Category: News

The Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a center belonging to the University of Valencia and the CSIC, played a leading role at the recent Valencia Digital Summit (VDS) 2024, contributing its expertise in both technology transfer and participation in activities that reward talent and technological innovation.

During the event, held at the City of Arts and Sciences on October 23 and 24, the agents from the innovation and transfer unit UCIE-IFIC actively collaborated at the University of Valencia’s stand, providing attendees with information about the university’s transfer capabilities and projects, as well as connecting with interested parties for future collaborations and strategic alliances in the fields of applied science and innovation.

The intervention of IFIC was particularly relevant in one of the round tables at the event, where Luis Caballero, an IFIC researcher and CEO of the spin-off HYBRIMS, shared his experience in creating this new spin-off company, demonstrating how cutting-edge research can lead to technological applications for the benefit of society. The debate, moderated by Kristin Suleng, communications officer at the Parc Científic de la Universitat de València Foundation, also included representatives from other innovative companies and faculty from the University of Valencia, promoting the essential role of spin-offs as engines of knowledge transfer from the university to the market.

Additionally, recently graduated master’s student in Nuclear and Particle Physics and IFIC collaborator, Pablo Copete Garrido, had an outstanding performance in the Summit hackathon, where, together with his team, he won The Challenge after developing an innovative solution for a challenge proposed by Naturgy for the detection and prevention of fires in photovoltaic plants. His proposal, which integrated drones and artificial intelligence technology, was selected among numerous submissions in a two-phase competition, with seventy students participating, selected from over three hundred candidates. This achievement highlights IFIC’s commitment to training and supporting young talent in the fields of technology and applied science.

Through its presence and activities at the Valencia Digital Summit 2024, IFIC has demonstrated its leadership not only in research but also in the transfer of knowledge to industrial sectors and in promoting collaborative innovation, positioning itself as a key entity within the Valencian innovation ecosystem.

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The new call for applications to use the Artemisa infrastructure for research work requiring artificial intelligence and machine learning calculations will be open from 9 September to  6 Octoberof 2024.

In this call, all research groups from Spanish public universities and public research organisations may apply for the use of the infrastructure.

Artemisa currently has 23 servers each hosting an NVIDIA Volta V100 GPU, 11 servers with an NVIDIA Ampere A100 GPU and one server with 8 NVIDIA Ampere A100 GPUs. The servers are especially suited for artificial intelligence computations. In addition to these servers, which are to be used in batch mode, two interfaces are available where users can pre-test their programs. It also has a state-of-the-art storage system and state-of-the-art CPUs.

Groups wishing to use Artemisa should apply on its website: href=”https://artemisa.ific.uv.es/”>https://artemisa.ific.uv.es/

following the instructions given therein.

Applications will be evaluated by a committee that will take into account the scientific interest of the proposals, the track record of the proposing group, the suitability of the calculations to the use of Artemisa resources, in particular the use of artificial intelligence, and the availability of infrastructure. Additionally, its social impact may be taken into account, especially if the objectives of the project are included in the RIS3 priority matrix of the Valencian Region.

ARTEMISA is co-financed by the European Union and the Conselleria d’Educació, Universitats i Ocupació of the Generalitat Valenciana through the project IDIFEDER/2018/048 of the Operational Programme ERDF 2014-2020 of the Comunitat Valenciana. With the support of the Ministry MCIU with funds from the European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I01) and the Generalitat Valenciana (ASFAE/2022/024).

The Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a joint center of the University of Valencia and the CSIC, received accreditation as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence last week during a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant. Representatives from all centers and units accredited in this excellence program between 2018 and the present attended the event. Also present were the Director of the State Research Agency, Domènec Espriu, the President of the CSIC, Eloísa del Pino, the Rector of the University of Valencia, María Vicenta Mestre, and the President of the Scientific Committee of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Javier Solana.

The Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence and María de Maeztu Units of Excellence program aims to enhance the quality of Spanish scientific research by recognizing research organizations that stand out for the relevance and impact of their activities. This recognition is awarded through a competitive call for applications, which are evaluated by an international scientific committee. The evaluation criteria include the global impact of the research, the generation of cutting-edge knowledge, the ability to train and attract international human resources, collaboration with other high-level research centers, and knowledge transfer and dissemination activities to society. The recognized centers and units span a wide range of scientific disciplines, from mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering to the humanities and social sciences, including life sciences and medicine.

IFIC has received the Severo Ochoa distinction for the second time, following an initial phase during 2015-2019. This time, the project has been awarded for four years, with a total funding of approximately 5.5 million euros, while the accreditation is valid for six years, until March 2030. In addition to the social and scientific recognition, this accreditation grants priority access to other initiatives aimed at promoting research.

