EUREKA PROJECT > 4090 PRO-FACTORY 

Project Description

The strength of EUREKA and the PRO-FACTORY Working Group is the promotion of bottom-up, close to industrial applications collaborative R&D projects. This is especially important for the European manufacturing sector. PRO-FACTORY, through its Resources, Objectives, First Actions and Technological Scope is the tool to promote the EUREKA approach to the manufacturing industry. PRO-FACTORY also positions itself as a complement to R&D funding initiatives. Although highly successful in many important sectors, European manufacturing businesses will continue to suffer strong competition from countries such as INDIA and CHINA. To prosper in the long-term, European companies need to develop new business strategies which combine innovation, research and technology, a highly skilled workforce and their overall operational effectiveness in ways which competitors find hard to copy. While individual businesses must determine their own business strategies, governments can help by supporting business-oriented research and development (R&D) and technology transfer. PRO-FACTORY will act as such a focus for the vitally important manufacturing sectors. The next generation of advanced manufacturing and processing technologies will be expensive to develop, and no one entity has all the expertise needed. Cooperative R&D to share costs, risks and expertise is the order of the day. Therefore, the strategic aim of the PRO-FACTORY umbrella is to increase European manufacturing competitiveness by providing an application-oriented, bottom-up, collaborative R&D support mechanism primarily focused on 'new added value products and services' and 'innovative production'. PRO-FACTORY will achieve this overall objective by creating more than 50 manufacturing projects. The majority of these projects will feature the priority technologies and should include one or more SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). The PRO-FACTORY Working Group will disseminate the results throughout the EUREKA countries, using seminars, case-studies, and a high-visibility website. These objectives will be delivered through the network of national experts coming together as the Umbrella Working Group. These representatives will include experts from the manufacturing industry, the research community and from public authorities, and will act as the decision-making body for the project.

Technological Development Envisaged

The technological scope of PRO-FACTORY addresses issues of strategic importance for the manufacturing industry, including: A. New/improved production technologies. B. Flexible and robust manufacturing systems. C. Environmentally friendly products in processes. D. Integrated services close to products and production E. Application of advanced information and communication technologies in manufacturing. F Improving the product development process. G. Business process improvement. Europe's large manufacturing industries have adapted by-and-large successfully to this new globalised environment both in business operations and R&D activities (e.g. the Framework Programmes). SMEs in traditional and established industry have found it more difficult to take part in these larger structures and often look for more bottom-up funding instruments. The technological scope of PRO-FACTORY is directly aimed at SMEs and must be seen as a complement to more top-down programmes. The proposed core subjects are important for all manufacturing SMEs. Supporting subjects may not be of interest to all SMEs but create opportunities for meeting places for larger industries and their supplying SME partners. As longer-term, pre-competitive research involving larger companies is well supported through FP7 (Framework Programme 7), PRO-FACTORY will target its communicative effort primarily on SMEs in the manufacturing sectors. However, projects which bring together large and small businesses, including supply chains, are welcome. Generally, R&D with substantial technical or commercial risks but capable of rapid commercialisation will receive priority. Although the EUREKA PRO-FACTORY Umbrella has the above focus, it will encompass all aspects of manufacturing technology. PRO-FACTORY must also give consideration to environmental sustainability, minimisation of material waste and energy, and re-cycling and re-use. Other technologies may also be included insofar as they are related to or applied to the manufacturing process, for example, design, simulation and modelling (digital manufacturing) and the validation of such models.

Contribution to project

- Representing the Turkish S & T Council TUBITAK. - Broadening awareness of EUREKA among Turkish enterprises. - Linking Turkish companies to the programme.

Expertise

2005 - : Technology Management Consultant of KOC HOLDING. 1988 - 2005: One of the founders and managers of the R&D Department of Arcelik. 1983 - 1988: Manager in the company ALARKO. 1976 - 1983: Faculty member of KARADENIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY in Trabzon/TURKEY.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP). * Dissemination and proposal of partner searches. * Participation in Umbrella meetings organised in the network. * Assistance to companies and research centres applying for State aid aimed at co-financing PRO-FACTORY R&D projects.

Expertise

The contact person is the National Project Coordinator for EUREKA in LUXEMBOURG. LUXINNOVATION is the National Agency for Innovation and Research and has vast experience with the management of European projects.

Contribution to project

UBMRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) - Dissemination of the information to the business community of CYPRUS. - Participation in PRO-FACTORY meetings. - Cooperation with other partners.

