Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IoT4Industry (Towards smarter means of production in European manufacturing SMEs through the use of the Internet of Things technologies)
Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2020-12-31
The European manufacturing industry represents 2 million enterprises, 31 million jobs, 15% of GDP and 80% of total European exports. In this landscape, SMEs play a very important role, representing 59% of the total employment.
However, global competition, in particular coming from low labour-costs countries, currently makes the proportion of the manufacturing industry decreasing in developed European countries’ GDP, which endangers the stability for the European economy.
Industry 4.0 provides several technological responses to the challenging competitive market, with the development of processes based on technologies and devices autonomously communicating with each other along a value chain. Indeed, the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies (Cyber-Physical Systems, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Security) in manufacturing SMEs can improve efficiency and flexibility in production and consumption.
The IoT4Industry project seeks to support EU growth and competitiveness through the development of a new cross-sectoral industrial value chain based on the integration and use of IoT and related components into manufacturing tools, machines and robots, through the cross-border collaboration between SMEs and other RDI actors of the ICT and advanced manufacturing sectors. This helps the European manufacturing industry to gain competitiveness, in particular in SMEs, and increase employment in Europe.
IoT4industry has concretely contributed to the development of new cross-sectoral value chain in Industry 4.0 by stimulating, generating and supporting 40 SME-driven collaborative projects related to the integration and use of IoT technologies into manufacturing environments in 17 different industrials fields. These projects helped manufacturing SMEs to modernize their production capabilities and accelerate the access to industrial markets to IoT-based solution providers. The efficient communication strategy developed and implemented by IoT4Industry supported also a wide promotion toward European stakeholders of the added-value of IoT technologies within the smart manufacturing value-chain.
Finally, IoT4Industry has also contributed to the development of sustainable collaboration actions between ICT clusters and smart manufacturing clusters in Europe, for the benefits of SMEs.
However, global competition, in particular coming from low labour-costs countries, currently makes the proportion of the manufacturing industry decreasing in developed European countries’ GDP, which endangers the stability for the European economy.
Industry 4.0 provides several technological responses to the challenging competitive market, with the development of processes based on technologies and devices autonomously communicating with each other along a value chain. Indeed, the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies (Cyber-Physical Systems, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Security) in manufacturing SMEs can improve efficiency and flexibility in production and consumption.
The IoT4Industry project seeks to support EU growth and competitiveness through the development of a new cross-sectoral industrial value chain based on the integration and use of IoT and related components into manufacturing tools, machines and robots, through the cross-border collaboration between SMEs and other RDI actors of the ICT and advanced manufacturing sectors. This helps the European manufacturing industry to gain competitiveness, in particular in SMEs, and increase employment in Europe.
IoT4industry has concretely contributed to the development of new cross-sectoral value chain in Industry 4.0 by stimulating, generating and supporting 40 SME-driven collaborative projects related to the integration and use of IoT technologies into manufacturing environments in 17 different industrials fields. These projects helped manufacturing SMEs to modernize their production capabilities and accelerate the access to industrial markets to IoT-based solution providers. The efficient communication strategy developed and implemented by IoT4Industry supported also a wide promotion toward European stakeholders of the added-value of IoT technologies within the smart manufacturing value-chain.
Finally, IoT4Industry has also contributed to the development of sustainable collaboration actions between ICT clusters and smart manufacturing clusters in Europe, for the benefits of SMEs.
In order to set directions for the project activities, several analyses were conducted upon the state of the art in manufacturing SMEs, their readiness to implement IoT-related solutions, the array of solution providers as well as associated landscapes at regional, national and European levels.
Training workshop materials, formats and contents were defined for mobilising RDI stakeholders, providing them with the opportunity to get info on expected contents as well as to liaise with peers from both IoT and manufacturing sectors (attendance >940 stakeholders). Furthermore, 2 calls for Expression of Interests, providing the opportunity to projects proponents or stakeholders to share their ideas, to identify potential partners via matchmaking support were organised, collecting about 365 ideas.
These elements were also essential for dissemination developments: through the identification of targets, an estimate of 2500 SMEs received contents on Industry 4.0 developments. These efforts were led by the partners through web and physical communication tools, newsletters, social network activities, web updates, events’ organisation and participation.
As results of these activities, 149 proposals (128 being eligible) were submitted in response to the 2 Open Calls for collaborative projects. After a phase of technical evaluation made by external experts and financial viability checks, in total 40 projects have been selected for funding (2 feasibility studies, 10 prototyping projects, 28 demonstration projects), covering 17 different industrial fields, gathering in total 112 involved entities (SMEs, large companies, research and technological organisations), including 80 SMES financially supported by IoT4Industry. After a phase of implementation (approx. 12 months per project) where IoT4Industry project partners provided support and monitoring, 39 of these 40 projects have been successfully concluded, resulting in a financial support of 3,63 millions € to 77 individual SMEs, from 16 different countries.
COVID-19 crisis has impacted most of funded projects duration. Demonstration projects imply field tests, deployments and therefore access to end user / production facilities, which have been shut down between March and June 2020. The overall estimated delay is 3 months. However it fitted into the IoT4Industry foreseen timing (end Dec. 2020).
