SMART-SPACE Feasibility Study · SMART-SPACE – D.4.3.1 (Feasibility study) 2 Executive Summary In...

SMART-SPACE – D.4.3.1 (Feasibility study)

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Project Acronym: SMART-SPACE

Project title: ASP478

D.4.3.1 Feasibility study to finalise the AS

Strategic Cluster partnership

WP n°: T4: To elaborate the SMART SPACE strategy and set-up the

strategic partnership to strengthen the Alpine innovation eco-system for the SMEs’ digital innovation

Task n°: T.4.3.1

Author(s): Michela De Biasio, Fiorenzo Cazzato, Matteo Ametis

Contributors: Veneto Region (P12), Veneto Innovazione (P13)

Type: Document

Dissemination level: PU

Revision: Final

Due Date: 30 06 2019

Date of submission: 30 06 2019


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Executive Summary

In order to become a more competitive territory at the European and at the international

level, the Alpine Space area requests new shared efforts and commitments to improve its

innovation ecosystem and digitization processes.

This feasibility study, therefore, endorses an AS Strategic Cluster partnership that, as

underlined in the analysis, can enhance this development. More specifically, it is desirable

an agreement between the different SMART SPACE partners (considering also an

enlargement of their number) to promote and reinforce the future commitments of the

project, especially to guarantee the follow up of the previous achievements. The SMART

SPACE future growth can be crucial to fill the gap of tools, knowledge and networking

necessary to a transnational innovative ecosystem in the Alpine Space for a Smart Industry,

especially including the Alpine Space Digital Innovation Hub and the network of DIHs of this

territory.

As explained in the document, SMART SPACE is an Alpine Space model of transnational

cooperation, addressed to the Innovation ecosystem to foster SMEs digital innovation

processes. To promote the development of the Alpine Space it is necessary to sustain the

growth of the strategic industrial sectors of the area, combining national and local

disparities, barriers and existing expertise to strengthen. These commitments are possible

only through a cooperative work of the partners, that would make:

- the establishment of a shared model of sustainable growth for the integration of smart

manufacturing innovation processes made by Policy makers and Innovation stakeholders

within the Alpine Space industrial system;

- the application of the competences of Public and private intermediaries to assist SMEs

in traditional industrial sectors to foster smart innovation processes;

- the strengthening of the SMEs assistance from traditional industrial sectors to adopt

digital technologies and added value services to improve their products and business

model.

Following these purposes, as explained in the following sections, the implementation of the

SMART SPACE project in the Alpine area is in line also with the aims of the Digital Single

Market strategy and the Digitizing European Industry (DEI) policy, to open up digital

opportunities for people and business and enhance Europe's position as a world leader in

the digital economy.

The promotion of the Alpine Space, in fact, cannot be disconnected from other European,

national and regional strategies and initiatives about innovation and digitization.

In particular, about the Alpine Space area, the SMART SPACE project contributes also to the

EUSALP Action plan for the Thematic Objective 1 - Fair Access to job opportunities, building

on the high competitiveness of the Region. One of the purposes of SMART SPACE, in fact, is

to contribute to the overall EUSALP Strategy and to the S3 regional/national strategies

outcomes and follow-up actions.


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The Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) have been created to help to prioritise

and align the different commitments between public and private stakeholders in EU regions,

and allocate EU and regional funds in a focused and efficient way. At the same time, there

are clear opportunities to engage in strategic interregional cooperation along shared RIS3

priorities in order to complement each other’s competences, share infrastructure, and

develop joint investment projects. In this sense, the RIS3 of the Alpine Space area have

several contact points, presented in three different tables in the study, that point out the

potentialities of the AS Strategic Cluster partnership to support the various Strategies in the

territory.

With particular attention to the RIS3, along the entire document is explained the role of the

Digital Innovation Hubs in the promotion of the digitization and innovation of the Alpine

Space.

The Alpine Space has recognized the importance of the DIHs in the European context. For

this reason, in fact, it has been created an Alpine Space Digital Innovation Hub in pursuance

of 1) enhancing the cooperation of the Alpine Space manufacturing innovation ecosystem,

and 2) strengthening and supporting SMEs in the Digital Innovation Processes to increase

their competitiveness.

With this special focus, the feasibility study underlines the similarities and the possible

contact points among the different regions involved in the SMART SPACE project.

These collaboration potentialities, as recommended at the end of the study, request an

agreement between the different partners to guarantee a future SMART SPACE

commitments planning.

To make possible this cooperation, there are some critical issues, presented in the

document, that need more coordinated efforts by the SMART SPACE project’s partners.

These efforts are crucial to reinforce the Alpine Space and promote a shared strategy useful

for a powerful cooperation among the different agents and stakeholders of the industry

area.

Due to the variety of projects and strategies about digitization and Industry 4.0 that

characterised this area, it is important 1) to integrate and coordinate the existent efforts,

especially the fragmented initiatives in Regions; 2) to solve the difficulties of a transnational

approach; and 3) to strengthen a shared and sustainable model at the Alpine Space level.

In this way, in fact, it is possible to provide to the Alpine space an effective, efficient and

sustainable innovation ecosystem, exploiting the best digitization potentialities and

capabilities of all of the SMART SPACE partner regions, and reinforcing the transnational

cooperation.


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Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 2

1 SMART SPACE project ........................................................................................................ 5

2 The Digital Single Market and the Digital Innovation Hubs ..................................... 7

2.1 Digital Innovation HUB in the Alpine Space regions involved .................................................. 11

2.2 Digital Innovation HUBs and collaboration ............................................................................ 14

2.2.1 SMART SPACE and Digital Innovation Hubs ..................................................................... 15

3 The Alpine Space Interreg and EUSALP .......................................................................... 16

4 The regional Smart Specialization Strategy in SMART SPACE geography ............ 18

5 Partners agreement ............................................................................................................. 33

6 Conclusions & recommendations .................................................................................... 37

Literature and sources ........................................................................................................... 38

ANNEX A...................................................................................................................................... 40


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The project proposes an Alpine Space model of transnational cooperation addressed to

the Innovation ecosystem to foster SMEs digital innovation processes, combining national

and local disparities, barriers and existing expertise to strengthen the growth of the

strategic industrial sectors.

1 SMART SPACE project

SMART-SPACE is an Interreg Alpine Space funded project that aims to foster digitization

and innovation processes for SMEs, innovation’s stakeholders and policy makers in the

Alpine Space.

The project has been created following the first of the four Alpine Space program priorities.

The first priority focuses on the improvement of the opportunities for Alpine innovation,

and on the promotion of a transversal cooperative approach. This priority has two specific

objectives:

- Specific objective 1 – Improve the framework conditions for innovation in the Alpine

space. Projects funded under this objective should help the improvement of the

conditions for the development of research and innovation activities in the Alps. More

specifically, they should enhance the potential for business innovation and innovation

resources, while promoting knowledge transfer between businesses, innovation end-

users, academia, and public administration.

- Specific objective 2 – Increase capacities for the delivery of services of general

interest in a changing society. Projects funded under this objective should aim to

produce innovative solutions for more efficient, adaptable and adequate services of

general interest in the Alpine Space.

SMART-SPACE project, according to the specific objective 1, addresses to clusters, SMEs

from traditional sectors (mechanical, textile, chemical, wood...) and to all of the innovation

agents, in order to strengthen the application of digital technologies and eco-innovative

procedures, increasing the competitiveness and the potential of business innovation. The

project, in fact, takes into account the entire value chain of manufacturing, considering

production, supply chain, security, quality control and customer care.

In particular, the project started from an analysis about the Alpine Space territory that

testifies several critical issues and delays in the following areas:

- SMEs digitization for global competition; - availability of qualified intermediaries in digital transformation; - development of the digitization’s conditions by the Policy makers.


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The main topics of the project are:

- Clustering and economic cooperation;

- ICT and digital society;

- Knowledge and technology transfer;

- New products and services;

- Innovation capacity and awareness-raising.

The expected results of the project are:

- the integration of smart manufacturing innovation processes made by Policy makers

and Innovation stakeholders within the Alpine Space industrial system, with a shared

model of sustainable growth;

- the increase of the competences of Public and private intermediaries to assist SMEs in

traditional industrial sectors to foster smart innovation processes;

- the assistance to the SMEs from traditional industrial sectors to adopt digital

technologies and added value services to improve their products and business model.

The project started in November 2016, and it is going to end in October 2019.

Countries Regions Partners

Italy Veneto Regione Veneto

Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Venezia

Rovigo Delta-Lagunare

Veneto Innovazione SpA

Lombardy AFIL – Associazione Fabbrica Intelligente Lombardia

Piedmont CSP INNOVAZIONE NELLE ICT s.c.a.r.l

France Alsace Alsace Innovation

Rhone –Alpes Agence Régionale du Développement et de l’Innovation Rhône-Alpes

Provence-Alpes-Côte Agence Régionale pour l'Innovation et l'Internationalisation des


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d'Azur Entreprises PACA

Austria Salzburg Innovations- und Technologietransfer Salzburg GmbH

Wien Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft

Germany Bavaria Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften, Fachhochschule

Rosenheim

Baden Wüttemberg Bwcom GmbH - Baden-Württemberg: Connected e.V.

Slovenia Tehnološki park Ljubljana d.o.o.

2 The Digital Single Market and the Digital Innovation Hubs

Industry is one of the pillars of the European economy. In particular, the manufacturing

sector in the European Union accounts for 2 million enterprises, 33 million jobs and 60% of

productivity growth. New technologies as big data and data analytics, Internet of Things,

robotics, cloud computing and 3D printing open new horizons for industry to become more

efficient, to improve processes and to develop innovative products and services.

