Project management, overall and financial coordination, and communication between partners

Aiming for successful project elaboration, the focus is on controlling project strands. WP1 guarantees efficient project management, coordinating all partners' research work in work packages (WP1-8), including consortium administrative activities.

Special guidelines and procedures monitor and plan activities, manage costs and time, and submit progress reports and financial statements. Annual review reports and presentations are also prepared.

Ensuring smooth collaboration among project partners, WP1 addresses technical, administrative, financial, and risk management issues. It coordinates communication tools, manages project-reporting activities, and ensures ethical considerations in data access and processing.

Leader WP1: Infineon Technologies AG (IFAG)

Establish an improved, user-orientated version of the Digital Reference ecosystem 

Starting with the successful SC3 ecosystem, SC⁴EU will simplify the application of semantic resources, making the ecosystem easy to navigate and less complex.

The project aims to:

• Provide detailed descriptions of Digital Reference (DR) lobes and their sub-ontologies.
• Improve sub-ontology management and ensure their interoperability.
• Research data mapping techniques in the next phase.

WP2 will design the platform architecture with a focus on user administration. The platform will be accessible and secure, complying with European data privacy regulations.

Leader WP2: Infineon Technologies AG (IFAG)

Developing an Ontology Curation Portal to meet the advanced requirements in SC⁴EU

WP3 adapts the SC3 project's Ontology Curation Portal for SC⁴EU, meeting high demands on quality assurance and coordination.

The portal will be enhanced with visualization types that allow detailed views of selected components in extensive ontologies, like the Digital Reference (DR) Ontology, enabling targeted analyses. Automation will support the validation and documentation of the DR Ontology.

To accommodate future needs, the portal will be restructured into a scalable and distributable microservice architecture. An integrated access solution for all related tools and modules will be established.

Leader WP3: Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB), Germany

Semantic modeling of the knowledge domain and research on supply chain demand forecasting and its application

WP4 will create a consistent, modular, and semantic description of semiconductor supply chains to improve demand forecasts. This aims to give companies a clearer view of the supply chain, aiding better decision-making and preventing disruptions.

SC⁴EU focuses on enhancing demand forecasting methods for the global semiconductor supply chain by combining conventional and machine-learning approaches. Additionally, WP4 aims to design methods to disaggregate demand information, helping companies adjust production for higher profits and better customer satisfaction.

A toolbox with various forecasting techniques and benchmark datasets will be developed for the semiconductor research community. WP4 will also build a supply chain model in system dynamics software to analyze logistical relations and serve as an early indicator of bullwhips and shortages.

Leader WP4: Forschungszentrum für Telekommunikation und Kooperation e.V. (FTK)

Specification and implementation of the proposed use case and validation of the platform

As an SC⁴EU use case, WP5 will develop and evaluate a true demand survey platform to anonymously gather demand and supply information. This will enhance collaboration and communication across supply chain tiers, improving information flow and helping to mitigate chip shortages.

Semantic ontology models will facilitate sharing demand information using a defined vocabulary, enabling the creation of semiconductor industry forecasts. The platform will be validated and tested within the semiconductor industry, generating detailed forecasts for market participants.

Leader WP5: Infineon Technologies AG (IFAG), Germany / NXP Semiconductors, Netherlands

Create a flexible multi-party computation survey framework for the true demand platform

WP6 will develop a framework to enable anonymous functioning of the WP5 true demand platform, using privacy-enhancing multi-party computation technology. This ensures input data confidentiality while gathering demand information from various supply chain stakeholders.

The flexible multi-party computation survey framework will integrate easily into the true demand survey platform. It allows analysts to create surveys with defined input fields and output operations, with results encrypted and viewable only by intended participants using a private key.

SC⁴EU aims to create a user-friendly, robust platform adaptable to industrial settings, addressing shortcomings in existing solutions.

Leader WP6: Taceo GmbH, Austria

Incentivisation of participants to engage in anonymous survey in order to obtain data

WP7 focuses on incentivization and gamification to ensure the acceptance and participation in tools like the true demand platform and its survey framework (WP5 and WP6). Motivated participants are crucial for generating reliable data.

Applying game design elements and principles will engage all entities in the semiconductor supply chain, building a community of first-time users to provide sufficient demand and supply data. Expanding this community to include non-European actors will enhance the survey's quality and trustworthiness.

Leader WP7: Involvation Consultancy, Netherlands

Driving dissemination efforts addressing promotion and exploitation 

WP8 focuses on disseminating, promoting, and exploiting the outcomes of the SC⁴EU project. A specific plan will guide implementation, addressing stakeholders' needs and proposing interactive approaches for each community.

Key activities include promoting the true demand data-sharing platform at various events to raise awareness of its benefits for semiconductor demand forecasting. Additionally, a business plan will outline further development and promotion of the platform post-project.

Leader WP8: Harakopio University of Athens (HUA), Greece