Digital Innovation Hubs

DIH Profile

Technology Transfer via Multinational Application Experiments (TETRAMAX)

Hub Information

Hub Name
Technology Transfer via Multinational Application Experiments (TETRAMAX)
Local Name
Technologietransfer über Multinationale Anwendungsexperimente (TETRAMAX)
Evolutionary Stage
Fully operational
Geographical Scope
European

Description

Started in 2013, the initiative TETRACOM (https://www.tetracom.eu) was designed as a pilot project with a novel and unique vehicle to boost small-scale and highly focused bilateral academia-industry technology transfer in all ICT domains. During its three-year pilot phase, it has strongly demonstrated how to optimally address the gap to bring academic excellence to sound business results. With a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, the pilot financially supported 50 actual transfer experiments throughout Europe and helped to generate a multitude of new jobs, new products and new businesses. Based on its highly recognized success TETRACOM has evolved into TETRAMAX, operating at much larger scale and with even higher ambitions (https://www.tetramax.eu). It is primary aiming to provide the implementation of the European “Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE)” initiative in the domain of customized low energy computing (CLEC) for CPS and the IoT. The initiative builds on three major activity lines: (1) Stimulating, organizing, co-funding, and evaluating different types of cross-border Application Experiments, providing “EU added value” via innovative CLEC technologies to first-time users and broad markets in European ICT-related industries, (2) Building and leveraging a new European CLEC competence center network, offering technology brokerage, one-stop shop assistance and CLEC training to SMEs and mid-caps, and with a clear evolution path towards new regional digital innovation hubs where needed, and (3) Paving the way towards self-sustainability based on pragmatic and customized long-term business plans. The project impact will be measured based on well-defined, goal-oriented performance indicators. The immediate ambition of TETRAMAX within its duration is to support 50+ industry clients and 3rd parties in the entire EU with innovative technologies, leading to an estimated revenue increase of 25 Mio. € based on 50+ new or improved CLEC-based products, 10+ entirely new businesses/SMEs initiated, as well as 30+ new permanent jobs and significant cost and energy savings in product manufacturing. Moreover, in the long term, TETRAMAX will be the trailblazer towards a reinforced, profitable, and sustainable ecosystem infrastructure, providing CLEC competence, services (https://www.tetramax.eu/the-project/​) and a continuous innovation stream at European scale, yet with strong regional presence as preferred by SMEs.

Im Jahr 2013 startete TETRACOM (https://www.tetracom.eu) als Pilotprojekt mit einem neuartigen Konzept zur Förderung von Transfers neuer Technologien aus der akademischen Forschung zur tatsächlichen Anwendung in die Industrie in allen Bereichen der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie. Mit einem speziellen Fokus auf kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen (KMUs) wurde die Durchführung von 50 Technologietransfers quer durch Europa finanziell unterstützt und trug so zu einer erheblichen Erhöhung neu geschaffener Arbeitsplätze sowie neuen Produkten und Geschäftsfeldern bei. Während seiner dreijährigen Pilotphase hat TETRACOM mit seinem Konzept nachdrücklich bewiesen, wie die Lücke zwischen akademischer Forschung und Entwicklung und fundierten Geschäftsergebnissen geschlossen werden kann. Auf dieser erfolgreichen Basis hat sich das Pilotprojekt zur Initiative TETRAMAX (https://www.tetramax.eu) mit langfristigen Bestrebungen weiterentwickelt. Hauptziel ist die Umsetzung der europäischen Initiative “Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE)” im Bereich der anwendungsspezifischen Computertechnik, um Technologien mit geringem Energieverbrauch (Customized Low Energy Computing – CLEC) für cyber-physische Systeme (CPS) und das Internet der Dinge (IoT) zur Verfügung zu stellen. TETRAMAX konzentriert sich auf drei Haupttätigkeiten: (1) Stimulieren, Organisieren, Kofinanzieren und Auswerten verschiedener Modelle grenzüberschreitender Technologietransfer-Experimente. Dank dieser Experimente werden innovative CLEC-Technologien erstmaligen Nutzern zur Verfügung gestellt und in einem breiten Marktspektrum innerhalb der europäischen ICT Industrie eingeführt. Auf diese Weise wird langfristig ein Europäischer Mehrwert für den Sektor geschaffen. (2) Aufbau eines Netzwerkes mit neuen CLEC Kompetenzzentren quer durch Europa, das langfristig als zentrale Anlaufstelle und, wo nötig, mit einer klaren Richtung zur Entwicklung neuer regionaler und digitaler Service-Stellen für Innovation fungieren wird. Das Netzwerk wird Technologien vermitteln und CLEC Beratungen und Trainings für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen anbieten. (3) Erstellung pragmatischer und individueller kundenspezifischer Businesspläne, die langfristig den Weg zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung und Selbstfinanzierung ermöglichen. Die Auswirkungen werden anhand klar definierter und zielorientierter Leistungskennzahlen gemessen. Unmittelbares Ziel ist die Unterstützung von 50+ Industriekunden und weiteren Dritten im gesamten europäischen Raum mit innovativen Technologien, was zu einem möglichen Umsatzzuwachs von ca. €25m führt, basierend auf 50+ neuen und verbesserten CLEC Produkten, 10+ völlig neu initiierten (klein- und mittelständischen) Unternehmen sowie 30+ neu geschaffenen festen Arbeitsplätzen und deutlichen Kosten- und Energieeinsparungen in der Produktherstellung. Langfristig wird TETRAMAX Pionier und Wegbereiter für eine gestärkte, gewinnbringende und nachhaltige Ökosystem-Infrastruktur sein, die CLEC Kompetenzen, Dienstleistungen (https://www.tetramax.eu/the-project/​) und eine kontinuierliche Innovationsstrategie zur Verfügung stellen wird – auf europäischer Ebene und zugleich mit einer starken regionalen Präsenz je nach bevorzugter Wahl des KMUs.