European industry is strong in digital sectors such as laser and sensor technologies, security

and energy markets, telecom equipment, electronics for automotive and business software.

However, these high-tech sectors have to deal with a severe competition from other parts

of the world. In the meantime, many other traditional sectors and their small and medium

enterprises (SMEs) are lagging behind. There are also large disparities in digitisation

between regions.

Following these purposes, the implementation of the Alpine Space program, through

projects as Smart Space, is coherent with the aims of the Digital Single Market strategy to

open up digital opportunities for people and business and enhance Europe's position as a

world leader in the digital economy.

More specifically, the efforts of the Smart Space project are strictly consistent with one of

the Digital Single Market policies named “Digitizing European Industry” (DEI, European

Commission, 2016).

The comprehensive strategy on Digitising European Industry has been created to help

businesses to reap the full benefits of digital technology. The DEI strategy includes measures

to encourage national initiatives on digitising industry to cooperate and learn from each


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other. In this sense, the Smart Space project is in line with the DEI, not only for the aims and

the pillars, but also for the goals of its pilot actions.

As part of the Digital Single Market strategy, the DEI initiative aims to reinforce the EU's

competitiveness in digital technologies and ensure that every business in Europe can draw

the full benefits from digital innovation.

Source “Digital Innovation Hubs: State of play of the DIHs policy initiative and future plans within Digital Europe

Programme”

The DEI initiative actions are structured around five main pillars, and one of them is about

Digital Innovation Hub (Pillar 2 Digital innovations for all: Digital Innovation Hubs).

A DIH is defined by the European Commission as an agent, strictly connected with its

territory, that “helps companies to become more competitive by improving their

business/production processes as well as products (and services) by means of digital

technology” (European Commission). DIHs are conceived as agents that support

digitalisation and the development of their surrounding innovation ecosystems in concrete

territorial contexts.


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In the DIHs, SMEs and mid-caps can test the latest digital technologies and get training,

financing advice, market intelligence and networking opportunities to improve their

business through digital innovations.

Collaboration among Digital Innovation Hubs and regional and European Initiatives is

crucial in order to offer the best possible support for SMEs and Midcaps.

In the European context, DIHs are designed to reply to regional needs and existing

capabilities, which connects them to the regional strategies for Smart Specialisation.

The Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) is a place-based approach addressing a region's

unique development potential by means of targeted efforts devoted to support the

emergence of new domains that may foster regional growth through a structural change.

While digital growth is a transversal priority and a recurrent aim of most regional S3

across Europe, Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) is a policy instrument that can contribute to

that goal by boosting the digitisation of the industry in every European country or region.

For this reason, the DIHNET.EU project supports stakeholders in developing specialisation

strategies that will help their clients and partners to develop a portfolio of services based on

regional assets and comparative advantages.

By exploring both intra-regional collaboration among individual DIHs and other

stakeholders as well as trans-regional collaboration, the project aims to increase

collaboration and create commitment among the different stakeholders.

Through the networking of DIHs, competences not available within a regional DIH may be

found in another DIH (European Commission, 2017). Collaborations and networking

between the different DIHs are also essential to ensure that best practices can be exported

to other regions, and missing expertise can be imported, ensuring an efficient innovation

ecosystem.

The EU is supporting that networking with €100 million per year from 2016 to 2020. A very

practical result is the DIHs catalogue established under the S3 Platform, which aims to help

on one hand DIHs to exchange best practices, and, on the other hand, companies to find

DIHs that offer the services they need.


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2.1 Digital Innovation HUB in the Alpine Space regions involved

Fully operational - In preparation

ITALY

Veneto DIGITAL INNOVATION HUB BELLUNO DOLOMITI

t2i - DIH Triveneto

Digital Innovation Hub Vicenza

SPEEDHUB

Lombardy Innovation experience HUB (InnexHUB)

Politecnico di Milano

AFIL - Lombardy Intelligent Factory Association

Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia

Piedmont Digital Innovation Hub Piemonte

Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero SpA - bioPmed innovation cluster

FRANCE

Alsace - No DIH in the online catalogue

Rhone –

Alpes

JESSICA FRANCE - CAP'TRONIC program

minaSmart

Minalogic

ICT4Manuf

Plastipolis

French Tech in the Alps

CEA LITEN Advanced Materials for Energy Hub

CEA Leti Health

Techtéra: Increasing the competitivity of enterprises for collaborative innovation

Axelera

Provence-

Alpes-Côte

d'Azur

Secured Communicating Solutions cluster

TVT Innovation - Pôle Mer Méditerranée

Team Henri Fabre

Safe Cluster

Booster SPACE4EARTH

Connectwave


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Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia

Jožef Stefan Institute

HPC5 - High Performance and Cloud Computing Cross-border Competence Consortium

Digital Innovation Hub of Eastern Slovenia (DIGITECH SI -East)

AUSTRIA

Salzburg Data Market Austria (DMA)

Digital Innovation Hub WEST

Wien VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs-GmbH

CDP - Center for Digital Production

GERMANY

Bavaria Munich Innovation Hub for Applied AI

Center Digitisation.Bavaria, ZD.B

Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Augsburg

Miro Innovation Lab

Bavarian Robotic Network (BaRoN)

Baden

Wüttemberg

Hahn-Schickard Gesellschaft für Angewandte Forschung e.V. (Hahn-Schickard)

Institute of Reliable Embedded Systems and Communication Electronics

Smart Data Solution Center Baden-Württemberg

Fraunhofer IPA - Robot and Assistive Systems

Fraunhofer Future Work Lab (FWL)

FZI Research Center for Information Technology

Application Center for Automation in Healthcare

Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Stuttgart

Application Center Industrie 4.0

Center Digitisation District Böblingen (ZD.BB)

Aalen University / Transfer Platform Industry 4.0

Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum

Smart Data Innovation Lab

Software-Cluster

SLOVENIA


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I n the A ANNEX there is a short presentation of every DIH listed.

Styrian Technology Park, STP

Digital Innovation Hub for Smart Manufacturing

DIH AGRIFOOD - Digital Innovation Hub for Agriculture and Food production


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2.2 Digital Innovation HUBs and collaboration

Several European projects on Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) have developed their own

platforms or marketplaces, offering solutions for companies to improve their production

processes, products or business models with digital technologies. Anyway, despite the fact

that these initiatives have clearly a high potential to offer useful services to certain

companies, as emerged from the DIH Working Group Meeting on Digital Tools and

Marketplaces (Brussels, 3rd April 2019), it is difficult to create a sustainable business around

each of these Digital Innovation Hubs.

There are roughly 477 DIHs in Europe, 255 of them are fully operational, while 222 are in

preparation. The fully operational DIHs cover 120 Nuts 2 regions, but they still have leave

many white spots in their distributions.

The Working Group underlined the idea that not every project develops its own

marketplace, and, in addition, there are regions where SMEs have certain digitisation needs

but there are no Digital Innovation Hubs that can address them. For these reasons, as

already mentioned above, the different DIH initiatives should focus on networking and

collaboration models.

DIHs’ Interregional collaboration allows aligning and synchronizing of competences to

improve the EU leadership.

On one hand, as emerged from the Working group, DIHs should concentrate on the

different regionals needs and potentialities, more specifically on the paths of the distinct

S3. On the other hand, an extended specialization and a fragmentation of many DIHs is

not considered an efficient way to solve this problem, and a verticalization and a

concentration of the existent initiatives and subjects is judged by the Working group as

more helpful.

It is useful to take as an example the case of the DIHs in Baden-Württemberg:


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Source “Linking regional and European DIH activities – example Baden-Württemberg” Stephan Karmann, Hahn

Schickard 6th WG on DIH, 03/04/2019, Brussels

The case of the Baden-Württemberg shows a series of critical issues related to the existent

Hubs. First of all, there are limited activities to connect to DIHs from other regions;

secondly, there is an insufficient attempt to benefit from the expertise of other European

DIHs (organisation, finances, sustainability ...); and finally, there is an inadequate approach

to support regional SMEs by use of technologies or best practice solutions available at other

European DIHs (IAs, IEs, AEs...). According to the case presented, BW DIHs are concentrated

on regional value creation without the inclusion of a trans-regional/transnational

cooperation.

Differently, it is desirable a more consistent cooperation and coordination to respond in a

more efficient and effective way to regional innovation issues.

2.2.1 SMART SPACE and Digital Innovation Hubs

The Alpine Space Project has recognized the importance of the DIHs in the European

context. For this reason, in fact, it has been created an Alpine Space Digital Innovation Hub

in order to 1) enhance the cooperation of the Alpine Space manufacturing innovation

ecosystem, and 2) strengthen and support SMEs in the Digital Innovation Processes to

increase their competitiveness.

The aim of this DIH is sustain the Alpine Space Innovation ecosystem, as a connector of

regional and local DIHs located in the area, to offer the best possible support for SME

This DIH is sustained by the Alpine Space SMART-SPACE Project, that provides, amongst all

other service, also an integrated IT platform for Alpine Space users.


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The IT platform for the Alpine Space is conceived as a one-stop-shop 1) to offer to SMEs,

Intermediaries and Policy Makers those necessary knowledge and tools that are not

available at a local level (establishing transnational networks for the Alpine Space

growth); 2) to start or strengthen a strategic innovation environment to gather and

optimize local and European initiatives on topics of common interest, increasing their

impact and effectiveness.

