Interview Dr François Rivet, coordinator of the HERMES Project

HERMES is a clear sign that European industry has still the leadership of the most advanced technologies.

Dr. François Rivet, can you introduce yourself?
 
I am Associate Professor as a lecturer at Bordeaux INP and researcher at the IMS laboratory. I am the Coordinator of the HERMES project.
 
I was born in the southwest of France in 1982 and moved to Bordeaux in 2000 to study engineering and … I have been trying to escape ever since. I got my master's degree in 2005 and my PhD in 2009, and opened a start-up in 2010 before getting the position of Associate Professor the same year. I finally escaped in Australia during a sabbatical at the University of Victoria and Monash University in 2012 and 2013. 
 
My research activities focus on the design of radio frequency integrated circuits for 5G and 6G, with a particular interest in broadband systems. I am a member of the joint research lab with ST microelectronics and participate in several IEEE steering and technical program committees such as RFIC, ESSCIRC, ICECS, ASICON and LASCAS.
 
What does it mean to be the HERMES project coordinator? 
 
Bringing together European partners who are experts in their field around a revolutionary scientific idea. 
 
Can you present HERMES to us?
 
HERMES will demonstrate for the first time in the World a fully functional CMOS 6G radio-frequency architecture managed and enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. 

Why CMOS technology and not another technology?
 
CMOS technology is not made for RFIC and even less for sub-terahertz frequencies but we are convinced that tomorrow's radio will be fully integrated on a single chip thanks to this technology, which has the advantage of being the cheapest and therefore the most suitable for mass market.
 
How did you come up with the idea of HERMES? 
 
HERMES concept is a long-term maturation over the years of a digital/analog conversion principle based on mathematics. The first 3-month lockdown in 2020 fostered our willingness to associate the Artificial Intelligence for a dynamic spectrum management and RF Front-End linearization as a real breakthrough for the future of RFICs.
 
What should HERMES bring to European citizens? 
 
The sovereignty of its communication circuits with 6G. Europe is back ! We know what is inside, from the idea to the manufacturing. The citizen will have control over the technology. 
HERMES is a clear sign that European industry has still the leadership of the most advanced technologies.
 
What is for you the best indicator of success of HERMES? 
 
Circuits that work at the state of the art. If you see us on stage at ISSCC in 3 years, that means we have succeeded. Of course, a second funding round to mature the results will also be a good indicator.
 
What makes HERMES different from other European 6G projects? 
 
Risk-taking, revolutionary architecture with a mix of insane ingredients for RFIC: CMOS, Walsh mathematics and Artificial Intelligence.

Risk-taking, revolutionary architecture with a mix of insane ingredients for RFIC: CMOS, Walsh mathematics and Artificial Intelligence