through robust plug-and-play software tools to support automated
design, implementation, and validation.
TEMPO has successfully recruited 14 early-stage researchers that have been enrolled in doctoral
studies with the TEMPO partners. Many of them have already completed their doctoral degrees
and have been employed by industry (Renault, Mathworks, Yara) or in academia as postdocs
(ETH Zürich, MIT, Chalmers Univ. Tech., University Lyon).
TEMPO has resulted in several other outcomes:
# A number of workshops and summer/spring schools with extensive external participation has been
organized by TEMPO partners and supported by the TEMPO project.
# Invited and tutorial sessions at the 2015 and 2016 European Control Conferences as well as the 2017 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control have been
organized by TEMPO.
# An Open Invited Track on Embedded Predictive Control and Optimization was organized by
TEMPO at the IFAC World Congress 2017.
# The European Conference on Computational Optimization (EUCCO) was co-organized by TEMPO
# More than 60 publications resulting from the work of the TEMPO doctoral students are published,
and more publications are under evaluation.
# Open source software for embedded optimization and predictive control has been developed by
the partners of TEMPO.
The course material, publications, links to open source software and outreach activities, as well as
further information can be found at the TEMPO web-site: www.tempo-itn.eu
A video has been produced under direction of the ESRs to promote the project outcomes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ5glOleCAg&t=1s
state-of-the-art research is combined with a comprehensive training program. The network is funded
by the European Community’s Seventh Framework program. It was our objective to make research
careers more attractive to young people and therefore offers early-stage researchers (ESRs) a PhD
program the opportunity to improve their research skills, join established research teams and enhance
their career prospects via the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) in the area of Embedded
Predictive Control and Optimization.
TEMPO has addressed the needs of European companies and society for embedded control technology.
The knowledge platform of TEMPO is driven by cutting edge research that aims to firmly establish the
rapidly emerging field of embedded model predictive control (MPC) and optimization as the
technology of choice in advanced embedded control systems in European industry. In particular,
TEMPO has made significant contributions to enabling technology for innovative and challenging
industrial application in different sectors where MPC is usually not used today: Automotive industry,
wind power industry, and power electronics.
More specifically, the following technical and scientific achievements are made:
# increased reliability and scalability of optimization-based and explicit MPC
targeting fast embedded control systems with enhanced functionality and performance, and reduced
cost;
# reductions in computation times, enabling optimization with microsecond
update rates with strict real-time requirements in new application areas;
# reductions in software footprint for low cost industrial embedded controllers,
such as FPGAs, micro-controllers and PLCs;
# new theories and tools for theoretical verifiable performance in terms of real-time requirements and
sub-optimality;
# a technology platform available through robust plug-and-play software tools to support automated
design, implementation, and validation.
TEMPO has successfully recruited 14 early-stage researchers that have been enrolled in doctoral
studies with the TEMPO partners. Many of them have already completed their doctoral degrees
and have been employed by industry (Renault, Mathworks, Yara) or in academia as postdocs
(ETH Zürich, MIT, Chalmers Univ. Tech., University Lyon).
TEMPO has resulted in several other outcomes:
# A number of workshops and summer/spring schools with extensive external participation has been
organized by TEMPO partners and supported by the TEMPO project.
# Invited and tutorial sessions at the 2015 and 2016 European Control Conferences as well as the 2017 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control have been
organized by TEMPO.
# An Open Invited Track on Embedded Predictive Control and Optimization was organized by
TEMPO at the IFAC World Congress 2017.
# The European Conference on Computational Optimization (EUCCO) was co-organized by TEMPO
# More than 60 publications resulting from the work of the TEMPO doctoral students are published,
and more publications are under evaluation.
# Open source software for embedded optimization and predictive control has been developed by
the partners of TEMPO.
The course material, publications, links to open source software and outreach activities, as well as
further information can be found at the TEMPO web-site: www.tempo-itn.eu
A video has been produced under direction of the ESRs to promote the project outcomes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ5glOleCAg&t=1s