The Platform is representing the entry point to an interregional network of innovation

stakeholders, that will benefit from a set of tools and services conceived to support Policy

Makers, Intermediaries and SMEs to carry on the digitization path, and increase the

competitiveness of the Alpine Space area, building up the “Alpine Space Digital Hub”.

The Alpine Space Digital Innovation Hub aims to integrate the SMART-SPACE strategy and

support the Alpine Space Innovation ecosystem with digital technologies, knowledge and

best practices. More specifically, the aim of the DIH is to accelerate the digitization of the

Alpine Space SMEs through the offer of: services and expertise provided by experts; access

to tools and infrastructures existing in the Alpine Space; an intermediaries network for the

Alpine area.


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3 The Alpine Space Interreg and EUSALP

The Smart Space project aims to contribute not only to the implementation of the Alpine

Space Programme strategy, but also to the success of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region

(EUSALP) macro-regional strategy.

The EUSALP Macroregional Strategy, and the Alpine Space Interreg Transnational

Programme share common goals over the similar areas.

Source: “Alpine cooperation stories: Alpine Space programme and the EU strategy for the Alpine region –

EUSALP”

EUSALP is based on a joint initiative of Alpine states and regions to strengthen their

cooperation and to address common challenges in a more effective way. It is crucial to take

into account that the regional dimension is the most effective at the European level to

realize coordinated activities in a common territory with similar economic, geographic,

demographic or social conditions.

EUSALP aims to address specific territorial challenges, such as the balancing of development

and environmental protection, the enhancement of competitiveness, and the reduction of

territorial disparities.

The Alpine areas and their digital innovation processes have a lot of topics and actions but a

common approach is needed.


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Among the several correspondences between EUSALP and the Alpine Space programme,

SMART SPACE contributes to the EUSALP Action plan for the Thematic Objective 1 - Fair

Access to job opportunities, building on the high competitiveness of the Region.

In particular, the two action groups of EUSALP that cover this program are: AG1 - To develop

an effective research and innovation ecosystem, and AG2 - To increase the economic

potential of strategic sectors. These two AG pursue the aim of “Foster sustainable growth

and promote innovation in the Alps”.

More specifically, inside the SMART SPACE project, the National Pilot Actions (D.T3.2.1) aim

to test the toolset and to create a common understanding of the needs/problems in the

field of digitalization, identifying resources and topics of reference for the Alpine areas from

different approaches and industrial traditions. Their purpose is to contribute to the overall

EUSALP Strategy and S3 regional/national strategies outcomes and follow-up actions.

Finally, it is important to consider that they are inserted in a complex environment of

European, national and regional initiatives for the Smart Industry, wherein it’s important a

shared vision and a common understanding of SMEs’ challenges and needs for digitization in

the Alpine Space regions.

In this sense, the coordination between the EUSALP strategy and the Alpine Space project

involves the political and financial support for initiatives on digitization targeting SMEs, and

the analysis of the available resources, not only at the financial level but also about

knowledge, structures, tools and human capital (including DIHs).


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4 The regional Smart Specialization Strategy in SMART SPACE geography

SMART-SPACE project intends to support the cooperation within the system of innovation

to promote smart digital solutions in the traditional industrial sectors. One of the aims of

the project is to connect these efforts with the initiatives and the practices planned within

the S3 strategies.

Industrial innovation requires important investment efforts. The Regional Smart

Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) have been created to help to prioritise and align the different

commitments between public and private stakeholders in EU regions, and allocate EU and

regional funds in a focused and efficient way. At the same time, there are clear

opportunities to engage in strategic interregional cooperation along shared RIS3 priorities in

order to complement each other’s competences, share infrastructure, and develop joint

investment projects. Such interregional cooperation allows scaling up towards larger impact

and more effective collaboration along industrial value chains.

Smart specialisation begins within a region or a country by exploiting place-based expertise

and industrial skills within the regional innovation ecosystem. However, regional innovation

ecosystems could be further strengthened through transnational learning and collaboration

in smart specialisation based on complementarity competences.

A key to build innovation strategies for smart specialisation at the regional level is to identify

opportunities for learning policy lessons and transferring practices from other regions.

This could be particularly useful especially for those regions that have a small innovation

ecosystem that have more difficulties to be connected to the global innovation networks.

These potentialities of collaboration, as obvious, can be additionally leveraged at the macro-

regional level with a cooperation on topics of common interest. In particular, it is important

to identify the regions that share similar structural conditions which are relevant for

innovation-driven development (social, economic, technological, institutional and

geographical characteristics). These characteristics affect the way innovation and economic

evolution take place in a region. The Alpine Space comprising some of the most important

European metropolitan areas, and shared many economic, geographic and social features,

but at the same time is characterized by many differences, starting from cultures and

languages. For these reasons it is important to reflect about the possible common point

among the 11 regions partner of Smart Space.

According to the S3 Platform, the “Regional benchmarking in the smart specialisation

process1” shows the following similarities among the SMART SPACE partners:

1 The benchmark references regions across Europe based on a methodology jointly developed by Orkestra –

Basque Institute of Competitiveness and the S3 Platform. It takes into account the following indicators: geo-

demographic factors; human resources; technological structure; sectoral structure; firms structure; openness;

institutions and values; other factors.


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(The benchmark takes into account for each region the 35 most similar regions in two

different list, one that doesn’t consider the same country peers, one that does. The following

table shows, for each region, the most similar partner regions of both of the lists, and the

correspondent “Distance index”. Each similar region has a different “Distance index”, the

most similar have a lower index, while the little less similar have a high index. The green

colour here used indicates the lower values of the “Distance index” for every similar partner

region group).

TAB 1

Country Region Most similar Regions among the nearest 35

Italy Veneto Piedmont 0,0118 - Lombardy 0,0144

Rhone-Alpes 0,0343 - Salzburg 0,0343 - PACA 0,0379

Lombardy Piedmont 0,0076 - Veneto 0,0144

Rhone-Alpes 0,0206 - PACA 0,0262 - Alsace 0,0371

Bavaria 0,0403 - Baden Wuttemberg 0,0425

Piedmont Lombardy 0,0076 - Veneto 0,0118

PACA 0,0253 - Rhone-Alpes 0,0287

Alsace 0,0386 - Bavaria 0,0390

France Alsace Rhone-Alpes 0,0198

Zahodna Slovenija 0.0286

Rhone –Alpes PACA 0,0149 - Alsace 0,0198

Lombardy 0,0206 - Piedmont 0,0287

Veneto 0,0343 - Bavaria 0,0354

Provence-Alpes-Côte

d'Azur

Rhone-Alpes 0,0149

Piedmont 0,0253 - Lombardy 0,0262

Wien 0,0304

Austria Salzburg Zahodna Slovenija 0.0343 - Veneto 0,0343

Alsace 0,0396 - Wien 0,0410

Wien Paca 0,0304

Alsace 0,0384 - Rhone Alpes 0,0390


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Germany Bavaria Baden Wuttemberg 0,0039

Rhone-Alpes 0,0354 Piedmont 0,0390

Lombardy 0,0403 - Alsace 0,0417 - Wien 0,0460

Baden Wüttemberg Bavaria 0,0039

Alsace 0,0356 - Rhone-Alpes 0,0395

Piedmont 0,0422 Lombardy 0,0425 - Wien 0,0476

Slovenia Zahodna Slovenija

(Western Slovenia)

Vzhodna Slovenija 0.0176

Alsace 0,0286 - Salzburg 0,0343

Vzhodna Slovenija

(Eastern Slovenia)

Zahodna Slovenija 0.0176

The table shows a general consistency among the same country peers, except for the two

Austrian regions, that have more similarity with Italian and French regions.

However, in addition to the regions of the same countries, there are also other

correspondence among different nations, that testify the importance of common efforts to

improve joint initiatives in the digitization and innovation fields.

Furthermore, it is possible to analyse also the closeness among the different S3 strategies

of the different countries and regions. In particular, on Eye@RIS3, it is possible to visualise

public investments priorities for innovation across Europe. Data are based on the

information found in Smart Specialisation Strategies and related strategic frameworks

(http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/map and

p latform-registered-regions).

h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3-

http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/map


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ITALY

Veneto

Priority Name Description

New technologies

for sustainable living

Cross-sector innovation area: new technologies for sustainable buildings and cities,

security and health. Well-being in living environment, smart and sustainable cities and

buildings, security and health (technologies for independent and active life), cultural

heritage regeneration.

New technologies

for the creative

industries

Cross-sector innovation area: ICTs, new technologies and materials for new products and

services. Innovative marketing and products' virtualisation, innovative and eco materials,

creative design, technologies for cultural heritage valorisation.

Advanced

technologies for

manufacturing

Cross-sector innovation area for different manufacturing sectors. New production and

organisation models, advanced design and production technologies, automation,

innovative and inclusive working space.

Providing healthy

and safe food (agri-

food)

Producing healthy and safe food products with minimised environmental impact and

with enhanced ecosystem services, zero waste and adequate societal value. Smart

management of natural and energy resources, health, nutrition and food security,

sustainable and innovative transformation process, product traceability.

