Next‑2Digits Held 30‑Month General Assembly Meeting in Athens

How do you accelerate innovation in complex sensor technologies while reducing development risks? You combine advanced materials, integration strategies, and validation through coordinated collaboration. This approach guided the Next‑2Digits consortium as partners reached the project’s 30‑month milestone.

Project Meeting Hosted by NTUA in Athens

Early March 2026, Next‑2Digits partners met in Athens to assess progress and plan upcoming demonstrations. The meeting was hosted by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). During the meeting, all partners reviewed technical results and aligned next development steps. At the same time, discussions focused on advancing next‑generation 2D‑material‑enabled sensors and imagers. As a result, the consortium strengthened coordination toward final system integration and validation.

Next-2Digits Technical Progress Across Core Activities

Over the past six months, significant progress was achieved across several technical areas.
Firstly, partners advanced 2D‑material digital transfer and integration activities. In particular, graphene transfer quality improved while processes were scaled to larger wafer sizes. Meanwhile, photo‑electrical characterisation methods were enhanced for improved device assessment. In parallel, integration of graphene photodetectors and modulators onto SOI platforms continued. These developments support reliable performance at the system level. Importantly, progress was also achieved across all three Next‑2Digits use cases. These include UAV LiDAR, greenhouse gas sensing, and biomedical OCT applications. Consequently, the project moved closer to full demonstrator validation across diverse application domains.

Demonstrating a Universal Vision Through Three Use Cases

Next‑2Digits aims to showcase a universal technology vision through three key device demonstrators. Firstly, the project targets a miniaturised LiDAR system for UAV platforms. Secondly, a PIC‑based greenhouse gas sensor is being prepared for testing in industrial environments. Thirdly, an on‑chip PDR receiver supports OCT cardiovascular imaging applications. Together, these demonstrators validate versatility across sensing, imaging, and photonic integration scenarios.

Next-2Digits Strengthening the European 2D‑Materials Ecosystem

Beyond technical progress, the project maintains active links with the Graphene Flagship community. These connections support knowledge exchange and reinforce Europe’s expertise in 2D‑material technologies. Overall, the Athens meeting confirmed steady project advancement and clear alignment toward demonstrations. As development continues, Next‑2Digits remains focused on validated, scalable, and application‑ready solutions.