At the time of writing - with the business and technological support services beginning, hackathons still being organised, matchmaking events yet to occurr and the roundtables on cluster support to SMEs' industrial transition foreseen later in 2025 - the results beyond the state of the art regard the rigorous SWOT analysis of technology uptake in five industrial ecosystems. Unlike previous studies, which often focused on isolated technological advancements, this research provides a holistic assessment of value chains, emphasizing the interplay between traditional SMEs and tech-savvy SMEs/start-ups. Key contributions beyond the state of the art include a comprehensive value chain analysis: the study goes beyond assessing individual company needs and maps interdependencies within industrial value chains, identifying bottlenecks, risks, and critical dependencies that hinder transition towards I5.0.
Further, while existing frameworks predominantly prioritize technological solutions, the BRIDGESMEs study uniquely incorporates Industry 5.0 balancing technology uptake with workforce development and environmental responsibility.
Finally, having gathered empirical data from almost 90 SMEs and cluster organizations representing hundreds more companies, our research relies on a robust and reliable dataset.
As far as the potential impact goes, we believe that the findings from the study lay the foundation for transformative actions within European SMEs and industrial clusters. By identifying critical dependencies and challenges in value chains, the study allows for structured action at consortium level to support SMEs in developing risk mitigation strategies, reducing vulnerabilities to supply chain disruptions and economic shocks. It will also contribute to the development of roadmaps among the project's beneficiaries for bridging the gap between technological capability and implementation, ensuring SMEs can effectively transition to Industry 5.0 principles.
By mapping the specific needs and barriers faced by SMEs, the study can inform policy recommendations and funding strategies, ensuring investments are directed where they have the highest impact, also highlighting the existing specific skill gaps hindering technology adoption, which in turn can enable targeted training programs (within BRIDGESMEs) and workforce reskilling initiatives.