At the event, held at the CaixaForum in Madrid, Minister Morant highlighted the “profound transformative capacity” of these excellence institutions to contribute, through science, to addressing the challenges Spain faces as a country. “You are proof that science, well-being, and democracy are three indisputable and inseparable pillars that we must care for and strengthen,” she said.

About IFIC

The Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC, CSIC-UV) is a pioneer in Spain in research in particle physics, nuclear physics, and astroparticle physics, as well as in their applications in medical physics and other fields of science and technology. IFIC has a long history of participation in international scientific projects, alongside institutions such as CERN and Fermilab, and its researchers are at the forefront of scientific knowledge in fundamental physics.

Thanks to this distinction, IFIC aims to bring fundamental research closer to society, promoting a deeper integration of science into the social and economic fabric. To achieve this, a strategy has been designed based on innovative initiatives in areas such as quantum technologies, medical physics, and advanced instrumentation, which are essential for advancing scientific knowledge and have great potential to generate applications with direct impact on everyday life in fields such as health, energy, and communications. An essential component of this program is strengthening technology transfer, including partnerships with companies and other innovation centers, to facilitate the practical application of these research efforts.

Additionally, the Severo Ochoa project at IFIC is strongly committed to training new generations of researchers, providing them with the tools necessary to face emerging technological challenges, such as those arising from advances in artificial intelligence. “This strategic plan, in addition to strengthening and diversifying our research, is designed to anticipate and respond to future challenges. Science is constantly evolving, and with this approach, we want to ensure that IFIC remains at the forefront in developing new technologies and creating solutions that benefit society as a whole,” said Verónica Sanz, principal investigator of the Severo Ochoa project at IFIC

On June 18, the workshop “Digital Mindset: BOOST YOUR COMPETITIVENESS WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE” was held with great success at the Valencia Chamber of Commerce, aimed at companies in the Valencian Community with international potential. This event, organized by the Valencia Chamber of Commerce, ENN_Seimed, and the UCIE IFIC, brought together more than a dozen entrepreneurs and businesspeople interested in learning how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform their businesses.

During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn about the practical applications of AI in different business areas from José Enrique García Navarro, coordinator of the Business Innovation Scientific Unit at IFIC. Additionally, the tools and resources that the INNDIH project, in which UV, CSIC, EEN_SEIMED participate as consortium members, were presented to SMEs. With support from technicians, participants conducted a personalized assessment of their level of digitalization, delving into the opportunities this technology can bring to their processes.

The workshop concluded with a Q&A session where businesspeople could resolve their doubts and receive personalized advice on how to implement AI in their businesses. The organizers announced that, due to the success of this edition, future sessions are being planned to continue supporting SMEs in their digital transformation.

Source: MICIU

• This procedure will be open for 15 days to collect contributions and comments from those who are interested in doing so.
• The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, has highlighted that, with this procedure, the MICIU takes a new step towards the approval of this Royal Decree, so demanded by the scientific and university community of our country, as included in the Law of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

The Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) has presented for public information the draft Royal Decree that develops the transfer six-year term and expands the scope of application of the research five-year terms, as included in the new Law of Science, Technology, and Innovation. This procedure will be open for 15 days to collect contributions and comments from those who are interested in doing so.
In the case of the transfer six-year terms, there is an objective expansion of their scope with incentives that will reach not only the research activity, as was the case until now, but also the transfer of research results carried out by career civil servant researchers belonging to the Public Research Organizations (OPIs) of the General State Administration.
In the case of the five-year terms for research personnel of the Public Research Organizations (OPIs), these will evaluate and recognize for the first time all the research merits previously achieved in the public sector and in any university, both in Spain and abroad. Until now, the five-year terms only recognized experience in the OPIs of our country.
The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, has highlighted that, with this procedure, “the MICIU takes a new step towards the approval of this Royal Decree, so demanded by the scientific and university community of our country,” as included in the Law of Science.
Morant explained that this Royal Decree “will promote the dissemination of science throughout society, to businesses and public administrations, as we incentivize the transfer of research results. It is essential that these results reach the public and that they can benefit from them.”
In short, Morant assured, “it represents a fundamental advance for Spain to become a knowledge-based country and to place science at the center of its policies.”

Link: Draft Royal Decree that modifies various royal decrees regulating the evaluations of research personnel of the Public Research Organizations and the teaching and research personnel of public universities.

Source: CSIC Press Release

The Institute of Corpuscular Physics (CSIC-UV), the Institute of Structure of Matter (CSIC), and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) have developed the first entirely Spanish scanner for proton tomography.

A collaboration led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and consisting of the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a joint center of CSIC and the University of Valencia, the Institute of Structure of Matter (IEM-CSIC), and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), has successfully developed the first entirely Spanish scanner for proton tomography. This new device allows images to be obtained from the particles used in proton therapy, a new technique for treating cancer, thereby enabling better treatment dose planning. The initial results of this project were recently published in The European Physical Journal Plus.

