Discover great EU-funded Innovations
Excellent Science INNOVATION
Gravity imager (gravimetric network) with an absolute quantum gravimeter as a reference and low cost relative gravimeters based on MEMS technology.
SHARE:
Market Maturity: Market Ready
These are innovations that are outperforming in innovation management and innovation readiness, and are considered to be "Ready for the market". Learn more
Market Creation Potential
This innovation was assessed by the JRC’s Market Creation Potential indicator framework as having a Noteworthy” level of Market Creation Potential. Only innovations that are showing multiple signals of market creation potential are assigned a value under this indicator system. Learn more
Go to Market needs
Needs that, if addressed, can increase the chances this innovation gets to (or closer to) the market incude:
  • Prepare for Market entry
  • Secure capital
  • Scale-up market opportunities
Location of Key Innovators developing this innovation
Key Innovators
UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG)
This innovation contributes to the following SDG(s)
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

The UN explains: "Clean water is a basic human need, and one that should be easily accessible to all. There is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to poor infrastructure, investment and planning, every year millions of people — most of them children — die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene."

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

The UN explains: "Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure."

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

The UN explains: "Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts."

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 15
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat deertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

The UN explains: "Forests cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface and in addition to providing food security and shelter, forests are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population. Thirteen million hectares of forests are being lost every year while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares."

The EU-funded Research Project
This innovation was developed under the Horizon 2020 project NEWTON-g with an end date of 30/11/2022
  • Read more about this project on CORDIS
Description of Project NEWTON-g
Poor knowledge of the spatio-temporal changes in the characteristics and distribution of subsurface fluids remains an insurmountable barrier to addressing important societal issues, including: sustainable management of energy resources (e.g., hydrocarbons and geothermal energy), management of water resources, and assessment of hazard (e.g., volcanic eruptions). Gravimetry is highly attractive because it can detect changes in subsurface mass, thus providing a window into processes that involve deep fluids. However, high cost and operating features associated with current instrumentation seriously limits the practical field use of gravimetry. NEWTON-g proposes a radical change of paradigm for gravimetry to overcome such limitations. We aim at developing a field-compatible gravity imager able to real-time monitor the evolution of the subsurface mass changes through continuous images of the gravity field. This system will include an array of low-costs MEMS-based relative gravimeters anchored on an absolute quantum gravimeter. The adjustable position, grid and shape of the array of sensors and the continuous logging of the gravimeters will provide imaging of gravity changes, associated with variations in subsurface fluid properties, with unparalleled spatio-temporal resolution. Specific work will be carried out to ruggedize the devices for field operation. We will deploy the new gravity imager at Etna volcano (Italy), where frequent gravity fluctuations, easy access to the active structures and the presence of a multiparameter monitoring system (including traditional gravimeters) ensure an excellent natural laboratory for testing the new tools. Insights from the new gravity imager will be used for volcanic hazards analysis, to demonstrate the importance of gravity to problems of societal relevance. A successful implementation of NEWTON-g will open new doors for geophysical exploration and will shift the locus of gravimeter manufacture from North America to Europe.

Innnovation Radar's analysis of this innovation is based on data collected on 18/01/2021.
The unique id of this innovation in the European Commission's IT systems is: 18219