Digital Innovation Hubs

Description

The mission of the iMan Norte Hub - Digital Innovation Hub for Customer-Driven Manufacturing @ Norte - is to foster the digital transformation of manufacturing companies of the Northern Region of Portugal (Norte) and to nurture the respective innovation ecosystem. The main objectives of the iMan Norte Hub are to facilitate and foster manufacturing technology adoption and diffusion in the areas of cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) and robotics, and to improve the collaboration in the ecosystem by linking research institutions, industrial technological centers, industrial associations, incubators, science and technology parks, industrial companies, technology companies, training institutions, and government agencies.

The iMan Norte hub organizes dissemination and matchmaking activities (workshops, seminars, and  open days), offers coaching and connection to funding sources, and promotes the services offered by its service providers group, such as research and development, feasibility studies, technology roadmaps, consultancy on technology selection and implementation, and training. Research institutions, industrial technological centers, industrial associations, science and technology parks, incubators, and technology companies compose the hub’s service providers group.

The iMan Norte Hub is hosted by the Portuguese Production Technologies Cluster -PRODUTECH - a national non-profit association of manufacturing technology providers, and is coordinated by a managing team with members from PRODUTECH, INESC TEC (research institute), UPTEC (Science and Technology Park) and the four industrial technological centers in the region: CATIM (metal working and machinery), CITEVE (textile and clothing), CTCP (footwear), CTCOR (cork). These seven non-profit organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the terms of collaboration among them to manage and sustain the iMan Norte Hub.

The creation of the iMan Norte was funded by the European Project BEinCPPS (Business Experiments in Cyber-Physical Production Systems, http://www.beincpps.eu/) in the scope of the I4MS program (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs, http://i4ms.eu/) and has the institutional support of the Portuguese Secretary of State of Industry and the Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N).

A missão do Digital Innovation Hub for Customer-Driven Manufacturing @ Norte (iMan Norte Hub) é fomentar a transformação digital das empresas industriais da Região Norte de Portugal (Norte) e estimular o respetivo ecossistema de inovação. O iMan Norte Hub tem como objetivos principais: - Fomentar a adoção e difusão de tecnologias avançadas de produção nas áreas de sistemas de produção ciber-físicos e robótica. - Estabelecer ligações entre centros de investigação, centros tecnológicos, associações industriais, incubadoras, parques de ciência e tecnologia, empresas de tecnologia, empresas industriais, instituições de ensino superior e profissional e instituições governamentais. O iMan Norte Hub apoia a procura de parceiros e formação de consórcios, organiza workshops e ações de demonstração e promove os serviços oferecidos por seu grupo de prestadores de serviços, como investigação e desenvolvimento, estudos de viabilidade, roteiros tecnológicos, consultoria em seleção e implementação de tecnologia e formação. O grupo de prestadores de serviços do iMan Norte hub é constituído por institutos de investigação, centros tecnológicos industriais, associações industriais, parques científicos e tecnológicos, incubadoras e empresas de tecnologia. O iMan Norte Hub pertence à Plataforma Digital Innovation Hub da PRODUTECH - Pólo das Tecnologias de Produção, uma associação nacional promovida pela Indústria Portuguesa de Tecnologias de Fabricação. O Hub é coordenado por uma equipa de gestão com elementos da PRODUTECH, INESC TEC, UPTEC e centros tecnológicos da região: CATIM (metalurgia e máquinas), CITEVE (têxtil e vestuário), CTCP (calçado), CTCOR (cortiça). Estas sete organizações sem fins lucrativos assinaram um Memorando de Entendimento com os termos de colaboração entre elas para gerir e sustentar o iMan Norte Hub.
A criação do iMan Norte foi financiada pelo projecto europeu BEinCPPS (Business Experiments in Cyber-Physical Production Systems, http://www.beincpps.eu/) no âmbito do programa I4MS (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs, http: //i4ms.eu/) e conta com o apoio institucional do Secretariado de Estado da Indústria e da Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte de Portugal (CCDR-N).

Contact Data

Coordinator (Networked, cluster organization)

PRODUTECH - Pólo das Tecnologias de Produção
http://www.produtech.org/

Year Established

2016

Location

Rua dos Plátanos nº 197, 4100-414, Porto (Portugal)

Website

https://www.imannortehub.com/

Contact information

Pedro Rocha
iman-norte.dih@produtech.org
+351 226 166 897

Technologies

• Micro/nano electronics
• Sensory systems
• Photonics and imaging technologies
• Screens and display 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
• Gamification
• Software as a service and service architectures
• Cloud computing
• Logistics
• Internet services
• New media technologies

Link to national or regional initiatives for digitising industry

The creation of the iMan Norte was funded by the European Project BEinCPPS (Business Experiments in Cyber-Physical Production Systems, http://www.beincpps.eu/) in the scope of the I4MS program (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs, http://i4ms.eu/). iMan Norte Hub is aligned with the Portuguese government initiative Indústria 4.0 (https://www.iapmei.pt/Paginas/Industria-4-0.aspx) and has the institutional support of the Portuguese Secretary of State of Industry and the Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N).