Contact Data

Coordinator (University)
Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, RWTH
https://www.rwth-aachen.de/
Year Established
2013
Location
Templergraben 55, 52062, Aachen (Germany)
Website
https://www.tetramax.eu
Social Media
Contact information
Prof. Dr. Rainer Leupers
leupers@ice.rwth-aachen.de
+49 241 80-28301
Contact information
Eva Haas
eva.haas@zhv.rwth-aachen.de
+492418096535
Contact information
Dominik Šišejković
sisejkovic@ice.rwth-aachen.de
+49 241 80-28302
Contact information
Katrien Van Impe
Katrien.vanImpe@ugent.be
+32 92643373

Organisation

Organizational form
Project (formalized end time)
Turnover
>5.000.000
Number of employees
25-50

Technologies

  • Micro/nano electronics
  • Sensory systems
  • Photonics and imaging technologies
  • Communication networks
  • Cyber physical systems
  • Robotics
  • Internet of things
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Mobility & Location based technologies
  • Interaction technologies
  • Cyber security
  • Advanced, or high performance computing
  • Big data, data analytics, data handling
  • Virtual, augmented and extended reality
  • Simulation, modelling and digital twins
  • New media technologies

With the constant technological advancements of the modern world, it has become increasingly difficult to establish a successful and sound connection between new academic solutions and industry. To mitigate the existing gap and offer a strong and supportive ground to a digitalized European industry, TETRAMAX, as an implementation of the European “Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE)”, will strive to accelerate innovation within European industries by more efficient and effective uptake of advanced digital technologies for novel electronic and non-electronic. As a vehicle of lifting European industries to a new digital era, TETRAMAX will employ different kinds of technology transfer experiments (TTX), enabling a supportive and encouraging platform for connecting talented international ICT workers with start-up companies, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps, thereby paving the way to a more digitalized and interconnected Europe. To achieve this goal, TETRAMAX will establish an EU wide network of competence centers, providing easy access to novel technologies via local (regional) contact points, offering both the industrial and academic world an on-demand bidirectional network for offering and requesting novel technological solutions to ever growing industrial challenges. Moreover, besides boosting industries with technological advancements, TETRAMAX is set to offer the opportunity of establishing entirely new and better products, new business opportunities and new jobs, therefore pushing for a more digitally skilled and competitive Europe. Besides being a part of the European policy innitiative SAE, TETRAMAX is collaborating with a number of national/regional initiatives and digitial innovation hubs for, e.g., distributing and communicating initiative results and call information,  fostering the connection to SMEs and others.

