Congratulations!

Dr. Francesco Da Ros (DTU Photonics, Technical University of Denmark), Member of the FONTE project and co-supervisor of ESR3 Stenio Ranzini (DTU and Nokia Bell Labs), has been awarded one of only 15 coveted Villum Young Investigators grants from the Velux Foundations for his project proposal Optical Processing Unit for high-speed AI systems (OPTIC-AI). Supporting ambitious early career researchers, the Villum Young Investigator Programme focusses on facilitating both research excellence and fostering and developing an internationally first-class research environment and is aiming at both Danish and International talent.

 

Thomas Bjørnholm, director of science, VILLUM FONDEN, says:

“The Villum Young Investigator Programme was born out of the aim of creating the best setting for the best research. It gives early-career talents a platform for developing and testing their own ideas and the means to put together their own research group.’

 

About the award-winning Research Project OPTIC_AI:

Optical Processing Unit for high-speed AI systems (OPTIC-AI)

‘Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have the potential to radically change the way we live, do science, and process information. Most of the current AI and ML solutions run on electronics-based hardware platforms that are power-consuming and slow. In this project, a new concept of an optical processing unit will be defined to enable faster processing speed and lower energy consumption.’

Worth about 10 Million DKK and funding the recipient, one postdoc, two Ph.D. students and equipment, the award will allow Francesco to form his own research team and pursue his own research interests.