• Completed and validated a Common Vision, Roadmap and associated Implementation Plan as an integrated document via WP3. The document has been published and is available on the AceForm4.0 project website. The validation of the document was undertaken through a series of 19 key stakeholder interviews, three interactive feedback workshops combined with knowledge exchange activities, three webinars and the final validation workshop.
• The validated Common Vision, Roadmap and associated Implementation Plan and the recommendations comprised were evolved based on feedback and information gathering during validation process. The document has been endorsed by over twenty stakeholders across the project’s six target sectors including SMEs and have been developed in context of the challenges faced by the formulation industry in context of Industry 4.0 and the Circular Economy.
• The consortium organised seven knowledge exchange workshops total during the project. Six of these where organised during Period 1, as detailed below and a further knowledge exchange workshop was organised and held in Barcelona on during April 2008. Three additional webinars were held by the consortium targeting specific themes:
o Circular Economy and Formulated Products – 12th June 2018
o Industry 4.0 and Formulated Products – 19th June 2018
o Formulated Products – 21st June 2018
• During the project the consortium helped to initiate eleven relevant formulated product initiatives. Four during Period 1 and seven during Period 2.
• A Business Continuity Plan with commitment from partners has been established by the AceForm4.0 Consortium. As part of the business continuity plan, the consortium has developed close links with the EuCheMS working party for Formulation Chemistry, which has recently been established and is chair by Professor Alain Durand who is a member of the AceForm4.0 project.
• The EU Formulation Interest Group (EU-FIG) is established and includes after completion of the project 245 members. For strategic reasons it will be renamed in European Formulation Network (EUFormNet) after the end of the project. Registration is still possible via the project homepage. Besides a restricted download area with all important documents also a Matchmaking Database was created. Both can be found here:
https://formulation-network.eu/members(opens in new window). The EU-FIG is also present in social media on LinkedIn (
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13512150(opens in new window)).
• The AceForm4.0 Final Conference took place on 28 August 2018 in Liverpool during the 7th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress. AceForm4.0 presented its main results, especially the Common Vision and Roadmap, which has been developed over the last two years. The event was free of charge. Programme and talks by AceForm4.0 consortium members (all slides are available on the project website in the members area).
• Developed Draft Call text for incorporation in future Horizon 2020 call for proposals:
o Promoting alternatives to problematic chemicals used in formulated products
o Industry 4.0 for Radical Formulated Product Design
o Value Chain Digitalisation for Complex Formulated Products: From Concept to Market
o Zero-defect production in the field of formulated products
o De-risking shift of Formulation Industries to Circular Economy through the use of tools to model the impact in case studies
o Development and/or reformulation of products to enhance sustainability and help drive Europe towards a Circular Economy.
• Led by DECHEMA the consortium established a Dissemination and Communication Strategy at the onset of the project comprising of four key components as outlined in the diagram below. This has been outlined in Deliverable D5.2 “Communication and Dissemination Activities Report 1”. As part of the communication strategy the consortium has established and will maintain the AceForm4.0 project website. Stakeholders from industry, research and government who have an interest in Formulated products are encouraged to join the EU-FIG community and gain access to the member’s areas that also houses an online matching tool and service.