Market and Services

Sectors

  • Energy and utilities
  • Transport and logistics
  • Public administration
  • Education
  • Life sciences & healthcare
  • Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco
  • Manufacture of machinery and equipment
  • Manufacture of electrical and optical equipment
  • Manufacture of transport equipment
  • Other Manufacturing

TRL Focus

  • TRL2 - Technology concept and/or application formulated
  • TRL3 - Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept
  • TRL4 - Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment
  • TRL5 - Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment
  • TRL6 - System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment
  • TRL7 - System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
  • TRL8 - Actual system completed and qualified through test and demonstration

Services provided

  • Awareness creation
  • Ecosystem building, scouting, brokerage, networking
  • Collaborative Research
  • Concept validation and prototyping
  • Pre-competitive series production
  • Incubator/accelerator support
  • Access to Funding and Investor Readiness Services
  • Mentoring
  • Education and skills development

Service Examples

HiPEAC - the leading network to get connected with potential business partners and to create ideas for tech transfers

As one of the backbones of modern society, information technology is rapidly entering the artificial intelligence era and also simultaneously evolving in the area of high-performance and embedded computing systems. This rapid development must be supported by a solid and long-lasting cooperation between academia and industry in order to establish a digital ecosystem prepared to face the challenges of the future. This rapid development in technology requires fast and dedicated adaptation in all layers of the educational system throughout EU. Unfortunately, the available training systems and people’s skills for building a digitalized community have a slow reaction to the much needed changes. Moreover, a lack in necessary educational equipment and manpower can be witnessed, which significantly impacts the society’s ability to keep up with the digital era. To support the strong momentum of information technology in the modern world, a network of professionals throughout Europe has been established. This highly recognized community entitled HiPEAC (coordinator@hipeac.net; https://www.hipeac.net) has been developed as a long-lasting ecosystem for more than ten years, supporting its network members with beneficial services such as research coordination including the set of thematic sessions at conferences and workshops, collaboration and networking across different disciplines between European and non-European institutions. The initiatives TETRACOM and TETRAMAX have provided and will provide a variety of workshops and incentives open to HiPEAC members as well as poster sessions, linkage to get connected with new potential business partners and potential ideas for national and European cross-border collaboration for technology transfers. So far, both initiatives have contributed to HiPEAC with more than eleven technology transfer workshops to industry and start-ups, two poster sessions and more than seven booths to stimulate networking among potential business partners. A variety of different future activities are already fixed and/or in the planning phase. Moreover, the initiatives’ presence plays an important role at maintaining a network of professionals being able to prepare new generations of computer scientists and a technologically oriented workforce, thereby encouraging and pushing for a digitalized and competitive Europe.

A powerful LTE Turbo-Code Decoder – enabling component of next generation mobile technology

Mobile communication and services are growing at an accelerated pace. To handle this demand for ever-increasing data throughput, the next generation of wireless systems requires a Long­Term Evolution (LTE) Turbo-Code Decoder (Forward Error Correction – FEC).  An LTE Turbo decoder has the capabilities to deliver these vast data rates requirements in compliance with the mobile broadband standard specifications.  But designing and verifying this decoder requires high-level academic experience and expertise, which is often not available for SMEs. Through a technology transfer project supported by the pilot project TETRACOM, the University of Kaiserslautern provided the high-level academic support to the small and medium sized enterprise Creonic GmbH (info@creonic.com) and worked together to adapt the LTE Turbo-Code Decoder IP to the needs of Creonic’s customers.   This resulted in the development of an LTE Decoder with major technical advantages such as a small chip size, enabling a more energy-efficient computation, a highly scalable architecture to fit the target application and a near-ideal communications performance, allowing reliable communications even in places with poor network coverage. Creonic has an important competitive advantage thanks to this supported technology transfer, offering existing and new customers highly sophisticated solutions. Furthermore, it has the potential to increase its number of employees by 50% and its revenue by 20% until 2020.

More details: https://www.tetracom.eu/success-story/powerful-lte-turbo-code-decoder-enabling-component-next-generation-mobile-technology

OPTIGLASS: Application of Artificial Intelligence-based techniques for optimizing the continuous Glass Cutting Problem

In automated float glass manufacturing, a continuous ribbon of glass has to be cut according to customer orders. This is a complex and energy-intensive process.  To keep the glass manufacturing company AGC Flat Glass Ibérica S.A. (david.rueda@eu.agc.com) competitive and sustainable, it was necessary to invest in optimization.   Therefore, collaboration between the AGC Flat Glass Ibérica S.A. and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia was facilitated by the pilot project TETRACOM.  The academic experience on specialised algorithms was essential in the design and transfer of artificial intelligence based technology in the production process. This resulted in the creation of a simulation tool that analyses the best cutting positions and the insertion of new orders in the system. This increased overall process efficiency while considerably improving the energy efficiency of the operation.   The supported technology transfer reduced the losses and increased the competitiveness of the small and medium-sized company in the market. Thanks to better technology and improved efficiency, the company now saves approximately €150,000 per year.

