TWI is a world leading research and technology organisation, providing technical excellence and support, spanning innovation, knowledge transfer and problem resolution across all aspects of welding, joining, surface engineering, inspection and whole-life integrity management. As a membership-based organisation, TWI supports both individuals and companies alike, delivering authoritative and impartial expert advice, knowhow and safety assurance – helping its members design, create and operate the best products possible and solving problems at any stage, from initial design, materials selection, production and quality assurance, through to service, performance, and repair.

Role in PLEIADES

TWI is the project coordinator and Work Package lead for automated induction welding development.

Brunel University London (BUL), founded in 1966, is home to nearly 13,000 students from over 110 countries worldwide. Brunel offers a wide range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

The university has been highly successful in building Brunel Composites Centre (BCC). BCC is an innovation centre that creates shared research and technology capabilities and sits between the knowledge base and industry, supporting industry partners to transfer academic research into industrial application. BCC’s principal mission is to establish a world-class research centre offering high-quality research. There are various ongoing research themes, including multiscale composite FEA, interfacial phenomena at the interface of composites to other materials, physicochemical processes studies including processing of composites, novel methods to join composites to other materials, development of sensors for structural health monitoring of composites, and embedding of smart structures in composites.

Role in PLEIADES

Brunel will develop the multi-physics models for thermal and mechanical simulations, integrate them with electromagnetic simulation models and will finally validate and calibrate them, within WP10, exploiting the experimental data generated within PLEIADES. Brunel will also support EuCIA with the LCA activities.

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is a leader in integrated and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Our 80,000 employees are dedicated to delivering future-focused technologies to advance sustainable and connected aviation, passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration, and more. Collins Aerospace is engaged in designing, manufacturing and servicing systems and components for commercial aviation, business aviation, military and defense, helicopters, space, airports, and other industries.

Collins Aerospace has six strategic business units: Aerostructures, Avionics, Interiors, Missions Systems, Connected Aviation Solutions, and Power & Controls.

Role in PLEIADES

Collins Aerospace, Applied Research and Technology Centre Ireland is proud to be a technology partner of the PLEIADES project leading the de-icing protection system use-case and contributing to next generation structural health monitoring and damage propagation for aircraft composite parts.

Cranfield University is one of Europe’s largest academic centres for strategic and applied research and development. The postgraduate-only University operates on two campuses, with some 3000 students in the fields of engineering, aeronautics, manufacturing, materials, sustainability, defence studies and management. The mission of the University is the application of world class science and technology to industry, commerce and the public sector and results in annual research income in excess of 100M EUR.

The Composites and Advanced Materials Centre, which is part of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has established a leading reputation specialising in polymer composites specialising in manufacturing and process science, simulation, optimisation and monitoring, functional materials and sustainability. The Centre has extensive facilities including pilot manufacturing equipment for all main industrial composite manufacturing processes, a full characterisation suite including thermal analysis, thermomechanical and mechanicals testing, microscopy and electrical testing as well access to high performance computing and to generic and specialised finite element solvers and simulation tools as well as commercial and in house codes for constitutive model development, optimisation and inverse modelling.

Role in PLEIADES

Cranfield University is leading efforts on the formulation of vitrimers and processing of their composites, including contributions in assessing joining and healing functionalities as well as overall performance. In addition, Cranfield University contributes to aspects of constitutive modelling and process simulation and to the integration of sensing elements in the composite.

ETS is a young SME, offering expertise and innovative solutions in the areas of industrial measurement/automation and structural health monitoring (SHM). The philosophy of ETS is to design and integrate application-specific solutions with high flexibility in customization that may meet the specific needs and requirements of the customer. Making use of advanced, state of the art, signal processing solutions, ETS produces stand-alone software/hardware systems of expanded capabilities that exploit to the maximum the measured data information.

Role in PLEIADES

In the context of the PLEIADES project, ETS will lead the activities on the development and implementation of a vibration-based approach for establishing a unified NDT and SHM framework (WP 7 and WP 8) of expanded robustness and communication capabilities. Furthermore, ETS will contribute to the monitoring of the automated induction welding process in WP 5.