Expertise

The CYPRUS EMPLOYERS AND INDUSTRIALISTS FEDERATION (OEB) was founded in 1960 and today its members are active in all sectors of the economy and employ more than 60% of the private sector's workforce, a percentage which is one of the highest in the world. OEB is a pan Cyprian independent organisation comprising 55 of the main professional/sectoral associations as well as hundreds of companies from the Manufacturing, Services, Commercial, Construction and Agricultural Sectors. In total, OEB has more than 4,500 members/enterprises. CYPRUS and the EU Programmes and Projects: - Promoting the interests of Cypriot enterprises within the EU, facilitating their participation in European Programmes. - Participating in European Committees that formulate the EU's policies. - Promoting the views of the employers/business community to the government during the implementation of European laws and regulations. - Briefing members about new EU directives and regulations and about developments in the business sector in Europe. - Organising seminars, lectures and discussion within this framework. - Offering practical assistance and advice on the implementation of European Legislation in cooperation with specialised and reputable firms. - Providing information on the new EU programmes and calls for proposals to enterprises and organisations.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) Austrian Contact NPC (National Project Coordinator).

Expertise

Austrian contact NPC in several umbrellas.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) - Dissemination and cooperation within the Spanish manufacturing industry and the rest of the Spanish Government Bodies in the scope of creating manufacturing projects connected with the National R&D Plan. - Identification and monitoring of needs in the scope of the manufacturing projects carried out in SPAIN. - Participation in the Umbrella meetings organised by the partners. - Assistance in searching for Spanish partners for the projects. - Facilitation of cooperation between private and public stakeholders. - Funding Spanish project partners.

Expertise

- The organisation (CDTI) is a Spanish public organisation, under the MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND COMMERCE, where the objective is to help Spanish companies increase their technological profile. CDTI is manned by 150 employees, three quarters of whom are made up of engineers and graduates. Although the bulk of the infrastructure of CDTI is located in Madrid, the Centre has made a strategic network of offices and representatives abroad available to Spanish companies (JAPAN -SBTO-, BELGIUM -SOST and a Permanent EUREKA Secretariat-, BRAZIL -FINEP-, COLOMBIA -Colciencias-, KOREA, CHILE and MOROCCO) to give them support in their international technological activities. - CDTI carries out the coordination, evaluation, financing and follow-up of proposals and projects presented by Spanish companies. It also manages the general promotion activities for EUREKA in SPAIN. This work has been done since 1985, and is delegated by the MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (previously Industry and Energy). - CDTI participated in the FACTORY Umbrella.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS)

Expertise

Contribution to project

The contribution of the Company to the cluster would concern the following: Specific objectives: - consumer oriented CAD-CAM technologies; - full and real time factory data management systems (new PDM-MES solutions); - internet based integrated ERP solutions for collaborative production networks; - new methods and tools for factory development. Specific targets: - knowledge based factories; - market responding collaborative production networks. Major impacts: - new competitive advantage of EU producers in specific consumer oriented manufacturing sectors and market segments on the global market; - well being of workers and consumers thanks to healthy, safe and sustainable production systems and to personalised, healthy, safe and sustainable products and services.

Expertise

The Company was established in 1983, as a CMOS components and LED manufacturer, developing its first Z80 microprocessor by 1988 and being main supplier for the former socialist common market. Today the Company is fully private and listed to the Romanian stock exchange market, RASDAQ. Our mission - Microelectronica is contributing to the society by development of high-value technology and by network manufacturing through common interest and friendship. MICROELECTRONICA S.A. is a company and a kernel of enabling activities for high added value Networks. As a company, our expertise is the following: a. MOS technology components and optoelectronics devices; b. Solid-state lighting devices; c. Composite ceramic materials manufacturer; d. Piezoelectronics manufacturer/designer; d. Knowledge and Innovation Community for Micro and Nano in Manufacturing; e. Microelectronics Center for South East Europe.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) ITIA inside PRO-FACTORY can collaborate on: - Investigation and enhancement of new manufacturing paradigms. - Studies of the strategic needs of technological innovation within the main manufacturing sectors. - Conception and management of foresight studies, roadmaps and RTD (Research and Technological Development) projects at European, National and Regional level. - Support activities for the Manufuture Platform and Italian Platform.