Proton therapy is an advanced form of cancer treatment that uses protons. In recent years, it has gained popularity due to its advantages over conventional radiotherapy, as the characteristics of these particles, which make up the atomic nucleus, allow them to deposit almost all their energy in tumor cells while barely affecting healthy tissue. However, to properly plan the treatment, medical images of the patient are required.

Currently, these images are obtained with X-rays through what are known as computed axial tomographies (CT scans). However, the subsequent treatment is carried out with proton beams, not X-rays (composed of photons, the particles of light), which introduces uncertainties in treatment planning and dose calculation.

A possible solution to this problem would be to obtain images directly with protons. The innovative scanner developed by the Spanish collaboration led by CSIC is the first of its kind in Spain to achieve this goal, the researchers highlight. “Although it is currently a preclinical scanner that has obtained images of small mannequins, the results have been promising and have demonstrated the feasibility of the concept,” says Enrique Nácher, a CSIC scientist at IFIC who is leading this project.

The research team has combined a set of tracking detectors and a high-resolution energy scintillator to detect the residual energy of the protons. They used several mannequins irradiated with protons at a proton therapy center in Krakow, Poland. The mannequins were measured at different angles to obtain images reconstructed by filtered back projection, which were used to determine the scanner’s capabilities and validate its use as a proton computed tomography (proton-CT) scanner.

According to the results of the article, the scanner can produce medium-high quality images, with a resolution comparable to that of other state-of-the-art scanners. In the researchers’ opinion, if the system is properly scaled, it could be used to obtain images of patients before proton therapy, significantly improving treatment planning accuracy. “This would allow optimizing dose deposition in cancerous tissue while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue,” explains the IFIC researcher.

Resource Reuse

The proton scanner developed by the collaboration between the Institute of Corpuscular Physics, the Institute of Structure of Matter, and the Complutense University of Madrid was built by reusing instrumentation and materials from old prototypes of other nuclear physics projects that were no longer useful for their original purposes. This approach has maximized the reuse of resources without the need to invest in new instrumentation, promoting efficient and sustainable use of existing resources, its promoters highlight.

The Universitat de València (UV) has been registered in the official registry of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities as a Knowledge Transfer Office (CTO). With the acceptance of its registration, in addition to the official recognition of its transfer trajectory, the institution will have access to new government and European funds, more resources for internationalisation, better technical support and advice, or new infrastructure and equipment.

The TTOs were created as a result of the Transfer and Collaboration Plan of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, within the framework of the promotion of innovation, knowledge transfer, dissemination and scientific, technological and innovative culture. They are defined as the set of organisational structures that carry out transfer functions and have permanent staff. A new concept of TTO is therefore established, not linked to a ‘physical office’ – as were the OTRIs (Research Results Transfer Offices) – but linked to the exercise of transfer functions.

The recognition and registration of the Universitat de València as a TTO has been achieved after accrediting that the UV has a transfer ecosystem made up of the different structures that adopt, as their own, the knowledge transfer functions defined by the Ministry.

Under the umbrella of the vice-rectorships for Innovation and Transfer; Research; and Studies, the transfer functions carried out in the departments, research institutes, ERIs and Doctoral School, which could be considered as the ‘basic transfer structures’, were highlighted. In addition, those carried out by the AgrotecUV High Technology Incubator, the Unit for Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC+i), UVEmpren, UVCàtedres, ParcUV, UCIEs and innovation agents were also highlighted and highlighted. To these must be added those of the central services: the Transfer and Innovation Service and the Research Management Service.

The transfer functions recognised to the UV with this registration are the protection of the results of Research, Development and Innovation (R+D+I); the exploitation of research results, inventions and new technologies through any type of contract that involves the transfer of its use or ownership to third parties; collaborative research between public and private entities; the contracting of R+D+I and technological services; the promotion of the creation of knowledge-based entities (formerly spin-offs) and the social dissemination of knowledge.

Among the new funds that the UV will be able to access are those of the Spanish Government specifically aimed at supporting knowledge transfer and innovation, on applied research, technology development, staff training or protection of industrial property.

The Valencian academic institution will also be able to increase the number and quality of European Union funding schemes that support research, innovation and technology transfer, including Horizon Europe, the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation.

Registration as an OTC office will also provide the Universitat de València with greater resources for its internationalisation, through assistance in establishing international collaborations, participating in fairs and events and accessing exchange and mobility programmes for entrepreneurial and research staff.

The improvement of technical support and advice for R&D&I projects and their transfer, in matters such as the management of intellectual property or the development of new strategies, will be provided by the Spanish Government through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, as well as other transfer entities.

Also, with the registration as an OTC, the UV will be able to benefit from funding programmes with which to access highly specialised infrastructure and equipment in research and technological development, in technology transfer projects that require academic or industrial partners.

