Industry 4.0 – also known as the 4th Industrial Revolution – is one of the biggest challenges for European Industry. After mechanization, electrification and automation, the fourth Industrial Revolution is focusing on the introduction of advanced technologies connecting products, machines, people and production systems in order to realize the smart factory of the future. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Europe's economy. They represent 99% of all businesses in the EU. In the past years, they have created around 85% of new jobs and provided two-thirds of the total private sector employment in the EU. The European Commission considers SMEs therefore as key to ensuring economic growth, innovation, job creation, and social integration in the EU (source:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)). The project SME 4.0 is important for society due to its expected impact for speeding up the implementation of Industry 4.0 in SMEs and thus to increase productivity and competitiveness of European SMEs. Despite the high potential of Industry 4.0 in SMEs, the main limitation currently lies in a lack of specific and concrete models for its implementation and application in small and medium-sized enterprises. Thus, the research project aims at closing and overcoming this gap through the creation of an international and interdisciplinary research network.
The three main objectives of the project are:
1. Identifying the needs and enablers for Industry 4.0 applications and implementation in SME Manufacturing and Logistics
What are actual known concepts and technologies of Industry 4.0?
What are the main opportunities/risks for the use of these concepts in SMEs?
How suitable are the different concepts for application in SMEs (assessment of SME suitability)?
What are SME-specific functional requirements for the adaptation of the most promising concepts and technologies?
2. Creating SME-specific concepts and strategies for smart and intelligent SME Manufacturing and Logistics
What are possible forms or migration levels for realizing smart and intelligent Manufacturing Systems for X-to-order and Mass Customization Production?
How can Automation, Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, ICT and CPS improve productivity in SME Manufacturing and Logistics?
What are suitable models for smart and lean supply chains in SME Logistics?
3. Developing specific organization and management models for smart SMEs
What are innovative and promising new business models for smart SMEs?
What are optimal implementation strategies for the introduction of Industry 4.0 in SMEs?
What are ideal organizational models for smart SMEs or SME networks?
Conclusions of the action:
• Comprehensive overview of requirements and barriers for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in SMEs
• Development of technical as well as organizational templates and frameworks for facilitating SMEs to introduce Industry 4.0
• Development of assessment models and roadmaps for introducing Industry 4.0
• Involvement of SMEs in the explorative analysis as well as validation of applicability of project results
• Validation of SME specific concepts through lab prototypes as well as industrial case studies