 The iMan Norte Hub interventions are an integrant part of the strategic plan for the PRODUTECH - Production Technologies Cluster, officially recognised as such, and at early stage identified as the Research and Innovation initiative in Portugal within the scope of the Action Plan for Digitising the European Industry (https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/catalognationalinitiatives-research-2016-12-08.pdf). The interventions of the hub are also aligned and implement the priorities defined in the Norte Region, under the "Advanced Manufacturing" priority area, and  in the National Smart Specialization Platform, under the thematic axis "Industries and Production Technologies", priorities "Production Technologies and Product Industries" and "Production Technologies and Process Industries".

The activities of the hub are well aligned with the Portuguese national initiative for digitising industry, Indústria 4.0.

Market and Services

Partners

• INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIA
  Research & Technology organization
  https://www.inesctec.pt/en
• PRODUTECH - Pólo das Tecnologias de Produção
  Networked, cluster organization
  http://www.produtech.org/
• CITEVE - CENTRO TECNOLÓGICO DAS INDÚSTRIAIS TÊXTIL E DO VESTUÁRIO DE PORTUGAL
  Research & Technology organization
  https://www.citeve.pt/
• UPTEC - Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Universidade do Porto
  Incubator/accelerator
  https://uptec.up.pt
• CATIM - centro de Apoio Tecnológico à Indústria Metalomecânica
  Research & Technology organization
  http://www.catim.pt
• CTCP - Centro Tecnológico do Calçado de Portugal
  Research & Technology organization
  https://www.ctcp.pt
• CTCOR - Centro Tecnológico da Cortiça
  Research & Technology organization
  http://www.ctcor.com

H2020 Projects

• BEinCPPS
  Business Experiments in Cyber Physical Production Systems

  Business Experiments in Cyber Physical Production Systems

  
  

  BEinCPPS Innovation Action aims to integrate and experiment a CPS-oriented Future Internet-based machine-factory-cloud service platform firstly intensively in five selected Smart Specialization Strategy Vanguard regions (Lombardia in Italy, Euskadi in Spain, Baden Wuertemberg in Germany, Norte in Portugal, Rhone Alpes in France), afterwards extensively in all European regions, by involving local competence centers and manufacturing SMEs. The final aim of this Innovation Action is to dramatically improve the adoption of CPPSs all over Europe by means of the creation, nurturing and flourishing of CPS-driven regional innovation ecosystems, made of competence centers, manufacturing enterprises and IT SMEs.The BE in CPPS project stems upon three distinct pillars:• A FI-based three-layered (machine-factory-cloud) open source platforms federation, integrated from state-of-the-art R&I advances in the fields of Internet of Things, Future Internet and CPS / Smart Systems and able to bi-directionally interoperate data pertaining to the machine, the factory and the cloud levels.• A pan-European SME-oriented experimentation ecosystem. In a first phase of the project, the five Champions will provide requirements to the platforms integrators. In a second phase, an Open Call for IT SMEs developers (applications experiments) will award 10 third parties. In a final third phase, the extended platform will be instantiated and deployed in additional 10 third parties equipment experiment SMEs.• A well-founded method and toolbox for Innovation management, where an existing TRL-based methodology for KETs technology transfer will be enriched by a CPPS certification, education and training programme for young talents and experienced blue collar workers and by a well-founded three-fold (objectives-variables-indicators) method for results assessment and evaluation.

• agROBOfood
  agROBOfood: Business-Oriented Support to the European Robotics and Agri-food Sector, towards a network of Digital Innovation Hubs in Robotics

  agROBOfood: Business-Oriented Support to the European Robotics and Agri-food Sector, towards a network of Digital Innovation Hubs in Robotics

  
  