Lombardy


Aeronautics and

Space

Aeronautics & environment

Sustainable mobility Smart green & integrated transport systems

Advanced

Manufacturing

Healthcare Industry Social innovation with regard to health, well-being & elder care

Cultural and Creative

Industries

Development of regional cultural & creative industries

Eco - Industry Sustainable and eco innovations - Energy efficiency and renewable resources

Agriculture /food

product

Food security & safety


23

Piedmont


New technologies

and solutions for the

aerospace industry

Remotely piloted aerial systems, eco-compatible motor solutions, more electric aircraft,

clean sky space exploration, orbit systems management, engineering logistics and

control services, innovative platforms for application missions

New products and

processes for green

chemicals

development

(Cleantech)

Bio-refineries and non-food biomass conversion plants for the production of chemicals,

biofuels and bioplastics, management, treatment and valorisation of solid and liquid

waste, management of secondary raw materials, technologies for the reclamation of

polluted sites

New technologies

and solutions for the

automotive industry

Innovative power units, alternative traction systems, high security mechanical

components and subsystems, on-board systems for driving assistance, Car-to-Car

Communication (C2C) and Car-to-Infrastructure technologies(C2I), fleet management

systems, smart ticketing systems, integrated systems for city logistics and shared

mobility, non-traditional materials, technologies for vehicles end-of-life.

Business innovation

in textile and

fashion, food, style

and design (Made in

Piemonte)

Cross-sector innovation areas to develop market niches hand in hand with increasing

innovative capacity in complex organizational and market contexts. Target areas: agri-

food logistics, traceability, supply chain, future farming and livestock, wearable

technologies and smart textiles for different professions.

Mechatronics

applications for

consumer and

industrial products

Mechatronics applications for consumer and industrial products, manufacturing

processes, eco-efficiency and eco-compatibility, virtual performance simulation,

mechatronics automation, human machine interface, micro and nanotechnology,

manufacturing transformation.

Life Sciences

Technologies for

Wellbeing and

Health

eHealth, personalized medicine, imaging, diagnostics, regenerative medicine,

prosthetics, scientific instruments, pharmaceutical biotechnology, bioinformatics and ICT

for health research, oncology, cardiovascular, CNS and metabolic diseases, innovative

and targeted pharmaceutical approaches, bioengineering and surgical robotics,

advanced biomedical solutions.


24

FRANCE

Alsace


Environment

friendly equipment

and tools

This is part of the activity labelled as Green economy. It involves machinery and

equipment and tools (eco-conception, end-of-life product conception, automation and

engines

Health and well-

being -

1) e-health (prevention, self-diagnosis, tele-consultation and remote monitoring), ICT

related aspects of e-health. 2) New drugs (biotech, biomarkers, nanomaterial, genomics,

chemistry and biology), 3) robotics & medical & surgical care (non-invasive mini surgery,

micro-robots for the exploration of the body, tele-robotics and education, social robots

for diagnosis and cognitive & emotional stimulation, robotics software) 4) tools for

assisting diagnosis based on medical imagery (and ultra-sound) 5) Medical implants

(passive such as prosthesis and active such as pacemakers) 6) prevention through

nutrition

Green economy

Composed of various axis: 1) Sustainable, healthy and low environmental impact

buildings; 2) Renewable energy; 3) sustainable transport; 4) water management; 5) Low

environmental impact agriculture and manufacturing.

Renewable energies This is the 2nd axis of GREEN ECONOMY. It involves biogas, biomass, geothermal energy,

hydroelectricity

Sustainable

transportation and

mobility services

3rd axis of GREEN ECONOMY. It involves ICT for transport efficiency, road safety, real

time traffic information, economy of oil

Measure water to

better manage it.

4th axis of GREEN ECONOMY. This involves water management technologies, water

consumption reduction, collective water management, laboratory water analysis.

Agriculture

innovation and

environmental

impact reduction

5th axis of GREEN ECONOMY. It involves agricultural exploitation competitiveness,

quality of production, underground water preservation. Wine production

Rhone-Alpes


Personalised

healthcare for Diagnosis, therapy, vaccine, medical technologies, health, nutrition and some target

infectious and diseases (infectious diseases, cancers, other chronic diseases and ageing).

chronic diseases


25

Smart and energy-

efficient buildings

Active management of buildings, innovative materials and integrated photovoltaic solar

energy.

Industrial processes

and eco-efficient

factory

Sectors of chemicals and the environment: low-carbon and eco-efficient processes,

metrology and environmental instrumentation, recycling and waste management and

bio-based chemistry.

Smart mobility

systems

Smart transport systems, the vehicle of the future, modelling and uses.

Digital technologies

and user-friendly

systems

Advanced production and industrial robotics, service robotics and ambient intelligence,

the treatment of complex data and cybersecurity, and digital culture and education.

Sports, tourism and

mountain

infrastructure

Sport articles and equipment, accessibility and infrastructure, security and management

of natural risks, and an integrated offer of services linked to experiential tourism.

Networks and

energy storage

Multi-scale smart networks (micro grids, smart grids and super grids) and multi-energy

storage.

Provence-Alpès-Côte d'Azur


Energy transition and

energy efficiency

Advancing on energy-efficient building renovation through improved thermal

insulation, managing and securing smart electricity networks and developing the

production of marine renewable energy.

Risks, security and

safety

Promoting global solutions for environmental monitoring (land, sea, air and water) and

crisis management, strengthening the technological competitiveness of security

solutions and diversifying their application.

Health and food

Improving patient care through early testing, medical diagnostic assistance and the

development of medical devices, developing e-health solutions and preventing

diseases through the promotion of the Mediterranean diet.

Smart and sustainable

mobility

Providing mobility solutions that allow optimising the management of flows of people

and goods, developing new, energy-efficient and safe port and airport services and

infrastructure and strengthening the industrial competitiveness of aeronautic and sea

transport through the development of new transport vehicles and new activities.

Cultural industry,

tourism and digital

content

Developing e-tourism solutions and increasing the number of international customers,

and creating links between the trans-media and the smart city.


26

AUSTRIA

Salzburg


Life Sciences

Pharmaceutical sector, biotechnology and Medical technology, Cancer research,

Immunology and allergies, Regenerative medicine and regenerative biology, Cognitive

neurosciences, Metabolism. As a wide-ranging topic across all business areas:

personalised medicine

Information and

Communication

Technologies

Industry 4.0 − digitalisation of the economy, Spatial simulation / spatial analysis and

spatial, simulation, geo-information systems Smart data and visualisation/data analysis

and visualisation. The Internet of Things/Smart Production and Services, including

future interfaces

Smart Materials in

Life Sciences

Innovative activities emerging from linkages between the biosciences and medicine,

e.g. in the realm of medical technology or also‚ bioanalytical engineering (materials,

surfaces and sensor technology for diagnostics, biochip technologies, micro-fluid

engineering and biosensor technology). Also by introducing the ICTs, the sectors

providing growth prospects for new technologies are equally diverse, e.g. that of

integrating electronics and sensors into materials for purposes of measurement and

analysis (among other uses), or of simulating properties of materials. Biomaterials.

Intelligent

construction and

settlement systems

Intelligent Alpine Building, Smart Settlement Systems (settlement 4.0), development of

spaces, mobility, energy, infrastructure, social issues and demography, always aiming

to safeguard minimum resource consumption, sustainable use of infrastructure, and

placing human beings − the users − at the forefront.

The Creative Economy

and Service

Innovation

Design and structuring: eco-design, strongly drawing upon the sustainability concept,

materials research and resource efficiency. Digital, interactive media, media

technologies, visualisation, animation, app programming, software programming,

interfaces to the human user, programming of digital, interactive media. Service

innovations for all business sectors, both in service-based and in production-based

business sectors (e.g. artisans, industry, tourism, commerce). Service innovations for

tourism. The goal is to further develop tourism, applying innovation and research, a

strong foundation of knowledge and the e-tourism sector.

Wien


Life sciences

Public health & well-being

Social innovation with regard to health, well-being & elder care

Cultural and social Development of regional cultural & creative industries


27

sciences Support to link cultural & creative industries with traditional industries

Mathematics and

physics

General advancement of knowledge on Mathematics, computer and information

sciences, and on Physical sciences

Information and

Communication

Technologies

Focus on the link between technology-driven innovation and socially-driven innovation,

implement a variety of innovative projects within the City Administration, but also in

cooperative ventures with private business and the federal government

Creative industries Increase areas of strength of creative industries to acquire sufficient critical mass to act

as beacon with international visibility

GERMANY

Bavaria


Life sciences Biotechnology and systems biology

Innovative

technology-based

services

Innovative technology-based services

Clean technologies Clean technologies

New and intelligent

materials, nano-

and micro-

technology

New and intelligent materials, nano- and micro-technology

Efficient production

technologies,

mechatronics,

automation and

robotics

Efficient production technologies, mechatronics, automation and robotics

ICT

Cyber-security, big data, cloud computing, industry 4.0, e-Commerce, craftsmanship 4.0,

robotics for automation (in production, logistics and healthcare), connected mobility, e-

Health, digital care, precision medicine and tele-medicine, smart energy, digital media

(film and gaming), e-Tourism, e-Finance, smart construction, digital agriculture for

resource efficiency and transparency, e-Environment and environmental protection


28

Baden Wüttemberg


Sustainable mobility

concepts

E-mobility, alternative driving systems, innovative usage concepts and networked,

resource-efficient mobility. Integration of traffic systems with the help of intelligent

control systems, ecological modernization of the state's vehicle fleet

ICT, green IT and

intelligent products

Cloud computing, open source software, energy and resource efficiency, sustainable

mobility and e-Health

Health Medical technology, application of health care procedures in acute care, rehab and

cures, as well as research into new frontiers, such as neurology or bionics

Environmental

technologies,

renewable energies

and & resource

efficiency

Smarter use of scarce raw materials and energy carriers, lightweight construction,

sustainable production processes in SMEs, recycling and waste management and

promote the qualification of engineers and skilled workers

SLOVENIA


Smart Cities and

Communities

Manufacturing of electric and electronic components and equipment, ICT systems,

components and systems for district heating and the heating, ventilation and air-

conditioning (HVAC) systems. Development of ICT-based projects in the areas of

renewable energy sources, smart urban mobility, safety and smart health systems.

Smart buildings and

homes

Energy refurbishment of buildings, interfaces between smart buildings and smart grids,

integrated management systems for buildings, homes and the working environment of

the future, and smart appliances for energy efficiency and self-sufficiency of buildings.

The R&I activities include also sustainability of buildings with re-use of used construction

materials and of waste as well as renewable and eco-friendly and healthy materials;

integration of wood-chain in the design of homes and working environments of the

future by including research and innovation deriving from traditional knowledge and

skills in using the wood and wood-compatible natural materials.

SI_ndustry 4.0 -

Smart Factories

Industry 4.0 - integrated solutions enabling companies to build competent value-chains

including production optimisation, (distributed) production management and control,

quality assurance, regulation and data processing; intra-logistics, optimisation and

automation of production processes: smart machines and equipment, mechatronic

systems, actuators and smart sensors, virtual technological production systems, remote

monitoring and management, modularity of products and solutions, and new intelligent

materials.

Health / Medicine Research and Innovation activities related to medical applications and quality of life. The

activities include new substances and technologies in biomedicine combined with smart


29

healthcare, personalized healthcare for vulnerable population, including high quality

food and clean environment.

Networks for the

Transition to Circular

Economy

Research and Innovation activities for sustainable biomass transformation and

production of new bio-based materials, technologies for use of secondary and raw-

materials and reuse of waste. The activities include production of energy based on

alternative sources.

Sustainable Food

Production

Research and Innovation activities supporting sustainable production of high-quality

food in relation to business model that integrates knowledge institutions with

manufacturers and economic entities along the entire value chains, including the

development of new marketing models. The activities will involve establishment of

innovative short ("Zero km") supply chains for locally and organically produced foods

with guaranteed and recognised traceability from the field to the table; ensure long-

term sustainable conditions for the development of the varieties and farming practices

adapted to Slovenian territory but also resilient and adaptable to the progressive climate

change conditions.

Sustainable Tourism

and Creative Cultural

and Heritage based

Services

Research and Innovation activities focusing social innovation based on rich cultural

heritage and local creativity promoting activities and services centred around

sustainable use of natural resources and innovative well-being programmes.

Development of

Materials as

Products

Focusing on materials' production technologies and processing, and material sciences -

metallurgy, foundry and production of multicomponent non-homogeneous materials /

components combined in different ways.

Smart Mobility

Developing high value-added, demanding, complex, energy-efficient products consistent

with the new EU transport emission standards (EURO 6c, EURO 7) and security standards

(EURO NCAP). These include niche components and systems for internal combustion

engines, E-mobility and energy storage systems, systems and components for security

and comfort (interior / exterior), and advanced materials for the automotive industry.


30

TAB 2

(The following table collects together the different priorities of the 11 partners regions presented above).

Legend: p1: Priority 1 Health - Life Sciences p2: Priority 2 Agrifood - Safe Food p3: Priority 3 Cultural and creative industries - Sport and digital tourism - Cultural regeneration p4: Priority 4 Aeronautics – Automotive - Sustainable mobility p5: Priority 5 Smart/Sustainable City (Buildings, security, risk management) p6: Priority 6 Cross Sectors innovation (for smart manufacturing) p7: Priority 7 ICT, green IT and intelligent product p8: Priority 8 Green Economy – Eco innovation (Renewable resources- Renewable energy – Waste management – Circular Economy) p9: Priority 9 Digital technologies and user-friendly systems p10: Priority 10 Advanced Manufacturing

Countries Regions p1 p2 p3 p4 p5 p6 p7 p8 p9 p10

Italy Veneto X X X X X X X

Lombardy X X X X X X X

Piedmont X X X X X X X

France Alsace X X X X X X

(focus

on

water)

X

Rhone Alpes X X X X X X X

(focus

on

water)

X

Paca X X X X X X

Austria Salzburg X X X X

Wien X X X

Germany Bavaria X X X X X X

Baden X X X X


31

Wuttemberg

Slovenia X X X X X X X X


32

TAB 3 (The following table mixes together TAB 1 and TAB 2, to show some possible common priorities among regions, according to the similarities of the “Distance Index” of TAB1.)

Legend: p1: Priority 1 Health - Life Sciences p2: Priority 2 Agrifood - Safe Food p3: Priority 3 Cultural and creative industries - Sport and digital tourism - Cultural regeneration p4: Priority 4 Aeronautics – Automotive - Sustainable mobility p5: Priority 5 Smart/Sustainable City (Buildings, security, risk management) p6: Priority 6 Cross Sectors innovation (for smart manufacturing) p7: Priority 7 ICT, green IT and intelligent product p8: Priority 8 Green Economy – Eco innovation (Renewable resources- Renewable energy – Waste management – Circular Economy) p9: Priority 9 Digital technologies and user-friendly systems p10: Priority 10 Advanced Manufacturing

Regions Similar

region 1

Similar

region 2

Similar

region 3

Similar

region 4

Similar

region 5

Similar

region 6

Similar

region 7

(IT) Veneto Piedmont

1,2,6,8,10

Lombardy

1,2,3,,6,8,10

Rhone-Alpes

1,2,

5,6, 8

Salzburg

1,3,5

PACA

1,2,5 8

(IT) Lombardy Piedmont

1,2,4,6,8

Veneto

1,2,3,6,8,10

Rhone-Alpes

1,2,3,4,6,8

PACA

1,2,3,4,8

Alsace

1,2,4,8

Bavaria

1,3,8

Baden

Wuttemberg

1,4,8

(IT) Piedmont Lombardy,

1,2,4,6,8

Veneto

1, 2,6,8,10

PACA

1,2,4,5,8

Rhone-Alpes

1,2,3,4,6,8

Alsace

1,2,4,7,8

Bavaria

1,7,8,9

(FR) Alsace Rhone-Alpes

1,2,4,5

Slovenia,

1,2,4,5,7

(FR) Rhone PACA, Alsace Lombardy Piedmont Veneto Bavaria

Alpes 1,2,3,4,5,8 1,2,4,5 1,2,3,4,6,8 1,2,3,4,6,8 1,2, 1,3,5,8,9

5, 6,8


33

(FR) Paca Rhone-Alpes

1,2,3,4,5,8

Piedmont

1,2458

Lombardy

1,2,3,4,8

Wien

1,3

(AT) Salzburg Slovenija

1,3,5,7

Veneto

1,3 5

Alsace

1,5,7

Wien

1,3,7

(AT) Wien Paca

1,3

Alsace

1,2,7

Rhone Alpes

1,3

(DE) Bavaria Baden

Wuttemberg

1,7,8

Rhone-Alpes,

1,3,5,8,9

Piedmont

1,7,8,9

Lombardy

1,3,8

Alsace

1,5,7,8

Wien

1,3,7

(DE) Baden

Wuttemberg

Bavaria

1,7,8

Alsace

1,4, 7, ,8

Rhone-Alpes

1,4,7,8

Piedmont

1 ,4,7,8

Lombardy

1,4,8

Wien

1, 7

(SLO)Zahodna

Slovenija

(Western

Slovenia)

Alsace,

1,2,4,5,7

Salzburg

1,3,5,7

(SLO)Vzhodna

Slovenija

(Eastern

Slovenia)

The contacts points among the different S3 strategies show that it is possible to collect

together the different efforts of the singular regions for a more coordinated strategy.


34

5 Partners agreement

Networks creation is fundamental to strengthen the development of territorial innovation

policies.

In this regard, it is desirable an agreement between the different partners project in order

to promote and reinforce the future commitments of Smart Space, especially to guarantee

the follow up of the previous achievements.

At this point it is more suitable a first experiment of collaboration through a light

agreement, that could be strengthened and enlarged in the future.

There are several contact points among the regions involved in the project, and these could

be the base for the development of a joint strategy to continue the promotion of digitization

and innovation in the Alpine Space.

As emerged during the project implementation, the Alpine Space region has a strong R&D

environment, with a lot of Industry 4.0 technologies leaders.

However, there’s a lack of connections among the existing initiatives, and the Alpine Space

innovation ecosystem needs to improve the collaborations and the synergies between

companies and the innovation’s agents, especially at the transnational and interregional

level. For these reasons it is important to keep the attention high on digitization and

industry innovation.

To make possible this cooperation, there are some critical issues that need more

coordinated efforts by the SMART SPACE project’s partners:

. Need of a shared language for an easier comprehension among different agents (in order to make simpler in particular to SMEs to relate with different agents about similar tools, technologies and knowledge);

. Promotion of DIHs networking, and of a skills and competences verticalization wherein considered more suitable (to guarantee a more efficient and effective offer of services to SMEs in different territorial contexts);

. Coordination of the existent initiatives and projects (including the Digital Innovation Hubs), especially due to the fact that the new European Investments on Industry 4.0 will be focus in particular on specialization and rationalization. For this reason, the network among the existing projects and subjects needs to be reinforced, in order to be more efficient and effective. This kind of network, in fact, will allow industries, policy makers, intermediaries and innovation stakeholders to have an easier access to the digitization knowledge and the services with no space and time borders. This will be possible with adequate platforms, that allow connections a sharing. In this sense, it is important to consider that the new program Horizon Europe gives

priority to a new generation of European Partnerships. It will streamline the number


35

of partnerships that the EU co-programmes or co-funds with partners like industry,

civil society and funding associations, in order to increase effectiveness and impact

in achieving the intervention priorities. The new program aims to allow Europe to

remain at the forefront of research and innovation in the world, and in order to

achieve this goal, the financial budget proposed for Horizon Europe for the period

2021-2027 is 97.6 billion euros (3.5 of them will be allocated under the InvestEU

Fund).

