The IoT4Industry project was officially launched in Secured Communicating Solution (SCS) cluster offices in Sophia Antipolis, France on Friday, April 26th 2018. IoT4Industry stands for “Towards smarter means of production in European manufacturing through the use of the Internet of Things technologies” and is supported by the Horizon 2020 programme from the European Commission. This project aims to foster the uptake of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and solutions by European manufacturing SMEs, to enhance their productivity, profitability and competitiveness on the global scale.
While Industry 3.0 focused on the automation of single machines and processes, Industry 4.0 focuses on the end-to-end digitisation of all physical assets and integration into digital ecosystems with value chain partners. Industry 4.0 – also called smart manufacturing, digital industry or industry of the future – thus provides several technological solutions to Smart and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) facing an always increasing worldwide competition. Indeed, the integration of IoT and related components – Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Digital Security, Cloud Computing and Big Data – in manufacturing SMEs will improve efficiency and flexibility in production and management.
The IoT4Industry project main objective is to serve as “catalyzer” of new industrial value chains, materializing Industry 4.0 solutions in the European landscape. Therefore, during its 30 months IoT4Industry will support SMEs by providing training and matchmaking opportunities and financing cross-border and cross-sectorial collaborative projects across Europe. IoT4Industry represents a sui generis initiative in the EU, through its innovative management of EU funding to reduce bureaucracy and potential barriers for SMEs, the implication of EU clusters guaranteeing a high level of expertise, while fostering synergies with other programmes and initiatives (HORIZON 2020, COHESION FUND 2014-2020, SAE, EFFRA, EPOSS, I4MS).
The project consortium is composed of eight European partners which are major stakeholders in IoT and advanced manufacturing areas. 3 ICT clusters : French Secured Communicating Solution cluster (SCS) – also leading the project, German microTEC Südwest (mTSW) and DSP Valley in Belgium (among which 2 have been awarded ESCA Gold Labels); 3 Advanced Manufacturing clusters : MESAP in Italy, French Mont-Blanc Industries (MBI), Pôle MecaTech (PMT) in Belgium; one technology center in the United Kingdom (MTC – Manufacturing Technology Centre); one consultancy company, inno TSD, supports project developments.
As underlined by Lionel Lapras, president of SCS, the “stakes for the project are high, and IoT4Industry partners have to focus on results and impacts”. The IoT4Industry partnership will ensure this ambitious initiative meets these expectations and thus enable European SMEs to be the drivers of the Industry 4.0 revolution.
Stay tuned for more information on opportunities provided by the IoT4Industry project in the months to come !