4 projects win state innovation awards

The Innovation Awards ceremony took place on September 19, 2024. 4 projects led by Université Côte d'Azur researchers were rewarded.

Winner and I-Phd grand prize :

• Edgar Lemaire (Electronics, Antennas and Telecommunications Laboratory), for AICO Technology
  Project description: Artificial Intelligence is very energy-intensive, and autonomous systems can hardly afford to support an AI on board. Yet drones, satellites and many others have a crucial need for on-board AI processing capabilities. Whether for reasons of data security, responsiveness, or communication network unavailability, these systems cannot be satisfied with AI in the cloud. SPLEAT enables AI to be deployed directly on board these highly constrained autonomous systems. Inspired by the way the brain works, SPLEAT is 10 to 100 times more efficient in terms of computing resources and energy than competing approaches. After more than 7 years of research at LEAT (CNRS and Université Côte d'Azur), we decided to found the start-up AICO Technology, a spin-off from the laboratory. AICO Technology develops and markets SPLEAT to the satellite, drone and defense industries.

I-Phd winners :

• Roxana DINU (Institut de Chimie de Nice), for the GR3ENAR project
  Project description: Plastics are incredibly versatile, finding applications from kitchens to space. Most plastics come from harmful petrochemicals, and their non-recyclable nature leads to mountains of waste. GR3ENAR wants to reinvent plastics. Our aim? To create ecological alternatives using sustainable, renewable natural resources. We are developing bio-based materials that can be recycled, repaired or reused at the end of their life cycle, thanks to resins designed to deliver exceptional performance for cutting-edge industries such as space and aerospace, and much more.
• Hugo Miralles (Inria - Labo JA Dieudonné) , for the MANTA project
  Project description: Every second, countless pieces of data are generated, but how can we add value to this data while meeting the cost and energy challenges associated with the cloud, and data security issues? Manta uses decentralized computing at the edge to process data at source, enabling the deployment of decentralized, collaborative algorithms. By leveraging decentralized data and exploiting the computing power available at the edge, our software opens up new perspectives in the fields of telecommunications, industry 4.0 and smart cities.

i-PhD, to create or co-create disruptive startups

The i-PhD component was launched in 2019 by the Government in partnership with Bpifrance, and is aimed at young researchers. It aims to leverage their work to create or co-create technologically disruptive startups, in conjunction with technology transfer structures, public research incubators and public research laboratories. This year, 36 projects have won the i-PhD innovation competition, including 10 Grand Prizes. In addition to the visibility offered by the Innovation Competitions, each winner will benefit from a support program designed to accelerate his or her project.(including individual and group coaching, thematic roundtables, meetings with alumni of the innovation competitions, immersive opportunities to discover the deep tech ecosystem, etc.).).

I-Lab winner :

• Pauline Cotinat - Cell4Sea
  Project description: INNOV&SEA proposes to assess the impact of cosmetic products on the marine environment using an innovative marine ecotoxicity test based on cell cultures of an indicator organism of coastal marine ecosystems. Coastal zones are heavily impacted by human activities, including tourism, agriculture and industry. These activities lead not only to the development of heavy infrastructures (hotels, housing and ports), but also to an increase in seawater pollution from various sources such as hydrocarbons, plastics and sunscreens. It is therefore urgent to develop and propose appropriate approaches to help reduce marine pollution, in order to achieve water quality that preserves marine biodiversity. Ecotoxicology tests currently on the market are rarely targeted at marine environments, and when they are, they involve the use of live animals.
  In response to the major problem of marine environmental pollution and the demand for alternative methods to animal experimentation, INNOV&SEA offers an eco-responsible, high-performance solution based on in vitro marine ecotoxicity tests. These tests, now marketed to the cosmetics industry, are based on cell cultures of the Mediterranean sea anemone, Anemonia viridis, and its symbiotic microalgae. INNOV&SEA's objective is now to expand into new market sectors and introduce new in vitro ecotoxicity tests to meet the demands of industry and environmental issues.Thus, INNOV&SEA wishes to develop and offer new tests on the coastal water biomonitoring market by : - developing new biomarkers that are more sensitive and/or specific to the desired biomonitoring applications,- validating the biological model of cell cultures of a symbiotic Cnidaria as a revalidating the biological model of a symbiotic Cnidaria cell culture as a reference tool for biomonitoring and obtaining proof of concept in this field,- carrying out an in-depth study of the biomonitoring market in order to develop a marketing strategy. The innovation brought about by this R&D work lies in the establishment of cell cultures from tropical corals. Today, no company or laboratory is in a position to offer this alternative solution, as no in vitro coral cell culture is available for ecotoxicity testing. Obtaining cell cultures from coral is a real scientific and technical challenge. On the other hand, innovation lies in the development of new marine ecotoxicity test protocols, based on the use of biochemical and molecular biomarkers, enabling the assessment of the ecotoxicity of corals.These enable us to assess the impact of a product or pollutant on the antioxidant response or DNA degradation at cellular level.

i-Lab, promoting the results of public research through the creation of innovative technology companies

The i-Lab part of the competition promotes the results of public research through the creation of innovative technology companies. Operated by Bpifrance, it finances the best research and development projects for the finalization of an innovative technological product, process or service, thanks to substantial financial support (up to €600K per project, for a total budget of €28M) and tailored support. In its 25 years of existence, i-Lab has become a privileged point of passage for innovative project leaders, and a label of quality unanimously recognized by deep-tech investors. For the 2024 edition, the jury of experts selected 74 winners from among 440 applications, including 10 Grand Prix winners, with extra attention paid to projects with a strong impact in terms of sustainable development and societal benefits.