Headquartered in Brussels, the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) represents European national composites associations and industry-specific sector groups at EU level. With the support of its members, EuCIA is actively contributing to building an economically and environmentally sustainable European composites industry. EuCIA closely monitors relevant standards and legislation, actively communicates the ways in which composites contribute to a more sustainable world, and promotes educational activities. Our initiatives aim to ensure the healthy growth and continued competitiveness of more than 10,000 companies and an estimated 150,000 employees involved in composites manufacturing across Europe.

EuCIA launches and supports initiatives to advance the sustainability and circularity of composite materials. We are actively working to overcome the current barriers to composites recycling and build the recycling supply chain, encouraging the collaboration of all stakeholders in a cross-sector approach. Improved life cycle assessment (LCA) data for composites is also essential. Our Eco Impact Calculator enables companies to calculate the cradle-to-gate environmental impact of their composite products.

Role in PLEIADES

EuCIA is leader of WP12 – Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication activities, LCA M1-M18 Part I, and WP13 – Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication activities, LCA M19-M36 Part II. EuCIA will lead the tasks focused on planning and execution of communication and dissemination activities, clustering and cohesion activities aimed at engaging PLEIADES and relevant stakeholders with other EU-funded projects, and life cycle analysis.

Evektor is a global engineering company and a recognized leader in aerospace development, building on over 50 years of aircraft design and manufacturing tradition. Since 1991, company has been delivering innovation in aircraft development – with over 1,400 Evektor aircraft flying in more than 50 countries worldwide. In addition to our strong presence in aviation, we provide advanced development and engineering services for the automotive and mechanical industries. Our expertise covers the design and engineering of complex assemblies, prototype production, testing, and certification. Evektor combines the precision and innovation of aerospace with broad engineering know-how and brings cutting-edge solutions to both sky and road.

Role in PLEIADES

Evektor leads WP3 – Requirements gathering and specifications and KPIs / Definition of Testbeds. Evektor will lead the activities to define in detail the use cases and specifications for the PLEIADES technical activities.

The Institute of Communications and Computer Systems (ICCS) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) was established in 1989 as the research arm of NTUA’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (SECE-NTUA). As a leading research institution, ICCS excels in telecommunications and computer systems, fostering innovation through cutting-edge research, collaboration, and postgraduate education. With extensive experience in European Commission-funded projects, ICCS has a proven track record of leading large-scale research initiatives.

Within the PLEIADES project, ICCS participates through the Photonics Communications Research Laboratory (PCRL), founded in 1995 by Prof. Hercules Avramopoulos. PCRL comprises a dynamic team of 32 doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, along with support personnel. The lab focuses on advancing research in crucial areas such as optical interconnects, telecommunications, photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design, biophotonics sensing and quantum communications.

Over the years, PCRL has played a pivotal role in more than 60 European research projects, often serving as a project coordinator. Its contributions to the scientific community include over 500 academic publications and 5 patents, demonstrating a strong commitment to innovation and real-world impact.

Role in PLEIADES

ICCS/PCRL is responsible for the PLEIADES tasks related to the design, integration and testing of photonic integrated circuits (PIC) and packaged sensors within Work Package 6. ICCS will assist in the embedding of the packaged multisensors in the composite materials and will be responsible for operating the photonic sensors in all tests and demonstrations involving embedded sensors. This role is critical to ensuring the integration and functionality of advanced sensor systems in the project’s composite innovations. Additionally, ICCS/PCRL is responsible for part of the project’s technical coordination, further strengthening the project’s execution through guidance in photonic sensor technology and system integration.

IMEC is a world-leading independent research centre in the field of semiconductor and nanotechnology. IMEC has been pioneering silicon photonics foundry processes in its CMOS fab since the early 2000s.

Role in PLEIADES

As part of the PLEIADES project, the IMEC-CMST group, in collaboration with consortium partners, will develop innovative photonic sensors for multi-parameter composite monitoring. Leveraging their extensive expertise in photonic sensing, packaging, and integration, the group aims to create highly compact sensors based on Photonic Integrated Circuits that can be seamlessly integrated into composites.

Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi), founded in 1863, is an Italian university specializing in engineering, architecture, and design. It is known for its academic rigor and research contributions in these fields. The university encourages collaboration with industry and international entities, enhancing its educational and research programs.