More details: https://www.tetracom.eu/project/optiglass-application-artificial-intelligence-based-techniques-optimizing-continuous-glass

Funding

  • Horizon 2020
  • Partner resources

Partners

H2020 Projects

  • SESAME NET
    Supercomputing Expertise for SmAll and Medium Enterprise Network

    Supercomputing Expertise for SmAll and Medium Enterprise Network


    Network of HPC Competence Centres for SMEs

  • ReconCell
    A Reconfigurable robot workCell for fast set-up of automated assembly processes in SMEs

    A Reconfigurable robot workCell for fast set-up of automated assembly processes in SMEs


    ReconCell develops a new type of robot workcell, its required process infrastructures and the economic framework for automated robot assembly, especially designed for the needs of SMEs. SMEs would benefit from robotic automation, but often cannot use it due to set-up & maintenance complexity. This requires expert knowledge and time for configuration and programming, which is too costly for them. Robotic automation is, thus, normally economically infeasible for SMEs, especially for small batch sizes. ReconCell develops an easy to (re-)configure and (re-)program workcell, making robot solutions commercially viable even for small batch sizes (~1000 units) by reducing set-up & maintenance effort substantially.

    Specifically, the ReconCell System is based on a layered concept where we start together with the customer with business modelling the planned product assembly based on the ReconCell System to assess its economic viability and provide decisive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). On approval, the next layer of the ReconCell System implements assembly with automated testing in simulation. Here we use reconfigurable hardware elements to design the required workcell layout and assembly processes. After verification, product assembly takes place in the real workcell under machine vision-based monitoring and novel force-based control of execution to assure product quality using the KPIs. We demonstrate the capabilities of the layered ReconCell System on three real use cases provided by the SMEs of our consortium and two more use cases, established through an open call. In addition, the consortium has started to establish a network of potential ReconCell users to disseminate information about ReconCell technologies to all actors in the value chain, and to raise awareness about the possibilities of automated robot assembly in SMEs. The final aim is to establish a company that commercializes the workcell and associated technologies developed in the ReconCell project.

  • Fortissimo 2
    Factories of the Future Resources, Technology, Infrastructure and Services for Simulation and Modelling 2

    Factories of the Future Resources, Technology, Infrastructure and Services for Simulation and Modelling 2


    Fortissimo 2 will drive the uptake of advanced modelling, simulation and data analytics by European engineering and manufacturing SMEs and mid-caps. Such an uptake will deliver improved design processes, better products and services, and improved competitiveness. For the European Union as a whole this means improved employment opportunities and economic growth.

    The importance of advanced ICT to the competitiveness of both large and small companies in the engineering and manufacturing domain is well established. Despite early successes in this area, there are still many barriers to the uptake of such solutions, not least of which are the initial cost and complexity of adoption, particularly in the context of challenging trading conditions. This proposal targets the ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) action line (Phase 2) and builds on Phase 1 of that initiative.

    Phase 2 addresses the adoption of next generation ICT advances in the manufacturing domain. At the core of Fortissimo 2 are three tranches of Application Experiments (~35 in total). An initial set is included in this proposal and two further sets will be obtained through Open Calls for proposals. These experiments will be driven by the requirements of first-time users (predominately SMEs) and will bring together actors from across the value chain, from cycle providers to domain experts via the Fortissimo Marketplace. This will enable innovative solutions to manufacturing challenges, leading to new and improved design processes, products and services. A key feature of Fortissimo 2 will be the adaption of the Marketplace to meet the needs of end-users. It will offer a responsive and reliable service to companies which want to access HPC and Big resources and expertise.

    Fortissimo 2 initially involves 732 months of effort, a total cost of €11.1m and EC funding of €10m over a duration of three years, commensurate with achieving its ambitious goals.

