I4MS-4TS supports 8 European Innovation Actions to promote the use of ICT technologies in manufacturing SMEs and Midcaps

I4MS-4TS supports 8 European Innovation Actions to promote the use of ICT technologies in manufacturing SMEs and Midcaps

I4MS-4TS is launching its campaign to support the Phase 4 Innovation Actions (IAs) that cover five crucial technological areas that aim to accelerate the digital transformation process in the European manufacturing ecosystem: 1. Smart modelling, simulation, and optimization for digital twins; 2. Laser based equipment in advanced and additive manufacturing; 3. Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing; 4. Cognitive autonomous systems and human-robot interaction and 5. Widening Digital Innovation Hubs. 

The IAs selected to carry these activities are the following -we will offer more information about them very soon:

VOJEXT: Web not available

VOJEXT aims to bring an effort to dynamize science-driven industry engaging human and Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and amplifying the cognitive capabilities needed to achieve more effective sociotechnical and business ecosystems in the manufacturing and construction settings.

VOJEXT demonstrates its value through five (5) different experimental pilots, in four (4) EU countries (Spain, Hungary, Italy and Turkey) and five (5) different sectors (plastic textile, electronics, automotive, construction and creative architecture for urban regeneration); integrating traditional and non-traditional areas for AI-robotics and cognitive ICT developments. VOJEXT will integrate new fifteen (15) scenarios and collaborators to be selected during the project through open calls. Also, the VOJEXT project`s experimental path and effective implementation engages with artistic research and use S+T+ARTS art-driven innovation approach.

AI Regio: Web not available

Regions and DIHs alliance for AI-driven digital transformation of European Manufacturing SMEs (AI REGIO) aim at filling 3 major gaps currently preventing AI-driven DIHs from implementing fully effective digital transformation pathways for their Manufacturing SMEs: at the policy level, the Regional vs. EU gap; at the technological level, the Digital Manufacturing vs. Innovation Collaboration Platform gap; at the business level, the Innovative AI (Industry 5.0) vs Industry4.0 gap. AI REGIO is actively involving 13 Vanguard European regions, provides a toolkit of 64 AI-enabled assets to be integrated with the AI4EU toolkit and conducts more than 30 DIH-driven and SME-oriented application experiments, also thanks to two waves of Open Calls.

DigitBrain: https://digitbrain.eu/

The ambition of the DIGITbrain project is centred around two areas that will enable innovative use cases. On the one hand, the project realises an ambitious technological vision by developing the Digital Brain concept and its enabling technologies. On the other hand, it assures that these technological advances are taken up by a critical mass in the manufacturing sector, especially by SMEs and mid-caps, resulting in the smart business model Manufacturing as a Service, facilitated by a network of interconnected Digital  Innovation Hubs (DIHs)

On Open Calls, they will unlock a total budget of 1.4M€ that has been kept for these two Open Calls.

  • The 1st Open Call for application experiments will be launched at the end of March 2021 and be open for three months until the End of June 2021.
  • The 2nd Open Call for application experiments will be launched at the end of March 2022 and be open for three months until the End of June 2022.

And the first wave of experiments covers the following topics:

  • Experiment 1: Digital Style – Digital twin for fabric production optimization
  • Experiment 2: Digital Brain for Injection Moulding
  • Experiment 3: Digitization and optimization of snow guards manufacturing process
  • Experiment 4: Digital Twin for Additive Manufacturing (AM) ensuring compliance across multiple machines
  • Experiment 5: Digital Brain for Laser-Cutting and Forming of Aluminium
  • Experiment 6: DIGITbrain in Agricultural Robots
  • Experiment 7: Digital Brain in manufacturing industry

Pulsate: https://pulsate.eu/

PULSATE emerges as an initiative to promote a PAN-European Network designed to boost theadoption of LBAAM manufacturing technologies through the uptake of advanced digital tools, reaching the European SMEs and slightly bigger companies by means of a Digital, proving fullydigitised services and thus, enabling new business models based on LBAAM technologies(manufacturing capacity renting, machine as a service, etc.).

During the project we will provide high-level support to more than 60 SMEs to boost technology adoption, providing 4 million Euros of direct funding to the companies for proof of concept experiments, and more than 1 million in support services, and that’s only the beginning! We aspire to constitute a stable network that stays as the European reference in LaserBased Manufacturing for the next generation of SMEs entering the Digital Single Market”.

DIH-World: https://dihworld.eu/

DIH-World aims to accelerate the uptake of advanced digital technologies by European manufacturing SMEs in all sectors by supporting them in building sustainable competitive advantages and reaching global markets. DIH-World strengthens the capacities of regional DIHs, particularly in underrepresented regions across Europe.

DIH-World will organise two open calls to select and support 45 SME-driven experiments. DIH-World aims at supporting SMEs from industries which traditionally have lagged behind on various aspects of digitalization, and will target SMEs and DIHs from regions which historically have experienced low DIH presence and digitalization rates. The first Open Call will be announced at the beginning of 2021.

Better Factory: https://betterfactory.eu/

Better Factory helps manufacturers to enter new markets with customizable, personalized product or service portfolio. Together with Business and Arts Mentors and technology partners, manufacturers can discover new business models and digitalise their factories to match the production of new or personalized products. 

Better Factory will select eight teams of European manufacturing SMEs, artists and technology providers in each Open Call (2021/2022). The selected teams will be supported through a period of 12 months where artists will be paired with technology suppliers to tackle the challenges proposed by the manufacturers with up to 200,000€ equity-free funding / team. The first Open Call is estimated to be launched on January 2021.

Change2Twin: https://www.change2twin.eu/

Change2Twin is a EU-funded project (part of I4MS) which aims to ensure that 100% of manufacturing companies in Europe have access to 100% of technologies needed to deploy a Digital Twin. The concept of Digital Twin is a big game-changer in the manufacturing industry and allows companies to significantly increase their competitiveness.

From Autumn 2020 to Spring 2021, Change2Twin will execute four pilot experiments with companies from diverse manufacturing branches. In early 2021, we will launch the first open call for SMEs through the FundingBox platform. The entire process will be accompanied by a support programme, including free webinars and an online training scheme.

KITT4SME: Web not Available

Coming soon.

Overall I4MS-4TS will support the network of Digital Innovation Hubs to achieve broad coverage in technological, application, innovation, and geographic terms; link up with regional/national innovation initiatives, and other DIHs; help in sharing best practices, dissemination, brokering between users and suppliers, leveraging investment and training and organize events; finally,  close cooperation with the European Factories of the Future Research Association (EFFRA90), and other CSAs funded under the DIHs part of the Focus Area “Digitising and transforming European industry and services” will be pursued actively.

ABOUT I4MS  

I4MS, ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs, is a European initiative supporting manufacturing SMEs and mid-caps in the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in their business operations. I4MS-4TS will contribute to a more efficient, collaborative and clustered ecosystem structure and will make use of best practises from early adopters to reach most manufacturing SMEs. Providing tools to convey the European ecosystem their value proposition and attract stakeholders from unrepresented regions and/or sectors, a wide range of services created under an evidence-based approach and the maintenance of the community under a joint a brand. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 951848.