The document discusses end-to-end monitoring of containers using sensor technology. It introduces the overall goal of the Monitoring of Containers (MoCo) project and notes that the project introduces new research problems at several levels related to energy-efficient communication solutions, environmental impacts, and developing a viable business model. The research problems are interrelated and solving them requires expertise from outside partners. The project aims to generate knowledge beyond individual capabilities through collaboration between research groups and industry to provide realism, hardware expertise, and sector feedback.

1. Monitoring of
Containers
(MoCo)
Jeroen Hoebeke – IBBT – IBCN/UGent
18/10/2011 1

2. Overall goal
End-to-end container monitoring
Including inter-container communication using sensor technology
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3. Research needed?
Energy-
efficient
Environment? Viable
communication
business
solutions?
model?
Introduces new research problems
at several levels
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4. Research needed?
Energy-
efficient
Environment? Viable
communication
business
solutions?
model?
Research problems are strongly interrelated +
solving them requires external expertise
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5. Generation and exchange of knowledge
Research
Realism Techno-economic
Industry
Enable on-site • Help understand process • Experience
measurements • Hardware expertise • Sector feedback
Generation of knowledge beyond individual
18/10/2011 capabilities and expertise 5

6. Added value for research groups
 Scope spans multiple domains
 Creates broader vision
 Gain new insights on existing knowledge
 Gain additional knowledge applicable elsewhere
 Forced to think outside well-established patterns
 Interaction with companies
 Access to new information
 Opportunities to learn about business aspects
Build stronger and broader expertise,
18/10/2011
strengthen reputation 6

7. Added value for researchers
 Enrich individual research
 Use case as enabler/evidence for relevance of research
 MoCo use case as motivation
 Real-world importance of research results
 Tangibility of work + recognition
 …but combination of longer-term research (e.g. PhD
students) and project work can cause conflicts or
additional burden
 E.g. effort to achieve publishable results versus realization
of prototype (getting the details right), time frame
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8. Market-driven versus research-driven
 Research group
 Track record in applied research
 Realization of proof-of-concept, prototype
 In line with ICON projects
 Changing trend in research world
 Sensor world: importance of experimentation (real
implementations)
 General challenge
 Find match between longer-term research strategies and
shorter ICON projects -> added value beyond mere
implementation as is the case in MoCo
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9. Market-driven versus research-driven
 Publications
 What/what not to publish?
 Can be organized smoothly
 Achieving publications
 No problem
 New opportunities (e.g. use case)
 Certain aspects of MoCo research
 More focus
 Elaborated outside project
 Basis for further research
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10. Conclusion
 MoCo = ICON project with
 Several research challenges
 Good interaction between research groups
 Strong interaction with industrial partners
 Executed as 1 project, not many subprojects
=> Added value for research groups/researchers with
several opportunities for publications and follow-up
research
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11. Monitoring of
Containers
(MoCo)
Jeroen Hoebeke – IBBT – IBCN/UGent
18/10/2011 11