  • I4MS-Growth
    Support and stimulation of dynamic and organic growth of pan European ICT for Manufacturing SME Innovation Ecosystems

    Support and stimulation of dynamic and organic growth of pan European ICT for Manufacturing SME Innovation Ecosystems


    The ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) initiative was launched by the EC on July 2013 with an initial budget of 77 million Euro. During its first stage, I4MS has shown substantial success and contributed to the progressive development of European SMEs adopting advanced ICT solutions for manufacturing.
    The initiative has already achieved some of the main goals resulting from the interaction with SMEs through the successful launch of open calls that generated a high participation of SMEs, many of them newcomers to EU R&D funding programs.
    The actual stage of the projects involved in I4MS brings the need for enhanced support and specific actions towards their exploitation success and towards better leveraging the European Manufacturing Sector through the implementation of ICT solutions within the Manufacturing SMEs. Four additional projects have joined the initiative, these projects will need to integrate in the initiative and have same services of support as the projects included in the first phase of I4MS, such as open calls support, etc…
    For this purpose, I4MS-Growth has designed different strategies that will among others:
    • Renew the I4MS Portal with improved areas for providing information of interest to: regional entities, competence centers, SMEs, etc…
    • Enable the interchange of synergies between IPs and IAs involved in the initiative
    • Support the interaction with the I4MS Competence Centre Network;
    • Continue to promote and support the involvement of SMEs in the new launch of open calls for IAs;
    • Reinforce the brand and image of the Competence Centers Network of Excellence as well as their interaction with innovation hubs;
    • Facilitate the dissemination of the experiments for a future replication and implementation of the I4MS scheme within the regions;
    • Position the I4MS initiative as one of the key initiatives in Europe for the Manufacturing and ICT sector.
    • Administrative management of innovation hubs.

  • TETRAMAX
    TEchnology TRAnsfer via Multinational Application eXperiments

    TEchnology TRAnsfer via Multinational Application eXperiments


    The major objective of TETRAMAX is to provide an implementation of the European “Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE)” initiative in the domain of customized low energy computing (CLEC) for CPS and the IoT. The project builds on three major activity lines: (1) Stimulating, organizing, co-funding, and evaluating different types of cross-border Application Experiments, providing “EU added value” via innovative CLEC technologies to first-time users and broad markets in European ICT-related industries, (2) Building and leveraging a new European CLEC competence center network, offering technology brokerage, one-stop shop assistance and CLEC training to SMEs and mid-caps, and with a clear evolution path towards new regional digital innovation hubs where needed, and (3) Paving the way towards self-sustainability based on pragmatic and customized long-term business plans. The project impact will be measured based on well-defined, goal-oriented performance indicators. The immediate ambition of TETRAMAX within its duration is to support 50+ industry clients and 3rd parties in the entire EU with innovative technologies, leading to an estimated revenue increase of 25 Mio. € based on 50+ new or improved CLEC-based products, 10+ entirely new businesses/SMEs initiated, as well as 30+ new permanent jobs and significant cost and energy savings in product manufacturing. Moreover, in the long term, TETRAMAX will be the trailblazer towards a reinforced, profitable, and sustainable ecosystem infrastructure, providing CLEC competence, services and a continuous innovation stream at European scale, yet with strong regional presence as preferred by SMEs.

  • CloudiFacturing
    Cloudification of Production Engineering for Predictive Digital Manufacturing

    Cloudification of Production Engineering for Predictive Digital Manufacturing


    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is essential for the digitalization of the manufacturing sector; notwithstanding, less than 25% of the manufacturing companies in Europe profit from ICT-enabled solutions. In order to democratically boost the competitiveness of the European manufacturers (especially Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - SMEs), innovative solutions need to consider technological and commercial scalability from the beginning. From this perspective, the cloudification of services has become the ideal enabler in the manufacturing digitalization. Successful European initiatives such us CloudFlow, cloudSME or Fortissimo have demonstrated the benefits of cloudification for engineering services, by means of combining HPC resources, computational tools, and cloud computing platforms. Manufacturing SMEs are empowered to compute and solve problems that cannot be tackled without cloud and HPC technology, making them more competitive by reducing development times for innovative product with better performance. The results of these initiatives are fostering the engineering and to some extend the prototyping processes within the manufacturing workflow; however, monitoring and optimizing production processes have not yet greatly benefited from an integrated information workflow and simulation loop based on on-line factory data.
    The core partners of CloudFlow (eu-cloudflow.eu) and cloudSME (cloudsme.eu) are joining forces to leverage factory data with cloud-based engineering tools:
    a) paving the way toward manufacturing analytics,
    b) enriching the manufacturing engineering process with on-line data, and
    c) simulating and optimizing the production process with the vision to support it in real-time.
    The consolidated platform between CloudFlow and cloudSME with extended capabilities to process factory data is going to be accessed through a central interface, enabling the stakeholders to interact, and collaborate.