Expertise

The Intitute, as a promoter of industrial innovation, performs strategic activities of Scientific Research and Technological Development for the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Italian and European Manufacturing Industries. ITIA-CNR acts in close collaboration with Enterprises, Universities, Research Centres and Institutions within National, European and International Programmes, Projects and Industrial Contracts.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) The contact person will be the German representative for the EUREKA PRO-FACTORY Umbrella.

Expertise

The contact person is the National Project Coordinator for EUREKA FACTORY in GERMANY and has long-term experience with the management of EUREKA FACTORY projects.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP)

Expertise

The contact person is the National Project Coordinator of EUREKA in ISRAEL and has vast experience in managing R&D projects.

Contribution to project

Expertise

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) Umbrella Public Representative with the country-approach and national and European cooperation experience for the EUREKA Umbrella purposes.

Expertise

The representative is the Hungarian member of the FP7 NMP Programme Committee has extensive and long-term experience in governmental R+D+I management including the policy and programme planning issues for the materials and manufacturing fields.

Contribution to project

National Umbrella Sector Representative (NUS) of Spain.

Expertise

Mr. Rikardo Bueno is the Director for the Scientific Policy of the Fundacion FATRONIK, an investigation centre part of the Corporation TECNALIA, a Technology Corporation created within the Basque technology environment. Moreover, Mr. Bueno is coordinator of the Spanish Manufuture Platform.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC AND SECTORAL REPRESETATIVE (NUP + NUS) VINNOVA will contribute by naming two representatives to the working group, one national expert and one EUREKA representative. There will be a budget for travel and promotional activities. VINNOVA will promote the PRO-FACTORY Umbrella and trigger companies and researchers to come up with project proposals.

Expertise

The organisation will name one national expert to the working group. The expert will be a national programme manager, responsible for national programmes in advanced manufacturing technology. VINNOVA also has expertise in closely related fields (materials, product development, materials processing, etc).

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) The NUS will participate in the PRO-FACTORY Working Group meetings and will promote the objectives of the Umbrella within the Portuguese industry and R&D centres.

Expertise

The NUS has extensive knowledge of the Portuguese industry, and has vast experience with the participation and management of national and European R&D projects.

Contribution to project

Umbrella Sectoral Representative (NUS) Contacts with the industry, manufacturing oriented research centres (PMA, WTCM/CRIF), industrial associations (AGORIA), etc. Stimulation of Belgian PRO-FACTORY projects.

Expertise

Industrial experience in engineering, process engineering, ICT, strategic planning, production planning, etc. in the manufactoring sector (telecom and rolling stock).

Contribution to project

In recent years, we have been involved in the Umbrella FACTORY where we produced several projects that fit the scope of the Umbrella FACTORY. We expect the same for the PRO-FACTORY Umbrella where, already, we have 3 projects that suit and could be classified as sub-Umbrella projects.

Expertise

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) - Managing and Funding EUREKA PRO-FACTORY projects. - Dissemination of relevant information to the research/business/industry communities of CYPRUS. - Participation in PRO-FACTORY meetings. - Hosting of PRO-FACTORY activities in CYPRUS. - Cooperation with other partners.

Expertise

Founded in 1996, the RESEARCH PROMOTION FOUNDATION (RPF) was established at the initiative of the Government of the REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, to promote the development of scientific and technological research in CYPRUS due to the fundamental importance of research in contemporary societies. The Foundation is an independent organisation governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Council of Ministers for a five-year period. The Foundation's core objective is the promotion of scientific and technological research in CYPRUS. Several specific objectives and priorities have been defined by the Foundation's Statute and the decisions of its Board of Directors, for the promotion of this main objective. Although the Foundation is a relatively newly established organisation, it has developed a wide range of activities. Among RPF's main activities is the development of national competitive programmes for the financing of research projects and support of research activities. Moreover, RPF has developed several activities to facilitate the creation of networks between Cypriot and foreign scientists. Most of these activities relate to the involvement of Cypriot scientists in European research programmes, the cooperation with international organisations supporting research activities and the preparation and implementation of bilateral agreements between CYPRUS and other countries in the field of research and technological development. RPF is the National EUREKA Office and finances EUREKA projects under the 'EUREKA Cyprus Programme'. RPF participates in EUROSTARS.

Contribution to project

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Expertise

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Contribution to project

UMBRELLA CHAIR The contact person will chair the umbrella until the kick-off meeting of PRO-FACTORY. There, a new chairperson will be elected.

