ModLife is a strong European network consisting of 5 leading universities as academic partners and 4 major companies and 2 SMEs as industrial partners joining forces to realize the vision and the objectives of this initiative. The network represents in total 5 European countries. The network undertakes innovative and original research and offers scientific training in Model-based Optimization, Monitoring and Control as Enabling Technologies for process/product development and innovation in life science industries. ModLife provides unique multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary research and training opportunities for a total of 15 ESRs with an equivalent of 540 months with background in chemistry, biology, physics, applied mathematics and statistics, optimization and control, chemical and process engineering. The interdisciplinary skills developed by the network are urgently required by the life science industrial sectors. It will also open new employment opportunities in virtually every sector of life science industries including healthcare, biotechnology, food production, etc.
The main research objectives of the project are stated as follows:
- The development of fundamental understanding of the bio-functional compounds, formulations and process technologies particular to life sciences and biotechnology.
- The development of methodologies and technologies for online & real-time measurements and data integration across products and processes.
- The development of validated thermodynamic models describing bio/functional compounds as well as multi-phase and multi-scale models describing product formulations and processing technologies.
- The development of advanced dynamic model-based in-silico tools of optimization, monitoring and control algorithms and methods for the sustainable design and operation of optimal process configurations.
- The demonstration of these model-based enabling technologies to 5 selected process challenges from life sciences and biotechnology industries in collaboration with the industrial partners.