  • DIH²
    A Pan‐European Network of Robotics DIHs for Agile Production

    A Pan‐European Network of Robotics DIHs for Agile Production


    DIH^2 is a network of 26 DIHs, with a target to reach over 170 DIHs. The sole aim of the network is to spark incremental (cut 50% cost of advance robotics solutions, double the growth of robotics market) and disruptive (maximum productivity & optimum agility) innovations in over 300,000 Manufacturing SMEs and Mid-Caps. It will support SMEs in their Agile Production challenge (50% increase in productivity) and unleash their digitalization potential by enabling robot solutions that are more cost effective at lower lot sizes.

    DIH^2 relies on:
    • A Common Open Platform Reference Architecture for Agile Production (COPRA-AP) -based on Industrial Data Space Reference Architecture Model and FIWARE technologies- to serve the needs of SMEs by means of a continuously growing set of Robotic-based Open Standard Enablers (ROSE-AP).
    • A marketplace as one-stop-shop for SMEs to access essential services for digital transformation including business modelling, technical support, access to skills and finance.
    • 2 competitive Open Calls to launch an ambitious Technology Transfer Program with 260 Agility Audits, 26 cross-border Technology Transfer Experiments and 26 ROSE-AP, leveraging over 26M€ of public & private funding in advance robotics solutions for Agile Production.
    • Members deeply rooted in their regional Smart Specialization Strategy (bringing €5M additional funding on top of EU funds), ensuring ‘working distance’ services for every SME in Europe - whichever the sector, wherever the location, whatever the size.
    • A Corporate Sponsorship Program from equipment and automation suppliers committed with the network to get access to wider market and latest research in robotics.

    DIH^2 will transform this network into a self-sustainable non-profit association with members all over Europe. DIH^2  will demonstrate that public funded research can help SMEs & Mid-Caps achieve digital excellence and global competitiveness through adopting advanced robotics solutions in Agile Production.

  • TRINITY
    Digital Technologies, Advanced Robotics and increased Cyber-security for Agile Production in Future European Manufacturing Ecosystems

    Digital Technologies, Advanced Robotics and increased Cyber-security for Agile Production in Future European Manufacturing Ecosystems


    The main objective of TRINITY is to create a network of multidisciplinary and synergistic local digital innovation hubs (DIHs) composed of research centers, companies, and university groups that cover a wide range of topics that can contribute to agile production: advanced robotics as the driving force and digital tools, data privacy and cyber security technologies to support the introduction of advanced robotic systems in the production processes. The result will be a one-stop shop for methods and tools to achieve highly intelligent, agile and reconfigurable production, which will ensure Europe’s welfare in the future.  The network will start its operation by developing demonstrators in the areas of robotics we identified as the most promising to advance agile production, e.g. collaborative robotics including sensory systems to ensure safety, effective user interfaces based on augmented reality and speech, reconfigurable robot workcells and peripheral equipment (fixtures, jigs, grippers, …), programming by demonstration, IoT, secure wireless networks, etc. These demonstrators will serve as reference implementation for two rounds of open calls for application experiments, where companies with agile production needs and sound business plans will be supported by TRINITY DIHs to advance their manufacturing processes. Besides technology-centered services, primarily laboratories with advanced robot technologies and know-how to develop innovative application experiments, TRINITY network of DIHS will also offer training and consulting services, including support for business planning and access to financing. Services of participating DIHs and dissemination of information to wider public will be provided through a digital access point that will be developed in the project. Another important activity of the project will be the preparation of a business plan to sustain the network after the end of the project funding.

  • SMART4ALL
    SELFSUSTAINED CROSS BORDER CUSTOMIZED CYBERPHYSICAL SYSTEM EXPERIMENTS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AMONG EUROPEAN STAKEHOLDERS

    SELFSUSTAINED CROSS BORDER CUSTOMIZED CYBERPHYSICAL SYSTEM EXPERIMENTS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AMONG EUROPEAN STAKEHOLDERS


