I4MS Phase 4 will grant European manufacturing SMEs access to 35 million euros for accelerating the uptake of digital technologies

I4MS Phase 4 will grant European manufacturing SMEs access to 35 million euros for accelerating the uptake of digital technologies

Since 2013, the initiative ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) has provided investment of 140 million euros in supporting the digitisation of the European manufacturing industry. Now in Phase 4, the project aims at accelerating the uptake of digital technologies in processes across Europe focused on extending the transformative impact to companies, regions and sectors lagging, and supporting personalised and cost-effective small-scale production based on secure digital technologies.

On Monday, 1st June I4MS, the European Commission initiative to digitalise the manufacturing industry, has officially launched the Phase 4 of the programme, announcing the opening of funding calls by the end of 2020 to conduct Application Experiments that target Industry 4.0 technologies with a strong focus on manufacturing SMEs.

I4MS-4TS aims to become a one-stop shop where profiled European manufacturing SMEs and mid-caps are connected to the best resources from the ecosystem to respond to its needs in a way that maximize the chances that these contacts result in tech-transfer deals.

In addition, during this Phase 4, I4MS initiative will work to consolidate the previous work and go further by improving the support strategy for Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and EC-funded Innovation Actions helping define their value propositions in order to leverage additional investment at regional and national levels. A total of 8 new projects covering the following technological areas:

  • smart modelling; simulation; optimization for digital twins.

  • laser-based equipment in advanced and additive manufacturing.

  • innovative artificial intelligence in manufacturing and cognitive autonomous systems.

  • human-robot interaction technologies, to ensuring human acceptance.

“I4MS opens new opportunities for manufacturing SMEs in their digital transformation journey, allowing to test innovative digital technologies, receive funding, technological and business support from leading-edge research centres in Europe”, as stated by Mayte Carracedo, I4MS-4TS project coordinator.

The I4MS-4TS project is lead by Fundingbox, polish-based company specialised in managing cascade funding and incubation/acceleration programmes for SMEs and start-ups, in collaboration with RTOs, CCs and DIHs. Tecnalia a private, independent, non-profit applied research centre of international excellence and one of the largest in Europe. Mobile World Capital Barcelona, the public-private foundation, created in 2012 in Barcelona, with the aim of driving the mobile and digital transformation of society while helping improving people’s lives globally.

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.