  agROBOfood is dedicated to accelerate the digital transformation of the European agri-food sector through the adoption of robotic technologies. It will consolidate, extend and strengthen the current ecosystem by establishing a sustainable network of DIHs. This will boost the uptake of robotic solutions by the agri-food sector: a huge challenge requiring an inclusive approach involving all relevant European players. The agROBOfood consortium has 39 partners, led by Wageningen University & Research and other core partners of previous key projects such as IoF2020, ROBOTT-NET, PicknPack and I4MS, to leverage the ecosystem that was established in those projects. The heart of the project is formed by Innovation Experiments (IEs), organized and monitored by the DIHs. In each of the 7 Regional Clusters, an initial IE will demonstrate the robotics innovations in agri-food in a manner that ensures replicability across Europe, wide adoption and sustainability of the DIHs network. agROBOfood will work in lockstep with the European robotics community, ensuring synergetic effects with initiatives such as EU-Robotics. This will maximize the return of European, including private capital, investments in the digital transformation of agri-food. A key instrument to achieve this objective is the Industrial Advisory Board. They will provide strategic guidance and also define priorities for the selection of solutions to be funded. Open Calls of 8MEUR will attract additional Innovation Experiments (12) and Industrial Challenges (8). These will expand the network and ensure that vast technological developments and emerging challenges of the agri-food sector are incorporated in the service portfolio of DIHs. Through its inclusive structure and ambitious targets, agROBOfood aims to bring the entire European ecosystem together; connecting the dots in a way that ensures effective adoption of robotics technologies in the European agri-food sector.

• Better Factory
  Grow your manufacturing business

  Grow your manufacturing business

  
  

  Better Factory will provide methodology for Manufacturing SMEs to collaborate with Artists to develop new and personalized products. At the same time Better Factory will provide technology for SMEs to become fully connected cyber-physical-systems, transforming them into Lean-Agile production facilities capable of manufacturing new and personalized products alongside existing products.
  Main results:
  - An Advance Production Planning and Scheduling (APPS) system which can be deployed on a free and open IoT platform at 10% of the cost in 50% less time. APPS will automatically reconfigure the collaborative robots considering the individuality and gender of worker, and will also reduce 10% assets, 25% area, 30% resources, 35% logistics, 40% machines and tools and workplaces, resulting in 13% cost reduction, 15% production increase and 30% time to market.
  - A Marketplace, a one-stop-shop, where Manufacturing SMEs can buy services from Technology suppliers, Artists, CCs, training providers and financial brokers.
  - A portfolio of 16 cross-border Application Experiments by 48 SMEs selected through 2 competitive Open Calls, that will test APPS, SME+Artis collaboration and other services, and leveraging 11M€ of public and private funding becoming success stories.
  - Services, including Technical, Business and Art mentors, infrastructure, training and access to finance.
  Better Factory network consists of 28 members. 18 DIHs (10 CCs, 8 industry associations), 6 Technology suppliers and 4 service providers for marketing, access to finance, FSTP management and legal framework. Partners are currently engaged in I4MS-Go, DIH², HORSE, L4MS, MIDIH, AMABLE, BOWI, SHOP4CF. Better Factory covers 16 EU countries, 17 regions with 10 of them from EU-13.
  Better Factory will demonstrate that public funded research can help manufacturing SMEs & Mid-Caps achieve digital excellence and global competitiveness through Lean-Agile production for the manufacturing of new and personalized products.

• AI REGIO
  Regions and DIHs alliance for AI-driven digital transformation of European Manufacturing SMEs

  Regions and DIHs alliance for AI-driven digital transformation of European Manufacturing SMEs

  
  

  The AI REGIO project aims at filling 3 major gaps currently preventing AI-driven DIHs from implementing fully effective digital transformation pathways for their Manufacturing SMEs: at policy level the Regional vs. EU gap; at technological level the Digital Manufacturing vs. Innovation Collaboration Platform gap; at business level the Innovative AI (Industry 5.0) vs Industry 4.0 gap.
  POLICY. Regional smart specialization strategies for Efficient Sustainable Manufacturing and Digital Transformation (VANGUARD initiative for Industrial Modcernisation) are so far insufficiently coordinated and integrated at cross-regional and pan-EU level. SME-driven >AI innovations cannot scale up to become pan-EU accessible in global marketplaces as well as SME-driven experiments remain trapped into a too local dimension without achieving a large scale dimension. Regional vs. EU Gap.
  TECHNOLOGY. Digital Manufacturing Platforms DMP and Digital Innovation Hubs DIH play a fundamental role in the implementation of the Digital Single Market and Digitsing European Industry directives to SMEs, but so far such initiatives, communities, innovation actions are running in a quite independent if not siloed way, where very often Platform-related challenges are not of interest for DIHs and Socio-Business impact not of interest for DMP. DMP vs. DIH Gap.
  BUSINESS. Many Industrial Data Platforms based on IOT Data in Motion and Analytics Data at Rest have been recently developed to implement effective Industry 4.0 pilots (I4MS Phase III platforms). The AI revolution and the new relationship between autonomous systems and humans (Industry 5.0) has not been properly addressed in I4MS so far. AI I5.0 vs. I4.0 Gap.
  AI REGIO is following the 4 steps for VANGUARD innovation strategy (learn-connect-demonstrate-commercialize) by constantly aligning its methods with the AI DIH Network initiative and its assets with I4MS/DIH BEinCPPS Phase II and MIDIH / L4MS Phase III projects. AI REGIO: Industry 5.0 for SMEs