Did you know that manufacturing accounts for 16% of Europe’s GDP? The sector is responsible for 64% of private sector Research & Development expenditure and for 49% of innovation expenditure in Europe.
The manufacturing industry is a strong asset of the European economy, accounting for 2 million enterprises and 33 million jobs.
ICT-based solutions applied across the manufacturing value chain help to make processes more efficient. They enable the creation of more personalised, diversified and mass-produced products as well as flexible reaction to market changes.
The production process uses more and more digital innovations such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, modelling and simulation, cloud computing and big data analysis. Part of digital single market, according to the policy related to manufacturing, by integrating these new solutions, factories can become:
- Digital: developing and analysing products and processes in a digital way will boost creativity and reduce the time from design to production. For example, creating prototypes digitally allows saving time and resources in physical testing.
- Smart: sensors, new architectures and control methods will make existing production facilities smarter, capable of adapting and reacting autonomously to changes in production.
- Virtual: factories will be connected with other factories, so that the manufacturing process can be virtually controlled, integrating production, supply chain, logistics and customisation needs in real time.
Furthermore, the EU initiative ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) connects SMEs, startups and mid-caps with European Digital Innovation Hubs, who help companies to test and adopt the latest digital technologies.
I4MS is one of the key initiatives launched by the European Commission within the action line on Digital Innovation Hubs. Nearly EUR 110 million have been invested on I4MS since its launch in 2013, with a supplementary investment of EUR 35 million in 2017.
The aim is to ensure European leadership in manufacturing through the adoption of ICT technologies, with a special focus on SMEs and the following technology areas:
- Cyber Physical Systems and Internet of Things
- HPC cloud-based simulation services and data analytics
- Laser based applications and additive manufacturing
- Robotics
I4MS offers technological and financial support to SMEs and mid-caps to experiment with different ICT enabling technologies, Industry 4.0 processes and innovative business models. The funding enables cross-border experiments of short duration where SMEs and mid-caps collaborate with Digital Innovation Hubs to test ICT technologies.
Digital Innovation Hubs provide their knowledge and support, helping SMEs to resolve the competence gap, become early adopters of new technologies and accomplish their digital transformation.
Also, I4MS is one of the key initiatives contributing to the pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs. By enabling cross-border experiments, I4MS also helps to develop a fully functional innovation ecosystems where hubs provide the services needed by companies across Europe, going beyond technical advice and including also business consulting and training.
For further information: The EU initiative ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs