The MASTT2040 project aims to (1) Use strategic foresight methods in an inclusive and participatory manner to build a shared understanding of which changes, opportunities or disruptions are present and emerging both inside and outside of the Manufacturing-as-a-Service domain to guide decision making, strategies and actions for the EU manufacturing sector in the context of twin transition up to 2040. (2) Actively engage key stakeholders within the MaaS and CE communities, manufacturing industry as well as standards developing organisations to jointly elaborate a strategic roadmap and action plan addressing short-term (5 years), medium-term (10 years) and long-term (15 years) timescales to identify and track desired developments in order to advance digitalisation, circularity, decarbonisation and sustainability of industrial production. We strive to guide European industry community to assure that: - MaaS can become a key enabler for speeding-up and scaling-up circularity and the provision of R-cycle services. - Sustainability becomes an integral part of MaaS approaches, leading to optimal sustainable industrial production and supply for all new products (in linear and circular economy). - MaaS increases resilience of supply by strengthening local European production networks of SMEs. - Europe scales up MaaS to create a critical mass of expertise and the right supporting policy measures to accelerate the uptake of MaaS in strategic areas of importance for the TWIN transition in Europe and to ensure strategic autonomy in MaaS and CE strengthened by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies. MASTT2040 combines the expertise of industrial umbrella organizations specialized in manufacturing strategy development and foresight: SIRRIS (Belgium), Cluster COMET (Italy), Future Industry Platform (Poland), Steinbeis (Germany), Thhink (Netherlands) and 4CF The Futures Literacy Company (Poland).

The overall objective of "3 InDustrial Ecosystems tAckLing supply chain dISrupTions and driving the adoption of advanced technologies" (IDEALIST) is to support SMEs in industrial ecosystems 1/ Energy-intensive industries, 2/ Aerospace and Defence, 3/ Mobility, Transport & Automotive in their ability to understand and adapt to changes brought about by rapid and unexpected developments in the world such as the COVID-19 crisis or the Russia-led war in Ukraine. These 3 sectors are of capital importance for the European economy and despite their specificity, have common challenges that the project will help to address: transition to more sustainable practices, competitiveness issues in a context of scarcer raw materials and more expensive energy, change in consumption habits. Being more resilient means giving SMEs the opportunity to be a player in these changes and no longer just a spectator or follower. To do this, the project will evolve around three pillars 1/ Strategic Foresight to establish relevant tools and behaviors to anticipate and better prepare for change in an orderly and systematic way, 2/ Technology Uptake to overcome obstacles related to the implementation work of Advanced Technologies and lay the foundations of alliances between tech-savvy and traditional SMEs and 3/ Supply chains to identify critical dependencies and weaknesses in order to limit the impacts of disruptions on value chains. This work will lead to the realization of Pilot Projects promoting the meeting between ecosystems, facilitated by the use of the Hack&Match method. The mobilization of the AGORA platform led by EIT Manufacturing will support this objective of matchmaking and community building. The project is carried by a relevant consortium of 14 partners from 6 European countries and Ukraine representing several thousand manufacturing companies. The project will take place over 3 years (36 months).

<< Background >>MeMeVET addressed relevant issues working out solutions that impede the free mobility of students and workers in the mechatronics and metallurgical sectors in Europe. MeMeVET is linked to previous European projects which brought to light the needs to ensure mobility, recognize skills across Europe, match education and companies‘ needs. MeMeVET was implemented by 15 project partners from Germany, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovakia from January 2018 to December 2019.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project was the creation of a Sector-Skill-Alliance between VET providers and entreprises in the mechatronics and metallurgical sectors in Germany, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovakia to develop a common VET Curriculum, which promotes an integration of the competences required in these two sectors at European level in order to facilitate mobility. The second objective was the development of an e-card to support the common VET Curriculum.<< Implementation >>A public consultation to assess the needs in the industries and an analysis on the status quo curricula were carried out. From the analysis of the needs and the identification of lack of competences in the existing curricula were developed the training modules at EQF level 4 and 6 according to the ECVET, EQF/NQFs principles. The testing involved students and companies. The definitive courses with teaching materials deployed into the educational platform. Mobility organized. E-Card developed.<< Results >>Project Website; Facebook; Report on Assessment of skills and needs in mechatronics and metallurgical industries in Europe; Report on Status Quo Curricula; Courses and teaching materials for high schools and universities; Educational Platform; Organisation of Mobility opportunities; Delivery of guidelines for mobility; Networking; Creation of the MeMeVET E-Card; Legal documents to adopt and recognize the MeMeVET Curriculum; 30 Agreements signed with Stakeholders; Dialogue with authorities.

The AI REGIO project aims at filling 3 major gaps currently preventing AI-driven DIHs from implementing fully effective digital transformation pathways for their Manufacturing SMEs: at policy level the Regional vs. EU gap; at technological level the Digital Manufacturing vs. Innovation Collaboration Platform gap; at business level the Innovative AI (Industry 5.0) vs Industry 4.0 gap. POLICY. Regional smart specialization strategies for Efficient Sustainable Manufacturing and Digital Transformation (VANGUARD initiative for Industrial Modcernisation) are so far insufficiently coordinated and integrated at cross-regional and pan-EU level. SME-driven >AI innovations cannot scale up to become pan-EU accessible in global marketplaces as well as SME-driven experiments remain trapped into a too local dimension without achieving a large scale dimension. Regional vs. EU Gap. TECHNOLOGY. Digital Manufacturing Platforms DMP and Digital Innovation Hubs DIH play a fundamental role in the implementation of the Digital Single Market and Digitsing European Industry directives to SMEs, but so far such initiatives, communities, innovation actions are running in a quite independent if not siloed way, where very often Platform-related challenges are not of interest for DIHs and Socio-Business impact not of interest for DMP. DMP vs. DIH Gap. BUSINESS. Many Industrial Data Platforms based on IOT Data in Motion and Analytics Data at Rest have been recently developed to implement effective Industry 4.0 pilots (I4MS Phase III platforms). The AI revolution and the new relationship between autonomous systems and humans (Industry 5.0) has not been properly addressed in I4MS so far. AI I5.0 vs. I4.0 Gap. AI REGIO is following the 4 steps for VANGUARD innovation strategy (learn-connect-demonstrate-commercialize) by constantly aligning its methods with the AI DIH Network initiative and its assets with I4MS/DIH BEinCPPS Phase II and MIDIH / L4MS Phase III projects. AI REGIO: Industry 5.0 for SMEs