Multidisciplinary research in disruptive neuromorphic technologies.

In recent years, the main production chains in the Basque Country have seen their output compromised due to the shortage of components and microelectronic systems. Companies are demanding joint strategies and actions that will strengthen digital sovereignty while boosting innovation and competitiveness in the region.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a central role in digitalization, providing meaning to the data collected by sensors. Among its branches, computer vision algorithms are the most mature and are fundamental for the development of autonomous driving, robotics, healthcare solutions, and more. The current trend is to enable AI execution on edge devices, located close to the sensors, in order to reduce energy consumption and latency. According to Gartner, Edge Computer Vision occupies a central position in the 2023 Emerging Technologies Radar, identified as one of the technologies with the greatest cross-sector impact potential and expected rapid growth. Following closely behind is Edge AI.

Edge devices capable of executing AI and computer vision algorithms based on traditional CPU/GPU architectures are still very limited compared to those built on emerging neuromorphic architectures, which are the focus of this project’s research. These technologies draw inspiration from biological structures and cognitive mechanisms (e.g., the eye–brain visual system) to achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency and low latency. Although the goal of neuromorphic technology is not to replicate biology itself, its biological plausibility offers valuable insights for neuroscience research, from which it also derives inspiration.