The Alpine Space, in order to benefit of these funds, needs 1) to strengthen the

existent network and partnership, 2) to establish a powerful and strategic

innovation environment to gather and optimize the SMEs innovation’s potential.

This requires the development of a shared policy of transnational cooperation in the

Alpine Space regions, as well as a common commitments’ strategy, that can be

developed starting from the current and future Smart Space partners (especially

through the platform).

These efforts are crucial to reinforce the Alpine Space and promote a shared strategy,

useful for a powerful cooperation among the different agents and stakeholders of the

industry area. In this way, the Alpine Space innovation ecosystem, with the right expertise,

training, financial support and public and private co-investments, aims to:

- guarantee the promotion, the growth and the digitization of the Alpine Space; - promote SMEs innovation and digitization; - make available to a wider stakeholders group the developed tools (enlarging the

number of SMEs, intermediaries and policy makers involved); - Ensure the implementation of the developed platforms beyond the single projects’

deadline; - Stimulate the growth of the project partners.

The Smart Space project continuation, as explained, can ensure the coordination of the

Alpine macro-regional area, by promoting synergies between existing initiatives that can be

able also to reinforce the success of the various Smart Specialization Strategies in the

territory.

In this sense, the future commitments are still focused on three main subjects of the

project: SMEs, qualified intermediaries and Policy makers.

More specifically,

- SMEs are the central points in the Alpine Space planning about industry’s digital innovation. SMEs, without a support, are not able to relate with technological innovations and to develop stable networks. The SMART SPACE platform, in this context, is particularly useful in order to 1) sustain the different stakeholders of the Alpine Space, that need a transnational control room, able to highlight the different needs and potentialities of enterprises; 2) fill the gap of the lack of a coordinated


36

strategy for digitization (despite the fact that, according to a recent survey done during the project, SMEs still don’t recognize this critical aspect). All of the innovation network activities shouldn’t be restricted in defined territorial

areas but must be extended to a inter-regional cooperation. The application of the

SMART SPACE platform, in this sense, needs to be strengthened following this idea

of integration and collaboration.

Enterprises collaboration is central in the innovation and digitization process, making

possible a better exchange of ideas and practices between small and big companies.

It is this exchange that could create a dragging effect in a double sense. On one

hand, in fact, big companies are often a showroom of the new technological

possibilities for SMEs. On the other hand, however, inside SMEs product or process’

innovations are easily created and developed, fostering the innovation climate that

is positive also for big companies.

About SMEs digitization goal, the SMART SPACE project intends to fill the gap of

tools, knowledge and networking to start a transnational innovation ecosystem, with

attention to the Digital Innovation Hubs.

- In the different regions involved in the project there are several types of intermediary organizations: 43% are generalists, 19% offer technical specialist experts, 38% are hybrids (both generalists and experts). Thanks to the network elaborated until now, and the results of the pilot actions, these subjects must be taken into account for the future activities promoted by the agreement.

- Finally, public agents need to have a primary position. It is important to consider to involve policy makers in the process of networking construction, that can develop specific tools to allow the involvement of small businesses in the technological growth of the territory. There is the need of specific policies to facilitate transnational cooperation and digitization (especially the issues connected to infrastructures, funding and regulations). In particular, policy makers’ efforts need to concentrate not only on the needs

presented in the list above (with a particular focus on a shared language), but also on

the verticalization and the rationalization of the existing initiatives.

In conclusion, there are some possible practical actions to direct the agreement among the

project partners:

- Alpine Space Transnational events; - Transnational directories and mapping of the existent strategies and initiatives; - Supporting tools for collaboration (regional and transnational);


37

- Promotion of Smart Space and of the platform and fundraising by the project partners at institutional events, initiatives and panels about digitization and innovation, wherein they are involved.


38

6 Conclusions & recommendations

The Smart Space path has shown until now that there could be many potentialities for the

digitization of the Alpine Space through the continuation of the collaboration of the project

partners, especially considering an enlargement of their number.

In particular, the common issues about innovation and digitization improvement in the

different regions, especially about SMEs and Smart Industry, testify that there are the

conditions for a partners agreement.

The Smart Space future developments can be crucial to fill the gap of tools, knowledge and

networking necessary to a transnational innovative ecosystem in the Alpine Space for a

Smart Industry, especially including the Alpine Space Digital Innovation Hub and the

network of DIHs of this territory.

The Alpine Space area, in fact, can become a more competitive, productive and innovative

territory thanks to the digital industry and the implementation of knowledge and expertise

of Public and Private intermediaries.

The Alpine space area, as already mentioned above, is inserted in a complex system of

regional, national and European initiatives to improve industry digitization.

Due to this variety of projects and strategies about digitization and Industry 4.0, it is

important 1) to integrate and coordinate the existent efforts, especially the fragmented

initiatives in Regions; 2) to solve the difficulties of a transnational approach; and 3) to

strengthen a shared and sustainable model at the Alpine Space level.

In this way, in fact, it is possible to provide to the Alpine space an effective, efficient and

sustainable innovation ecosystem, exploiting the best digitization potentialities and

capabilities of all of the partner regions, reinforcing the transnational cooperation.

In this sense, the Smart Space platform can be the focal point of a strong innovation

ecosystem, supporting the digitization of territories and SMEs, and strengthening the

collaboration of the Smart Industry strategies in the Alpine Space.


39

Literature and sources

- Arian Zwegers, “Digital Innovation Hubs. State of play of the DIHs policy initiative and future plans within Digital Europe Programme”, Technologies & Systems for Digitising Industry, DG CONNECT/A2, European Commission, 2018, online: h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/20182/289979/20181127%2520S3P % 2520Bilbao_DGCNECT_Arian_Zwegers.pdf/38d57061-1d9c-4f12-8adc- 5 ab3b387f996

- Alpine Space programme, “Alpine cooperation stories. Alpine Space programme and the EU strategy for the Alpine region” - EUSALP, 09/2018, online: h ttps://www.alpine-space.eu/communication/20181127_alpine-cooperation- s tories-brochure-web-version.pdf

- European Commission, “Digitising European Industry: progress so far, 18 months after launch, November 2017, online: h ttps://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/15_11_2017_digitising_europea n _industry_brochure_ec_final_web3.pdf

- European Commission, “EU Budget for the future. Horizon Europe”, 2018, online: h ttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/budget-may2018- r esearch-innovation_en.pdf

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- Rissola, G. and Sörvik, J., Digital Innovation Hubs in Smart Specialisation Strategies, EUR 29374 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2018, ISBN 978-92-79-94828-2, doi:10.2760/475335, JRC113111

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b enchmarking h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/regional-

- Digital Single Market: h ttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/digital-single- m arket_en

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- DIH Catalogue: h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/digital-innovation-hubs-tool - DIH Working Group Meeting on Digital Tools and Marketplaces (Brussels, 3 April

2019): h ttps://www.alpine-region.eu/news/3rd-april-2019-working-group-meeting- d igital-tools-and-marketplaces

- DIHNET: https://dihnet.eu - Eye@RIS3: h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/map - Eusalp: h ttps://www.alpine-region.eu - Eusal Italian presidency:

h ttps://www.eusalp.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/site/eusalp - R&I Regional Viewer: h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esif-viewer

http://www.alpine-space.eu/communication/20181127_alpine-cooperation-

http://www.eusalp.regione.lombardia.it/wps/wcm/connect/9bba2767-713e-45f4-

http://www.alpine-space.eu/

http://www.alpine-region.eu/news/3rd-april-2019-working-group-meeting-

http://www.alpine-region.eu/

http://www.eusalp.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/site/eusalp


40

- Smart Space: h ttps://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/smart-space/en/home - Smart Space Platform: h ttps://smartspacehub.eu - S3 Platform: h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3-platform-registered-regions - S3 Repository: https://www.onlines3.eu/ris3-strategies-repository/ - S3 Bavaria Website: h ttps://www.efre-bayern.de - S3 Baden Württemberg Website h ttp://wm.baden-

w uerttemberg.de/de/innovation/innovationsstrategie-des-landes/ - S3 PACA Website: h ttps://www.risingsud.fr - S3 Rhone_Alpes Website: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regional-

innovation-monitor/policy-document/smart-specialisation-strategy-rhônes-alpes- ris3-2014-2020

- S3 Alsace: c ontent/uploads/2015/11/s3_regionalsaced1.pdf

h ttp://europe-en-alsace.eu/wp-

- S3 Veneto Website: h ttp://www.regione.veneto.it/web/guest;jsessionid=7A65A16439053B7AC6E05F60E 0 1379D8.liferay02

- S3 Lombardy Website: https://www.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/istituzionale/HP

- S3 Piedmont Website: h ttps://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/sviluppo/sistema-ricerca- i nnovazione/s3-strategia-specializzazione-intelligente

- S3 Slovenia Website: h ttp://www.svrk.gov.si/en/areas_of_work/slovenian_smart_specialisation_strategy _ s4/

- S3 Salzburg Website: h ttps://www.salzburg.gv.at/wirtschaft_/Seiten/wiss.aspx - S3 Wien Website: h ttps://innovation2020.wien.gv.at/site/

http://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/smart-space/en/home

http://www.onlines3.eu/ris3-strategies-repository/

http://www.efre-bayern.de/

http://www.risingsud.fr/

http://www.regione.veneto.it/web/guest%3Bjsessionid%3D7A65A16439053B7AC6E05F60E

http://www.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/istituzionale/HP

http://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/sviluppo/sistema-ricerca-

http://www.svrk.gov.si/en/areas_of_work/slovenian_smart_specialisation_strategy

http://www.salzburg.gv.at/wirtschaft_/Seiten/wiss.aspx


41

ANNEX A

The Digital Innovation Hubs of the regions involved in the Smart Space project.

