A Year in AIDA-2020:
2017 in Review
Jennifer Toes (CERN), 15/12/2017
ATLAS silicon strip tracker prototype module for the LHC high luminosity upgrade, installed in the DESY II test beam facility - the first user of the new EUDAQ2 framework delivered by AIDA-2020 WP5 on common DAQ (Image: Jiri Kroll, Institute of Physics, The Czech Academy of Sciences)
The AIDA-2020 project will ring out a productive 2017 after receiving very positive feedback on its Mid-Term Review, holding a successful Annual Meeting, and achieving 30 milestones and 13 deliverables.
Project participants gathered in Paris in April for the project’s first Academia meets Industry (AMI) event, shortly followed by its Second Annual Meeting.
The AMI event brought together an interdisciplinary consortium of researchers and members of industry to discuss areas of shared interest in the field of medical imaging; leading to productive and collaborative interactions.
The Annual Meeting, held at LPNHE, Paris, saw over 130 members of the project join to present their results from the second year of the work programme. The agenda culminated in a favourable report from the project Scientific Advisory Board with recommendations for directions in the future.
Later in the spring, AIDA-2020 underwent its Mid-Term Review, where all Work Package leaders gathered at CERN to report on the progress of their activities to the European Commission.
The review highlighted the importance of collaboration between communities, as underlined, for example, by the success of the data acquisition (DAQ) system developed in Work Package 5 for combined beam tests of different detector prototypes. Whilst initially targeting linear collider oriented developments, also large LHC collaborations such as ATLAS and CMS have already recognised the advantages and made use of the new common DAQ system.
AIDA-2020 Scientific Coordinator, Felix Sefkow (DESY), commented: “This is an unexpected and encouraging turn-out. It shows that the user demand for integrating frameworks and tools such as the AIDA-2020 DAQ is even larger than originally anticipated. The particular strength of AIDA-2020 in fostering links between communities was also highlighted in the mid-term reviewer’s evaluation. Our contacts in Brussels congratulated us on the outcome of the assessment, and I would like to once again thank everyone for the strong commitment that stands behind this success."
This year also saw the announcement of the projects selected to receive funding through the AIDA-2020 Proof of Concept innovation fund. The three projects concerned: 1) a radon dose monitoring system, 2) versatile through silicon vias (for use in electronics chips), and 3) a silicon-based microdosimetry system (of use in cancer therapies).
In 2018, AIDA-2020 will close in on its third year of work, hosting its third Annual Meeting in Bologna, Italy, preceded by a second AMI event focused on non-destructive testing. Participants will continue to build on the project’s excellent progress as it moves towards its final stretch.
The AIDA-2020 Management Team wishes you a restful holiday period and looks forward to continuing to work towards our shared goals with you in the New Year.