Supporting the smes sUstainaibility and REsilience transition towards industry 5.0 in the mobility, transport & automotive, aerospace and electronics European ecosystems

Project Information

SURE 5.0

Grant agreement ID: 101057369

DOI

10.3030/101057369

Project closed

EC signature date 20 May 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 4 988 125,00

EU contribution

€ 4 988 125,00

Coordinated by

AEROSPACE VALLEY
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SURE 5.0 (Supporting the smes sUstainaibility and REsilience transition towards industry 5.0 in the mobility, transport & automotive, aerospace and electronics European ecosystems)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

SURE5.0 aimed to support the transition of EU innovative SMEs from the Mobility, Transport & Automotive (MTA), Aerospace & Defence (ASD), and Electronics ecosystems towards Industry 5.0 (I5.0). The project promoted the uptake of advanced technologies to strengthen EU global competitiveness, while guiding SMEs through digital, green, and social transitions. SURE5.0 helped SMEs embed the three key principles of I5.0 into their production:
Human-centricity
Employees’ skills were placed at the centre of industrial change. As advanced technologies become more common, new skills are needed, and workers' safety, satisfaction, and well-being are affected. Industry 4.0 focuses on helping workers use new tools. However, not all employees can or want to invest in learning. I5.0 starts with their existing skills and adapts the tools accordingly.
Sustainability
Value chains in SURE5.0 ecosystems rely on resources that must be regenerated, not wasted. This requires new skills and processes, enabled by advanced technologies. SURE5.0 promoted a shift from linear to circular ecosystems, through models that reuse, repurpose, and recycle resources, reduce waste, and support sustainability.
Resilience
The COVID-19 crisis highlighted value chain fragility. Resilience means strong control from raw materials to production skills. SMEs received support to adopt technologies enabling adaptable capacity, better forecasting, and flexible business processes.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

To achieve I5.0 adoption, SMEs joined SURE5.0 through three steps:
Engagement
A self-assessment tool, simple and quick to use, was promoted to raise I5.0 awareness. It provided instant feedback on transition readiness and is available online. 291 companies completed it, from over 20 EU and 3 non-EU countries.
Assessment & Services
Two Acceleration Programmes (each in two phases) were open to SMEs completing the self-assessment. SMEs received a full diagnosis and four types of support: uptake of advanced technologies, I5.0 training, investment readiness, and social innovation/human-centricity services. 75 SMEs developed I5.0 roadmaps.
Funding I5.0 Transition
SMEs selected from Phase 1 could apply for €50K in Phase 2 to implement the proposed changes. 53 SMEs received funding and completed the full programme.
SURE5.0 also built an EU-wide I5.0 community. The project united EU initiatives and enterprises across the three ecosystems, hosting events and webinars to exchange best practices. A Community of Practice (CoP) was launched on LinkedIn in March 2023. Matchmaking events helped beneficiaries select service providers from the SURE5.0 catalogue.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Acceleration Programme 1
84 self-assessments completed; 37 full applications from 18 EU countries (93 total applicants). Most were from Portugal (5) and Finland (4). 17 SMEs (mainly in MTA) were selected; 16 continued to Phase 2.
Acceleration Programme 2
291 self-assessments; 84 full applications; 58 SMEs selected, mainly from France, Austria, Spain, and Italy, primarily in the MTA sector. 37 proceeded to Phase 2.
Webinars
10 webinars were held, with 417 participants, showing strong interest in the initiative.
Services
Each Phase 1 SME received a personalised roadmap and a programme contact. Two innovation services were provided: one for social innovation (via webinars) and one for business readiness (via interviews). In Phase 2, SMEs also accessed technical services from RTOs. In total, 85 technical services were delivered to 43 SMEs.
Training
All Phase 2 SMEs received training under three themes: introduction to I5.0 technical training, and innovative methods. Each partner created sessions, all hosted on a shared platform. Participants received certificates upon completion.
Networking
The 'Community of Practice Alliance', managed by AV, EITM & SAC, gathered 234 I5.0 stakeholders on LinkedIn. Posts were shared bi-weekly.
A Catalogue of Service Providers was created to help SMEs select transition support.
A Sustainability Booklet summarised the project’s achievements and SME involvement.

SURE5.0 Logo

SURE5.0 Policy Recommendations