The Polymer Engineering Lab (PolyEngLab), part of the Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” focuses on the study of structural properties of polymers and composites for highly demanding applications particularly in terms of reliability, durability, and sustainability. The lab is equipped to analyse thermo-mechanical properties and prepare samples using various methods. It has expertise in structural polymers, composites, elastomers, foams, gels and adhesives.

The lab’s research is driven by practical applications, aiming to develop new materials and improve existing ones. This involves innovative processing, microstructure-property correlation analysis, the development and use of application-oriented testing methods, and numerical modelling. The lab collaborates with industry partners across transportation, electronics, and consumer goods sectors.

Equipped for both numerical and experimental research, the lab has databases, simulation tools, and equipment for material preparation and analysis. Research topics include rheology, viscoelasticity, fracture behaviour, adhesion, tribology, process optimization, numerical modelling, and dilatometry.

Role in PLEIADES

Within PLEIADES, PolyEngLab focuses on the development and testing of healing and maintenance schedules for vitrimer based composite materials.

PolyEngLab is responsible for researching and implementing methodologies for the rheological and mechanical characterization of these advanced materials. Additionally, it contributes to the development of a healing model, supporting the project’s goals of increasing the longevity and sustainability of aerospace composites.

Through its expertise, PolyEngLab enhances the project’s capacity for innovative materials reprocessing and repair strategies.

The Politecnico di Torino (PoliTO), established in 1906, is a leading European university in engineering and architecture with strong industry collaborations. Ranked 47th globally in Engineering and Technology (QS 2021), it excels in Architecture (33rd), Civil and Structural Engineering (25th), and Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Manufacturing (30th). With 1,000 professors and researchers, PoliTO educates 37,000 students, including 5,000 internationals from over 120 countries, offering 16 PhD and 30 MSc programs, 60% in English. It maintains 1,000 agreements with global universities, including campuses in China and Uzbekistan, and is part of major European networks such as Unite!, CESAER, and CLUSTER.

PoliTO actively partners with industries through the Cittadella Politecnica, signing 800 annual contracts with companies and public institutions. It has extensive experience in national and international research projects, with 568 funded projects, including 268 in Horizon 2020, securing €104 million in EU funding. Since 1995, PoliTO’s Research Support Department has coordinated EU projects. It also engages citizens in science through events like the European Researchers’ Night and Biennale Tecnologia, highlighting technology’s impact on society.

Role in PLEIADES

The Politecnico di Torino research unit from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will focus on the design and development of methodologies for the dismounting of vitrimer induction-welded joints, enabling their reuse, repair, and recycling. This involves investigating electromagnetic induction processes to efficiently separate vitrimer-based joints without compromising material integrity. The team will optimize process parameters, assess joint durability after separation, and explore potential applications in circular economy strategies. Additionally, sensors will be used to monitor the dismounting process, ensuring precise control and efficiency. The research will contribute to sustainable end-of-life strategies for composite materials.

Talos Analytics is an SME, AI consultancy integrating advanced analytics, AI/ML, and Industry 4.0 methodologies – partnering with enterprises and research consortia to translate academic insights into tangible market solutions with contributions supporting and strengthening the EU’s innovation landscape.

Our Services

AI & Analytics Strategy to Execution: From conceptual frameworks to fully deployed AI enabled systems, grounded in focused research and best practices.

Research-Focused DataOps & Advisory: The Talos CSA (Contextualize, Scope, Analyze) framework fuels data-driven insights, tailored advisory, and custom analytics innovations.

Capability Building & Sustainable Management: Executive training, project management, and long-term support ensure continuous growth, competitive advantage, and measurable ROI.

Our Approach

A collaborative, research-centric yet business-oriented model that aligns state-of-the-art methodologies with strategic objectives – fostering knowledge exchange, accelerating innovation, and delivering demonstrable impact in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.

Role in PLEIADES

Talos undertakes the role of AI/ML Algorithms (ML/DS experts) and Digital Data Experts (Data experts) with the main goal of ensuring smooth integration of smart algorithms in the overall PLEIADES deployed and validated solution (activities which span numerous WPs, from requirement gathering to testing).