Expertise

The contact person is the National Project coordinator for EUREKA in GERMANY and has vast experience with the management of EUREKA projects.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP)

Expertise

The organisation is the main public funding organisation for research and development in FINLAND. TEKES funds industrial projects as well as projects in research organisations, and especially promotes innovative, risk-intensive projects.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) The contact person will manage with the national NUS representative the PRO-FACTORY network in BELGIUM, and carry out the interface with the PRO-FACTORY network in other countries.

Expertise

The contact person is the National Project coordinator for EUREKA in BELGIUM and has vast experience with the management of EUREKA projects.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) - Support of PRO-FACTORY from UK perspective with promotional and brokerage activities when required. - Stimulation of project ideas to present to the PRO-FACTORY Working Group for collaborative partnership development.

Expertise

Design, Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing - also extensive EUREKA project management / monitoring experience.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) Will be the Turkish National Project Coordinator (NPC) who represents TURKEY in all relevant platforms.

Expertise

The Public Representative is the National Project Coordinator for EUREKA in TURKEY.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) Member of working group.

Expertise

Development of indigenous industry.

Contribution to project

Austrian expert, networking, coordination and management.

Expertise

Over 10 years’ experience in project management of European R&D projects and in supporting international technology transfer. Helene VALADON worked at the Steinbeis Foundation and for the Innovation relay centres network in Stuttgart, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), and the Austrian Society for Micro system Technology in Vienna as well as for the Central European Park for Innovative Technologies in Bratislava. She has supported projects in the EU Framework, EUREKA and Interreg programmes. She is specialised in generating and managing international R&D in the field of industrial technologies (new materials, Nano and micro technologies, automation, robotics, surface treatment, etc.).

Contribution to project

PRO-FACTORY UMBRELLA SECRETARIAT UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) The person and his/her organisation will take the secretariat and the secretariat agenda's over a period of two years.

Expertise

The contact person has experience in Mechatronics, Production technologies, Robotics, Manufacturing and Control Systems and is the Head of a department working on these topics.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP) - SWITZERLAND, a PRO-FACTORY member country, will have the IMS Chairmanship from November 2007 (duration: 30 months). One of the major objectives of the Swiss chairmanship is to act and work actively towards an effective and fruitful alignment of IMS and PRO-FACTORY as well as other manufacturing-related initiatives (eTRANET, MNT ERANET, Manufuture, etc.). - Professionally led Swiss KTT (Knowledge and Technology Transfer) consortia consisting of KTT service centres will reinforce and expand collaboration between companies and the universities not only on a national, but also on an international level. This should greatly assist the ongoing partner searches for EUREKA projects, also in the manufacturing area (EUREKA project generation). More on the Swiss KTT strategy: By means of targeted measures, this is at first a matter of reinforcing the capacities of universities to transfer knowledge and technologies to businesses (Push process). Secondly, initiatives will be generated for companies to more clearly communicate their need for knowledge and technology (Pull process) to the universities and, in so doing, to deliberately and effectively increase collaboration. - SWITZERLAND will be represented at the annual PRO-FACTORY working group meetings.

Expertise

The organisation is the Swiss Confederation's innovation promotion agency. For more than 60 years it has supported the transfer of knowledge and technology between businesses and universities. Its aim is to have the greatest impact possible in the market. Knowledge acquired in the laboratories should be rapidly converted into products and services. If you want to make a success of your brilliant ideas in global competition, you have to bring them onto the market quickly. 'Science to Market' is the claim of the CTI. Its aim is to ensure an efficient and fast transfer of innovative research findings from the laboratory to the marketplace. For this reason, the CTI promotes applied research and development projects involving both universities and industry. The impact of CTI initiatives should be threefold: - Strengthening market-oriented innovation processes. - Introduction of practice-oriented qualifications for researchers in universities. - Improvement of cooperation between academia and industry. The CTI only financially supports researchers (grants) who are employed at a Swiss non-profit research institute (for instance university, University of Applied Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, etc.) and who cooperate with a Swiss company (the company has to bear at least 50% of the total Swiss project costs, the CTI pays a maximum 50%). The CTI is open to any disciplines. Currently, the main focus of its promotional activities is on life sciences, engineering, nanotechnologies, microsystems technology and enabling sciences. CTI International is guided by the following principles: - CTI plays a role in the drawing up of realisation-oriented international research and development programmes primarily in the European research community. - CTI paves the way for small and medium-sized companies to market-orientate research and development programmes such as EUREKA and IMS (Intelligent Manufacturing Systems). - CTI promotes research and development cooperation of Swiss SMEs and research institutions with partners overseas, if there are no suitable partners in SWITZERLAND. Value creation in SWITZERLAND is the goal.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) Harmonising national and international aspects within the PRO-FACTORY Umbrella, connecting Hungarian SMEs and R&D entities to running and proposed/initiated projects.