(The following information are inserted in the DIH catalogue

h ttp://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/digital-innovation-hubs-tool).

ITALY

VENETO:

DIGITAL INNOVATION HUB BELLUNO DOLOMITI

Feltre – 2017 - https://digitalhub.belluno.it/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The Digital Innovation Hub of Belluno Dolomiti (DIH) has been created created to support businesses

undergoing digital transformation in the context of the Industria 4.0 Plan.

Technical Competences: Cyber physical systems; IoT; Simulation and modelling; Software as a

service and service architectures; ICT management, logistics and business systems; Internet services.

Link to national or regional initiatives for digitising industry:

“DIH Belluno Dolomiti” is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level.

T2i - DIH Triveneto

Treviso – 2014 - h ttps://www.t2i.it/dih/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

T2i is a no-profit innovation consultancy firm that fosters the regional innovation ecosystem in the

framework of I4MS initiatives performing networking, matchmaking, brokerage and dissemination

activities. The aim of T2i is to support companies in making innovation an on-going corporate

process that will make them regain competitiveness in the market.

Technical Competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; Sensors, actuators,

MEMS, NEMS, RF; Screens and display technologies; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and

autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Cyber security;

Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data, database management;

Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Gamification; Software as a

service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing; Internet services; ICT

management, logistics and business systems; Internet services; New Media technologies.


Key role in the regional initiative to digitise the industry. Stakeholders: Chambers of Commerce of

the Veneto Region (in particular, Treviso-Belluno, Venezia-Rovigo and Verona);

Role in supporting companies in digital innovation – help to the Chambers of Commerce role in Italy,

according to the national “Industria 4.0” plan;

http://www.t2i.it/dih/


42

The hub is also participating in the Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) initiative of the

European Commission through the H2020 funded project, Fortissimo 2.

Digital Innovation Hub Vicenza

Vicenza – 2017 - https://digitalinnovationhubvicenza.it - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Founded and led by Confartigianato Vicenza, Vicenza DIH is an important center for the digital

transformation of the North-East of Italy. The Digital Innovation Hub is the operational tool of

Confartigianato Vicenza to provide support in the field of technological innovation to SMEs.

Technical Competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Robotics and autonomous systems;

IoT and AI; Cyber security; Data mining, big data, database management; Software as a service and

service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing; Laser based manufacturing; ICT



It is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level.

SpeedHub

Verona – 2017 - https://www.fondazionespeedhub.it - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Speedhub is a no profit entity performing networking, matchmaking, brokerage and dissemination

activities to help companies to improve their business/production processes as well as upgrade

products and services with digital technologies.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; Cyber physical systems;

Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT, AI; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance

computing; Data mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality,

visualization; Additive manufacturing ; Laser based manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and

business systems; Internet services; New Media technologies.


Speedhub is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level, promoted to

support the execution "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0". In addition, Speedhub is part of the Digital

Innovation Hub network created at national level by Confindustria according to the national plan of

the Government.

LOMBARDY:

Innovation experience HUB (InnexHUB)

Brescia – 2017 - https://www.aib.bs.it - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

InnexHUB is a non profit organisation that aims to spread digital culture and new innovation

http://www.fondazionespeedhub.it/

http://www.aib.bs.it/


43

technologies among regional SMEs.

Technical Competences: Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT;AI;

Interaction technologies; Data mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual

reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Software as a service and service architecture;

Additive manufacturing (3D printing)


InnexHub is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level, promoted to

support the execution "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0".

InnexHUB is following the Smart Specialization strategy defined by Lombardy Region by improving

the awareness and cooperation and aggregating different stakeholders (e.g. universities, RTOs, start-

ups, a.s.o.).

PoliHub - Politecnico di Milano

Milan - 2013 - http://www.polimi.it/en/home - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

This hub is part of the University “Politecnico” of Milan. Fondazione Politecnico transformed the

Acceleratore di Impresa, Politecnico’s business incubator unit, into a modern structure designed to

support the best national and international innovative startups, entrepreneurial empowerment and

co-working projects: PoliHub, which operates selecting innovative business ideas, forming teams,

defining business model and market viability, research, financing and scale-up support. PoliHub

delivers the basic services of an operative DIH: technology transfer, training, incubation and

awareness construction capitalizing on the university competences and university consortia (Cefriel,

MIP and Poliedra).

Technical competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics (OLAE); Micro and nano electronics,

smart system integration; Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical

functional materials; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems;

Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies;

Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data, database

management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Software as a

service and service architectures; Additive manufacturing (3D printing); Laser based manufacturing;

ICT management, logistics and business systems; Internet services.


Politecnico di Milano is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level,

promoted to support the execution "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0".

The hub’s coordinating organisation has also actively participated in the Innovation for

Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) initiative of the European Commission through the H2020 funded

projects: BeinCPPs, MIDIH, and L4MS.

AFIL - Lombardy Intelligent Factory Association

Milan – 2013 - http://www.afil.it/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

http://www.polimi.it/en/home

http://www.afil.it/


44

AFIL is the result of a process guided by the Lombardy Region to create an agent able to sustain the

aggregation of different regional players active in the field of Research and Innovation (R&I) within

the priority areas identified in the Regional Smart Specialisation Strategy. AFIL is a no-profit private

organization aimed at fostering connections between all key relevant stakeholders (competence

centers, industry, users and suppliers, technology experts and investors) able to boost Industry 4.0

revolution and facilitating Lombardy SMEs access to EU value chains.

Technical Competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and

autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Interaction technologies; Cyber security; Data mining, big data,

database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Cloud computing; Additive

manufacturing ; ICT management, logistics and business systems.


Lombardy Region relies on technological clusters to enhance the adoption and effectiveness of the

S3 strategy. AFIL activities are fully aligned with Lombardy S3 strategy with a specific focus on

Advance Manufacturing.

Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia

Milan – 2017 - http://www.dihlombardia.com - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

DIH Lombardy promotes digital manufacturing transformation towards an Industrie 4.0 approach.

In particular the main activities are: training & education of qualified human resources; spread of

I4.= opportunities; support of investment planning for innovation; Orientation to the Competence

Center I4.0; Fundraising Support (public and private); mentoring; Europea DIHs networking;

intra-sectoral DIHs (to respond to the Italian industrial system’s features).

Technical Competences IoT, AI; ICT management, logistics and business systems


DIH Lombardy is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level, promoted

to support the execution "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0".

The activities of this hub are aligned with the regional ESIF investments in the following areas:

062 - Technology transfer and university-enterprise cooperation; 066 - Advanced support services

for SMEs and groups of SMEs; 082 - ICT Services and applications for SMEs.

PIEDMONT:

Digital Innovation Hub Piemonte

Torino – 2017 - http://www.dih.piemonte.it - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Digital Innovation Hub Piemonte (DIHP) operates on the Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta Regions to

facilitate the digital transformation of SME's; it is part of the Italian network of DIH's set up in

accordance with the Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0.

http://www.dihlombardia.com/

http://www.dih.piemonte.it/


45

Technical Competences: Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI;

Interaction technologies; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; ICT management, logistics and

business systems.


DIH Piemonte is part of the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the national level, promoted

to support the execution "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0". Moreover, DIHP is following the Smart

Specialization strategy defined by Regione Piemonte, which focuses mainly on Automotive,

Aerospace and Agriculture. DIHP works also with the local Chambers of Commerce to support SMEs’

projects.

Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero SpA - bioPmed innovation cluster

Colleretto Giacosa – 1993 - http://www.bioindustrypark.eu - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Bioindustry Park is a science and technology Park and a competence centre specialised in life science

and health. The goal of the Bioindustry Park is to support the growth of health and life science’s

innovative projects through supporting services and a multidisciplinary approach.

Technical competences: Sensors, actuators; IoT; Interaction technologies; Advanced or High-

performance computing; Data mining, big data, database management; Simulation and modelling

Gamification; Additive manufacturing (3D printing); ICT management, logistics and business systems.


The activities of the hub are well aligned with the Digital Innovation Hub network created at the

national level, promoted to support the execution of the "Piano Nazionale Industria 4.0".

The DIH is also part of: bioPmed health care innovation cluster conceived to stimulate completeness

in the health care related companies in Piemonte region; Piemonte Digital Hub Initiative; National

Technological cluster ALISEi, conceived to stimulate innovation in health care related industries;

ESTHER initiative to innovate in medical technologies industry.

FRANCE

ALSACE:

No DIHs indicated in the platform.

