The objective behind FINESSE (FIbre NErvous Sensing SystEms) is to mimic the nervous system of living bodies by turning man-made and natural structures into objects that are sensitive to external stimuli owing to advanced distributed fibre-optic sensor technology, with the objective to either give early warning in case of possible danger or occurrence of damage, or to optimise the operation of the structure to allow for a sustainable use of natural resources and assets. Enabling such functionalities will greatly contribute to realizing a safe, secure and energy efficient Europe, which is an identified societal concern.

To turn this ambitious concept into reality, 26 European universities, research centers and industrial partners have teamed up to set up this Innovative Training Network, with the common objective of educating and training 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in the development of a set of disruptive new optical ‘artificial nervous systems’ and to boost the industrial uptake of these sensors by technology transfer from academic research to the European optical fibre sensor industry.

We are also engaged in stimulating awareness of this technology to other scientists and a wider public to encourage research in this field and improve societal acceptance on distributed fibre sensing systems through various training events, opened to other early career researchers, and outreach activities.