The research activity of ICT-COISP is focused on modeling, simulation, monitoring, control and optimal management of complex industrial processes. To this aim, the center intensively applies Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Bio-inspired Optimization tools and other approaches belonging to the vast field of Artificial Intelligence. The center also holds consolidated experience relating to specific process simulation environments.
Since its origin, the center focused a very significant part of its activity on the iron and steel sector, by developing research on metallurgical models development, product properties forecasting and enhancement, intermediate and final product quality monitoring and through-process control, process simulation and optimization. ICT-COISP develops research work also in other industrial sectors, e.g. glass, chemicals, automotive, advanced mechanics, machine tools, energy, aerospace, defense.

The center is particularly active on the issues of socio-economic and environmental sustainability of production processes. Many of the developed projects hold a marked inter-disciplinary nature and deal with efficient management of energy and resources, reduction of waste and emissions, by-products reuse and recycling, and overall reduction of environmental impact.

The most relevant investigated topics are the following:

• AI-enhanced metal science and technology
• Hydrogen-based technologies for the steel industry
• AI-based Data Mining and Knowledge Extraction
• AI-supported monitoring, management, control and optimization of industrial processes
• Machine Learning and Deep Learning for product quality management in industry
• Hybrid AI and physics-based approaches
• Bio-inspired optimization approaches
• Multi-Agent Systems
• Advanced process simulation in dedicated environments (e.g. AspenPlus®, Modelica)

Key Recent Projects

• On-going: Cyber-Physical System-based approach for intelligent data-driven maintenance operations applied to the rolling area (CyberMan4.0)
• On-going: Optimising slag reuse and recycling in electric steelmaking at optimum metallurgical performance through on-line characterization devices and intelligent decision support system (iSlag).
• On-going: SteaM and gAs networks Revamping for the sTeElworks of the future (SMARTER).