Project description
Making neural network controllers safe for critical systems
Neural network controllers can perform very well in simulations, but their behaviour in real-world, safety-critical systems cannot currently be reliably guaranteed or formally verified. This lack of certified safety and robustness limits their use in high-risk domains such as aerospace. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RDTNNC project aims to make neural network-based controllers safe, reliable and certifiable for use in high-risk systems. It will develop a unified framework that combines machine learning with control theory to design, verify and interpret neural network controllers with formal guarantees on stability and safety. This helps address a key limitation of AI in areas such as aerospace, healthcare, robotics and critical infrastructure: the lack of provable trustworthiness.
Objective
The Robust Design of Trustworthy Neural Network Controllers (RDTNNC) project aims to establish a unified framework for designing, verifying and interpreting neural network (NN) controllers with formal guarantees, ensuring the robust stability and safety of neural feedback loops (NFLs). It combines model-based and data-driven approaches to address complexity, uncertainty and data scarcity in artificial intelligence (AI)-based control. The project focuses on one of the main barriers to applying AI in high-risk domains: the lack of certified trustworthiness. Although NN controllers demonstrate strong performance in simulations and prototypes, their use in fields such as aerospace, healthcare, robotics and critical infrastructure remains constrained. Without methods that provide the level of reliability and transparency required by regulators, adoption in these areas remains limited. RDTNNC aims to close this gap between empirical capability and verifiable trust. To achieve this, the project advances scalable verification methods based on integral quadratic constraints and sum-of-squares programming, integrating them with Lyapunov-constrained training to embed robustness and stability in controller design. Data-efficient strategies using meta-learning and few-shot adaptation aim to enable safe synthesis even when models are incomplete or data are scarce. By delivering controllers that combine high performance with verifiable reliability, RDTNNC aspires to contribute to the wider adoption of AI in safety-critical environments. The outcomes are expected to support the objectives of the Horizon Europe Work Programme by promoting trustworthy and human-centric digital technologies, by aligning with the requirements of the EU AI Act for high-risk applications, and by strengthening Europe's role in the responsible development of advanced AI-based control.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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.
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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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.
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
L69 7ZX LIVERPOOL
United Kingdom
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.