    SMART4ALL builds capacity amongst European stakeholders via the development of selfsustained, cross-border experiments that transfer knowledge and technology between academia and industry. It targets CLEC CPS and the IoT and combines a set of unique characteristics that join together under a common vision different cultures, different policies, different geographical areas and different application domains.  SMART4ALL brings a new paradigm for revealing “hidden innovation treasures” from SEE and helping them to find the path to market via new, innovative commercial products. As part of its strategy, the project will develop and maintain an active network of DIHs across SEE for supporting academics, start-ups, SMEs, and mid-caps entering the digitization era. The mechanisms for achieving this are the design and implementation of 88 cross-border PAEs that will be executed by the consortium members and by 3rd party consortia (academics, companies and mid-caps). The latter will be supported via well-defined regular open calls and will have a day-by-day coaching by SMART4ALL consortium for boosting the research ideas to successful products. PAEs will be actively supported by SMART4ALL DIH cluster throughout and after their execution. The targeted application areas are domains that are not adequately represented in current SAE projects and include digitized environment, digitized agriculture, digitized anything and digitized transport. SMART4ALL introduces also the concept of marketplace-as-a-service (MaaS) that acts as one-stop-smart-stop of SMART4ALL DIH cluster for offering tools, services, platforms based mainly on open sources technologies as well as technology suppliers-adopter matchmaking capabilities customized to the four thematic pillars of the project. Finally, SMART4ALL plans horizontal activities that will support the Digital Skills Agenda of EC and the support of sensitive social groups via ideas and products that have significant impact on their lives.

  • BOWI
    Boosting Widening Digital Innovation Hubs

    Boosting Widening Digital Innovation Hubs


    BOWI project addresses the challenge of limited capacities among DIHs to support the uptake of SAE/I4MS technologies during the last 7 years in the European industry at large. The overall aim of the project is to create a DIH widening network that supports the collaboration of new DIHs (proto-hubs) in regions where SAE and I4MS technologies are underrepresented and well-established DIHs that are highly experienced in these technologies (mature hubs). BOWI takes the first step towards creating a fully sustainable post-project network by:
    1. Strengthening proto-hubs by carrying out actual experiments and facilitating the collaboration between proto-hubs and mature hubs;
    2. Ensuring sustainability of BOWI network by developing a blended financing accelerator and membership model;
    3. Creating the BOWI community, initiating the participation of proto-hubs, mature hubs, regional stakeholders, and investors.
    The mechanism will be first tested by supporting 6 pioneer proto-hubs (pioneer stage), which will be later extended to 9 proto-hubs in the second full-fledged strengthening stage, allowing new members of the EU DIH community to participate, including the proto-hubs and mature hubs that are currently not part of the consortium. The post-project BOWI network business model is to be explored, including service and funding needs. To ensure practical experience, all 15 proto-hubs will be supported to conduct 60 (15x4) SAE/I4MS uptake experiments with SMEs in total. For this purpose, an extensive FSTP approach will be used.
    The consortium includes experienced partners that participate intensively in the SAE/I4MS strategies (Civitta, FBA, VTT, and RWTH). They are complemented by 6 proto-hubs from various countries that act as pioneer hubs to test and validate approaches (TIT, LITC, UWB, KTP, NTNU, ICT).

  • DIH-World
    DIH-World - Accelerating deployment and matureness of DIHs for the benefit of Digitisation of European SMEs

    DIH-World - Accelerating deployment and matureness of DIHs for the benefit of Digitisation of European SMEs


    DIH-World aims to accelerate the uptake of advanced digital technologies by European manufacturing SMEs in all sectors and support them in building sustainable competitive advantages and reaching global markets strengthening the capacities of regional DIHs, particularly in underrepresented regions across Europe. As intermediaries of successful local SME digital transformation, DIH World, aims at providing DIHs, access to harmonised tools, well proven technologies, effective methodologies, sound knowledge, smart investment sources, rich training assets and overall a vibrant innovation environment. The final aim is to accelerate the matureness of DIHs and the development of their collaboration capabilities, and avoid a DIH divide due to lack of access to technologies, skills, networks, investment and infrastructures with special emphasis in underrepresented regions; so they can capitalise and leverage on the European DIHs Networks their resources and facilities for the benefit of their local SMEs. This will be achieved thanks to the: DIH-World platform, that will provide a full coverage of the services needed by the DIHs and the SMEs willing to identify the right DIH for them, the DIH-Academy that will provide the tools to train DIHs and bring them to the next level, Open calls for experiments, that will provide sufficient technological support to SMEs and midcaps. As well as with a broad geographical coverage, with more than 26 countries to be covered in Europe including specific activities to involve regional and national actors in the DIH network.

Last updated: 13/08/18 11:18