By capitalising upon the collaborative projects success, the last phase of IoT4Industry focused on communicating upon success stories of efficient IoT technologies integration into manufacturing industries.
Training workshop materials, formats and contents were defined for mobilising RDI stakeholders, providing them with the opportunity to get info on expected contents as well as to liaise with peers from both IoT and manufacturing sectors (attendance >940 stakeholders). Furthermore, 2 calls for Expression of Interests, providing the opportunity to projects proponents or stakeholders to share their ideas, to identify potential partners via matchmaking support were organised, collecting about 365 ideas.
These elements were also essential for dissemination developments: through the identification of targets, an estimate of 2500 SMEs received contents on Industry 4.0 developments. These efforts were led by the partners through web and physical communication tools, newsletters, social network activities, web updates, events’ organisation and participation.
As results of these activities, 149 proposals (128 being eligible) were submitted in response to the 2 Open Calls for collaborative projects. After a phase of technical evaluation made by external experts and financial viability checks, in total 40 projects have been selected for funding (2 feasibility studies, 10 prototyping projects, 28 demonstration projects), covering 17 different industrial fields, gathering in total 112 involved entities (SMEs, large companies, research and technological organisations), including 80 SMES financially supported by IoT4Industry. After a phase of implementation (approx. 12 months per project) where IoT4Industry project partners provided support and monitoring, 39 of these 40 projects have been successfully concluded, resulting in a financial support of 3,63 millions € to 77 individual SMEs, from 16 different countries.
COVID-19 crisis has impacted most of funded projects duration. Demonstration projects imply field tests, deployments and therefore access to end user / production facilities, which have been shut down between March and June 2020. The overall estimated delay is 3 months. However it fitted into the IoT4Industry foreseen timing (end Dec. 2020).
By capitalising upon the collaborative projects success, the last phase of IoT4Industry focused on communicating upon success stories of efficient IoT technologies integration into manufacturing industries.
The IoT4Industry project achieved some impacts foreseen in the project plan as 2500 European SMEs in the manufacturing and digital sectors have been reached through outreach and networking and raised awareness about IoT and Industry 4.0 opportunities. 300 of them have been involved in IoT4Industry activities (training, matchmaking, project support). The impact analysis showed that:
• IoT4Industry has led to important progress in close-to-market innovations from projects stakeholders. Projects funded included some renown end-user industrial partners. This collaborative work notably enabled the technology providers to take into account end-user needs in their innovations.
• IoT4Industry has contributed to the development of SMEs in the IoT field and IoT penetration in the manufacturing sector.
• IoT4Industry has contributed to support the interest of companies in European projects and ecosystems to quite a good extent. The project also supported, to a lesser extent, the implementation of European values (social, environmental) in some projects, but most impacts remain technological/competitiveness/business ones.
• According to the technological providers, IoT4industry has played a key role in setting-up the projects and enabling these results. Only in a few limited cases, such development would have happened even without the project. Industrial end-users have appreciated the ‘security’ provided by IoT4Industry framework.
• Even if most projects have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, these impacts remained limited through creative solutions and continued work; adverse consequences are however obvious, and the project would have performed better in another context.
• The project led to important European added value. It allowed for reaching more relevant partners and provided funding that mostly does not exist (or are less suitable) at a national / regional level. The project has reached some SMEs that are not usually involved in European projects and developed their network, knowledge and stimulated their willingness to participate in future European projects.
• IoT4industry has chosen, based on the information collected during its first steps, to support downstream innovation. This choice appears to be the right one since it has led to fruitful cooperation between technology providers and SMEs around an advance product that could bring benefits in a short time. For some projects, this has directly led to commercial relations being developed between end-users and technology providers.
• IoT4Industry has led to important progress in close-to-market innovations from projects stakeholders. Projects funded included some renown end-user industrial partners. This collaborative work notably enabled the technology providers to take into account end-user needs in their innovations.
• IoT4Industry has contributed to the development of SMEs in the IoT field and IoT penetration in the manufacturing sector.
• IoT4Industry has contributed to support the interest of companies in European projects and ecosystems to quite a good extent. The project also supported, to a lesser extent, the implementation of European values (social, environmental) in some projects, but most impacts remain technological/competitiveness/business ones.
• According to the technological providers, IoT4industry has played a key role in setting-up the projects and enabling these results. Only in a few limited cases, such development would have happened even without the project. Industrial end-users have appreciated the ‘security’ provided by IoT4Industry framework.
• Even if most projects have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, these impacts remained limited through creative solutions and continued work; adverse consequences are however obvious, and the project would have performed better in another context.
• The project led to important European added value. It allowed for reaching more relevant partners and provided funding that mostly does not exist (or are less suitable) at a national / regional level. The project has reached some SMEs that are not usually involved in European projects and developed their network, knowledge and stimulated their willingness to participate in future European projects.
• IoT4industry has chosen, based on the information collected during its first steps, to support downstream innovation. This choice appears to be the right one since it has led to fruitful cooperation between technology providers and SMEs around an advance product that could bring benefits in a short time. For some projects, this has directly led to commercial relations being developed between end-users and technology providers.