Expertise

CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing), robotics, manufacturing systems, ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Control Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) The main contribution of ICIMSI is to promote and implement tangible research and development projects within the scope of technology and business, centred upon issues of significant importance for the industrial companies and SMEs that are willing to compete in the global marketplace. The CIM Institute cooperates closely with businesses, supporting them in their attempts to explore the difficult territory of innovation, anticipate and overcome resistance to change, and implement common research and development projects for new products and processes to obtain a competitive advantage. The strategy perfected by ICIMSI, basically network-organised and project-based, offers a three dimensional operating approach: - The Observatory is the ideal place for the continuing exploration of the needs and opportunities of the SMEs for facing up to technological and business innovations, both locally and globally. - The Training Centre is the laboratory, where it is possible to quickly acquire knowledge and skills, with R&D projects proposed and completed with industrial partners. - The Platform is used to encourage the dissemination of knowledge and know-how associated with innovation within the continuing training and educational programmes (Masters) of the UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE OF SWITZERLAND. For national industrial companies and SMEs, ICIMSI is a gateway to direct, active participation in national and international R&D programmes, for example those promoted by the FEDERAL COMMISSION FOR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (CTI), the EUREKA projects, the UE and IMS (Intelligent Manufacturing Systems) research programmes, and the global network for the research and development of next generation sustainable production systems.

Expertise

The Institute participates in a network of national and international centres of expertise committed to the practical support and orientation of the market for small and medium sized industries. The Institute's efforts to innovate are realised through three main activities: - Monitoring of innovation in industry and business. - Research projects and development. - Cultivation of new knowledge through teaching and professional training that is made directly accessible to industry. Throughout the above mentioned three permanent activities the CIM has consolidated its competence in the following domains: * Virtual prototyping and High-Tech materials; * Development of design and control tools for industrial automation; * Production and Logistics Systems. VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING AND HIGH TECH MATERIALS The research projects in this area aim at developing new products using High-Tech materials (polymers, composites and ceramics) and Virtual Prototyping techniques. The available competencies span from static and dynamic analysis (both for linear and non-linear behaviours), through thermal and fluid dynamic analysis and finally to high speed crash simulation. Moreover, in order to predict the properties of nanostructured composite materials, multi-scale simulation (combining molecular dynamics with meso-scale and macro-scale simulation) is being introduced as a novel and promising numerical simulation technique. DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN AND CONTROL TOOLS FOR THE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION TAI is specialised in software technologies for industrial automation, and performs applied research in the domain of modelling, verification, code generation and simulation software techniques and standards for the rapid development of software for collaborative automation systems. One of the main TAI activities deals with the development of design and engineering tools, integrated in an open framework, for the rapid prototyping of distributed, reconfigurable control systems. This activity has been carried out in the last four years, and continues on current projects based on international standards like the IEC 61499 architecture for distributed Industrial-Process Measurement and Control Systems. PRODUCTION AND LOGISTIC SYSTEM In this domain, projects are run in the areas of lean manufacturing, of supply chain and networks (supporting the introduction of new business models, and the optimisation of the production processes) and of integrated manufacturing information systems. The activities range from analysis of the current state, through the design, simulation and presentation of solutions to the support needed for the introduction of new processes, methods and tools in the companies. For example, in the project 'Intelligent Manufacturing', new technologies for the automatic inspection of the quality and the selection of leather provide digital leather maps to an e-commerce application conceived for leather procurement and for services like nesting. These new possibilities increase the value chain from tanneries to the final producers.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE (NUP)

Expertise

Manufacturing.

Contribution to project

UMBRELLA SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE (NUS) Promote design and manufacture activities in CYPRUS industry and academia. Disseminate relevant information. Initiate associations and European co-operation in the general area of industrial design, production and management. Cyprus National Contact Point in the Umbrella.

Expertise

Engineering product design, Control systems, Naval Architecture.