Press release from CSIC

• The Institute of Corpuscular Physics (CSIC-UV) is working with the person responsible for the safety of nuclear power plants in Spain to implement a new waste management system.
• The IFIC device, which combines medical imaging techniques and artificial intelligence, is capable of performing dynamic tomography scans of the radioactive activity of nuclear waste containers.

 

The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the only body responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection in Spain, has granted funding to develop a new project at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Valencia (UV). This is the Proton project, which aims to develop evaluation methodologies to test a tomographic technology developed at IFIC that allows the visualisation, analysis and control of nuclear waste activity. The project team will take measurements and test these evaluation methodologies at the Garoña nuclear power plant (Burgos).

This project stems from a collaboration that began in 2015 between an IFIC research team led by CSIC scientist Francisco Albiol and the National Radioactive Waste Company (ENRESA). They developed a series of disruptive technologies that enable dynamic tomography of gamma radiation from radioactive isotopes in nuclear waste, thus facilitating waste classification and reducing costs in the process of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which are estimated at around 4,000 million euros in Spain.

Until now, static procedures have been used to determine the activity and dose of a radioactive waste container. ‘The technology we have developed at IFIC allows a more agile tomographic reconstruction independent of the shape of the container and the position of the detectors, taking advantage of the recognition of the environment through artificial intelligence and vision, as well as tomographic techniques adapted from medical imaging,’ explains Francisco Albiol.

However, this technology requires an evaluation by the regulatory body, the CSN, before its incorporation into the industry. In this context, the main objective of the Proton project is to familiarise the CSN with the use, advantages and limitations of the technology developed by IFIC, as well as to collect relevant aspects for calibration and handling. ‘During the project, the aim is to evaluate portable and geometry-independent gamma-ray tomography devices in order to ensure their ability to estimate the distribution and quantification of activity and dose accurately,’ summarises the project coordinator at the CSN, Juan González Cadelo.

 

Tests at the Garoña nuclear power plant

For the correct evaluation of the technologies developed, the project members have among their objectives to go to the Garoña nuclear power plant (Burgos), where measurements will be taken and the methodologies implemented will be tested. Currently, a prototype has already been validated for the tomographic reconstruction of gamma activity and its three-dimensional distribution in nuclear waste containers, which has led to several patents being obtained for these developments.
This project aims not only to provide confidence-inspiring criteria for the technology to characterise nuclear waste, but also to meet industry regulatory requirements and establish boundaries to ensure the proper functioning of this innovative technology. ‘With Proton, we hope to significantly improve nuclear waste assessment and management processes, thus contributing to safety and efficiency in the nuclear industry,’ concludes Albiol.

 

 

 

Source: UVNoticies

A new spin-off of the Universitat de València (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) will bring to market a biomedical imaging device for real-time guidance of cancer biopsies. The technology used, industrially owned jointly by both public institutions, provides combined metabolic and morphological data that allow a much more accurate characterisation of tumours. The system also facilitates personalised diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients.

La UCIE del IFIC visitó este pasado mes de marzo las instalaciones de AVS (Added Value Industrial Engeineering Solucions), adjudicataria de la licitación de la Compra Pública Precomercial impulsada por el CDTI para el desarrollo de un demostrador para la fase de inyección de un acelerador de iones de C6+ basado en un acelerador lineal de radiofrecuencia compacto, cuya ejecución se llevará a cabo en Valencia.
La existencia en el IFIC de grupos de investigación que trabajan en este área y que son posibles contratistas de servicios de I+D para el proyecto, justifican la necesidad de reforzar las relaciones con la empresa.
Durante la visita, acompañados de Miguel Ángel Carrera, CEO de AVS, se pudo ver de primera mano el trabajo de la empresa tanto en el área del espacio como en el área de fusión nuclear en sus sedes de Vitoria y Elgoibar, respectivamente.

En esta última localidad se encuentran también las instalaciones de Tekniker, una fundación privada sin ánimo de lucro dedicada a la investigación tecnológica e industria donde se llevan a cabo desarrollos, estudios e investigaciones, así como apoyo estratégico en relación con terceros a las entidades colaboradoras y contratantes. Dada la reciente relación establecida entre el IFIC y Tekniker tras la participación conjunta en grupos de trabajo de la plataforma de la industria de la ciencia, se aprovecha la cercanía con AVS para visitarles y conocer de primera mano a los equipos y los desarrollos que están llevando a cabo y valorar posibles nuevas colaboraciones.

Para finalizar y aprovechar al máximo el viaje, la UCIE se desplazó hasta Canfranc para visitar las instalaciones del Laboratorio Subterráneo, ICTS con la que el IFIC mantiene una larga relación al tener alojados algunos de sus experimentos más destacados.