Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AIRISE (Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing for Sustainable Applications at SMEs)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-06-30
AIRISE aims to create a framework to support European SMEs in the uptake of Artificial Intelligence applied to manufacturing, with a specific focus on reduction of waste and carbon footprint while ensuring resilient operation. The consortium will create an eco-system where the project’s AI experts will support experimenting SMEs and connect them to Digital Innovation Hubs and commercial companies to achieve real-world applications. Open Calls will allow SMEs to easily access AI expert competence through first-stage assessments that identify status and potential, and through further proposals that support them in running Validation Experiments and Pilot Applications. The ambition of the project is to support more than 500 cases from SMEs and mid-caps on key AI applications. Additional support from the consortium will be provided on security and connectivity by involving external resources in cybersecurity and IoT and on smart working environments by offerings on operator interfaces and collaborative robots. AIRISE activities will help SMEs to achieve real-world AI applications in manufacturing by providing the best practices in the digital chain for manufacturing of functional parts covering certifiable, robust and explainable AI, trustworthy data integration, merging models and data in AI, computational AI hardware and software, decision-making for engineering systems and AI systems engineering. The AI services offered by AIRISE to SMEs for application areas in manufacturing are based on three ‘AI technology building blocks’: Algorithms, Knowledge, and Data. The three specific AI technology building block elements come together and integrate in the specific SME application. More than 75 SME led Pilot Applications and Validation Experiments that assess the implementation of AI-supported manufacturing will be conducted. Test environments will be created to provide a place/environment to allow SMEs to receive expert assistance with their AI-optimized business case, including support services such as data analysis, data mining model creation, agent systems, ground truth and application building.
During Period 1 (M1-M18) the AIRISE consortium focused on designing the procedures and putting in place the mechanisms that will be the main enablers of the ambition described. Highlights include:
- Establishment of procedures and checklists to monitor and ensure compliance with Ethics principles.
- Design and initial deployment of an ecosystem with four discrete areas, towards supporting SMEs in the uptake of AI.
- Collection of available technical and business services from all consortium partners, and grouping them against 6 service areas that can cover the whole landscape of AI in manufacturing.
- Design of procedures to enable (technical) resources allocation to experimenting SMEs as well as efficient update of services provided to them.
- Design of Open Calls towards SMEs, with clearly defined scope, criteria and selection procedures, including the deployment of an online proposal submission system.
- Design of the Ambassador Programme, aimed at industrial associations representing SMEs with the goal of significantly boosting outreach and support.
- Design of a training programme, development of training material and delivery of training to Ambassadors.
- Conception and development of an AI Assessment tool, towards providing feedback and support to SMEs that want to experiment with AI in manufacturing.
- Execution of Open Calls towards SMEs and Ambassadors, with 3 rounds for SMEs and 3 rounds for Ambassadors completed.
- Design of a complete dissemination strategy, including graphical identity. Creation of relevant marketing materials (banners, leaflets, videos, webcasts, newsletter).
- Deployment of website, creation of social media channels and participation in events promoting AIRISE.
- Clustering activities and common dissemination actions with other I4MS2 (and beyond) relevant projects and activities.
- Creation of a preliminary exploitation plan, with concepts for paid digital tools and service provisioning.
- Establishment of procedures and checklists to monitor and ensure compliance with Ethics principles.
- Design and initial deployment of an ecosystem with four discrete areas, towards supporting SMEs in the uptake of AI.
- Collection of available technical and business services from all consortium partners, and grouping them against 6 service areas that can cover the whole landscape of AI in manufacturing.
- Design of procedures to enable (technical) resources allocation to experimenting SMEs as well as efficient update of services provided to them.
- Design of Open Calls towards SMEs, with clearly defined scope, criteria and selection procedures, including the deployment of an online proposal submission system.
- Design of the Ambassador Programme, aimed at industrial associations representing SMEs with the goal of significantly boosting outreach and support.
- Design of a training programme, development of training material and delivery of training to Ambassadors.
- Conception and development of an AI Assessment tool, towards providing feedback and support to SMEs that want to experiment with AI in manufacturing.
- Execution of Open Calls towards SMEs and Ambassadors, with 3 rounds for SMEs and 3 rounds for Ambassadors completed.
- Design of a complete dissemination strategy, including graphical identity. Creation of relevant marketing materials (banners, leaflets, videos, webcasts, newsletter).
- Deployment of website, creation of social media channels and participation in events promoting AIRISE.
- Clustering activities and common dissemination actions with other I4MS2 (and beyond) relevant projects and activities.
- Creation of a preliminary exploitation plan, with concepts for paid digital tools and service provisioning.
AIRISE does not directly aim at developing breakthrough technological solutions in the field of AI; instead, the goal is to transfer what is already known and at the state of art to manufacturing SME shopfloors. That being said, AI services offered to SMEs are further developed and tested, increasing their TRL and maturity through industrial applications. Moreover, AIRISE is developing two tools from scratch (“AI Assessment tool” and “AI Conformity tool”) that are extremely relevant towards assessing current positioning of SMEs in the AI landscape and assisting them in creating a roadmap towards AI implementation. These tools extend beyond the current state of art, and the consortium is already exploring the options for exploitation once these tools are mature and tested.