RHONE – ALPES:

JESSICA FRANCE - CAP'TRONIC program

Grenoble – https://www.captronic.fr - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

http://www.bioindustrypark.eu/

http://www.captronic.fr/


46

The non-profit organization JESSICA FRANCE was created by the CEA and Bpifrance to implement the

CAP'TRONIC program. The goal of the CAP’TRONIC program is to help French SMEs to improve their

competitive edge and innovate by integrating embedded software and electronics in their products,

whatever the field of activity and the stage of development.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; Screens and display

technologies; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and

autonomous systems; IoT; AI and cognitive systems; Location based technologies; Interaction

technologies; Cyber security.


CAP'TRONIC is aligned to the national initiatives for digiting industry. CAP'TRONIC participates also to

several national and international programs, as theS3P program, financed by the "Plan

d'Investissement d'Avenir" which aims to develop an IoT development and execution platform

whatever the sector of activity (health, home automation, aeronautics, automotive...).

CAP'TRONIC is also part of the CPS (cyber physical system) program in France and in Europe to

disseminate the best-practices to SMEs.

MinaSmart

Grenoble – http://www.minasmart-auvergnerhonealpes.com/ - Evolutionary State: Fully

operational

MinaSmart Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in collaboration with a pan-European network of Digital

Innovation Hubs, intends to provide for all economy stakeholders willing to benefit from the

advantages of digital technologies in their businesses: access to necessary technologies and skills; an

understanding of use cases, the value chain and the supply chain; an acceleration of R&D; support

services related to innovation; field trials for experimenting with digital innovations.



technologies; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and


Advanced or High performance computing; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation

and modelling


Minasmart members are actively contributing to the following linked national and regional initiatives

related to Factory of the Future: AIF, Alliance Industrie du Futur; Collectif des pôles Industrie du

Futur; HubFrance IA.

Minasmart’s member CEA is leading 2 projects funded under the initiative Smart Anything

Everywhere: FED4SAE; Smartees.

Minasmart members signed cooperation agreements with all regional clusters that are participating

to the 6 other excellence domains selected in the regional RIS3 strategies in order to better address

the relevant SME in these domains and to better defuse digital technologies into these actors.

http://www.minasmart-auvergnerhonealpes.com/


47

Minalogic

Grenoble – https://www.minalogic.com/en/home - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Minalogic is a global innovation cluster for digital technologies serving Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

region. The cluster supports the region’s leading innovators by facilitating networking, fostering

collaborative R&D, and providing companies with personalized assistance throughout all phases of

business growth.

Technical Competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics; Micro and nano electronics, smart

system integration; Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical

functional materials; Screens and display technologies; Broadband and other communication

networks; Cyber physical systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies;

Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data, database

management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Software as a

service and service architectures; Cloud computing; ICT management, logistics and business systems.


Minalogic is actively contributing to 2 linked national and regional initiatives related to Factory of the

Future: AIF, Alliance Industrie du Futur; Collectif des pôles Industrie du Futur.

Minalogic is partner to the CEA to the FED4SAE project funded under the initiative Smart Anything

Everywhere. Furthermore, Minalogic was actively involved in the definition of the Auvergne Rhône-

Alpes RIS3 strategy and is piloting the Strategy on Digital technologies.

Minalogic is member of the thematic platforms “Medical technology” and “Smart sensors for agri-

food”.

ICT4Manuf

Bron – 2017 - https://www.univ-lyon2.fr/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The ICT4Manuf DIH is coordinated by a nonprofit organisation performing research, networking,

matchmaking and dissemination activities. The aim of the DIH is to support both IT and Industrial

partners.

Technical Competences: Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI and

cognitive systems.


According to the S3 Priorities as Encoded in the "Eye@RIS3" Tool, the ICT4Manuf DIH provides

competences and services aligned with the regional priority “Digital technologies and user-friendly

systems”.

The ICT4Manuf DIH EU funded projects and initiatives are: H2020 Projects (ICT4Manuf DIH

participates in the development, the integration and the interfacing capabilities as well as the

support of a collaborative use-case between Metal and Plastic industries); FP7 Projects

(Collaborative development of intelligent wearable meta-products in the clouds); FI.ICT-2011.1.8

http://www.minalogic.com/en/home

http://www.univ-lyon2.fr/


48

FITMAN (Future internet technologies for manufacturing industries), ICT4Manuf DIH participates in

the consolidation of the virtual platform and the support of industrial trial in plastic industry.

Plastipolis

Bellignat – http://www.plastipolis.fr/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

PLASTIPOLIS has been officially appointed in 2005, as France’s competitiveness cluster for the

plastics and composites industry sector. Plastipolis has built its innovation strategy across different

strategic technology domains that have been defined in connection with trends and challenges of

the major business markets: construction, transportation, medical, packaging, energy and

environment, sport and consumer goods.

Technical Competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics; Micro and nano electronics, smart

system integration; Simulation and modelling; Additive manufacturing (3D printing); Laser based

manufacturing.


Plastipolis activities and priorities are closely linked with regional RIS3 as well with national industrial

policy priorities (e.g circular economy, industry 4.0).

Plastipolis is also part of different european projects, as the Interreg: Greenomed (MED), Care4tech,

Alplastics, Alpclusters2020 (Alpine Space), Eden (Alcotra)

French Tech in the Alps

Grenoble –2015 - http://www.lafrenchtech.com/metropole/french-tech-alps - Evolutionary State:

in preparation

To make France a “Digital Republic”, the Government has launched a major collective effort to

bolster the growth and standing of French digital start-ups. For this reason, it has been created a

community of hubs in the world’s s major innovation centres that aims to provide a framework for

French Tech communities.

Technical Competences: Broadband and other communication networks (e.g. 5G); IoT; Advanced or

High-performance computing; Data mining, big data, database management; Software as a service

and service architectures.


The hub is well aligned with the French national initiative for digitising industry, Alliance Industrie du

Futur.

CEA LITEN Advanced Materials for Energy Hub

Grenoble – http://liten.cea.fr/cea-tech/liten - Evolutionary State: In preparation

Liten is a major European research institute and a driving force behind the development of the

sustainable energy technologies of the future. The institute is spearheading the EU’s efforts to limit

http://www.plastipolis.fr/

http://www.lafrenchtech.com/metropole/french-tech-alps

http://liten.cea.fr/cea-tech/liten


49

dependency on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in three key areas: renewable

energy, energy efficiency/storage and development of materials.

Technical Competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics; Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF;

Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; IoT; Simulation and modelling; Additive

manufacturing (3D printing).



Futur.

CEA Leti Health

Grenoble – http://www.cea-tech.fr/cea-tech/english/Pages/application-sectors/human-health-

and-environment-thematic.aspx - Evolutionary State: in preparation

Leti is a research organization belonging to CEA which is involved in developing micro and nano

systems for a variety of applications including biology and health. Leti-Health is dedicated to

healthcare and is specialized in research and development of micro and nanotechnologies,

microfluidics, chemical surface functionalization and instrumentation


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; Robotics and autonomous

systems; Data mining, big data, database management.


CEA-LETI Health is part of MinaSmart, supported by Region Auvergne Rhône Alps and is well aligned

with the French national initiative for digitising industry, Alliance Industrie du Futur.

Techtéra: Increasing the competitivity of enterprises for collaborative innovation

Lyon – https://www.techtera.org/ - Evolutionary State: In preparation

The main mission of Techtera is to promote innovation within the industrial sector of textiles (for

technical applications and clothes), increasing the competitiveness of enterprises for collaborative

innovation: Economic and technological monitoring; Builds, animates and drives steering groups for

collaborative projects; Support project structuration; Puts its network at the service of its members

(industrials, research laboratories, technical centres, universities…; Supports the marketing of

products.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; IoT; Laser based manufacturing.



Futur.

http://www.cea-tech.fr/cea-tech/english/Pages/application-sectors/human-health-

http://www.techtera.org/


50

Axelera

Solaize – https://www.axelera.org/ - Evolutionary State: In preparation

Axelera projects focus on R&D, innovation, and business development initiatives targeting five

strategic research areas: Renewable raw materials; Eco-efficient factories; Chemicals and materials

for manufacturing industries; Recycling and recyclability, Preservation and restoration of natural and

urban areas.

Technical Competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; IoT; Location based

technologies (e.g. GPS, GIS, in-house localization); Data mining, big data, database management.



Futur.

MANUTECH Ultrafast Surface Design

Saint Etienne – http://www.manutech-usd.fr/ - Evolutionary State: In preparation

MANUTECH-USD (Ultrafast Surface Design) is an association of academic and industrial partners

created to design and build scientific equipment, to apply/maintained and to improve them

although research and development activities coming from internal and external partners.

Technical Competences: Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; Robotics and

autonomous systems; Simulation and modelling; Additive manufacturing (3D printing); Laser based

manufacturing.



Futur.

PROVENCE – ALPES – CÔTE D’AZUR:

Secured Communicating Solutions cluster

Rousset - https://www.pole-scs.org - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The DIH is inserted in the SCS (Secured Communicating Solutions) cluster, founded in 2005. It

promotes the development of competitive R&D projects between different agents with the support

of local communities, in order to design and develop new solutions targeting high-growth markets

such as smart cities, smart homes and smart buildings, smart grids, Industry 4.0, or e-health.

Technical competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; IoT; AI; Cyber

security (including biometrics); Data mining, big data, database management.


At regional level, SCS cluster is involved in the Industry 4.0 initiative which supports SME’s

http://www.axelera.org/

http://www.manutech-usd.fr/

http://www.pole-scs.org/


51

investments through diagnoses to make them more environmentally friendly, smarter, more digital.

At national level, SCS cluster is involved in the Industry 4.0 platform of the AFPC through the

"Alliance pour l'Industrie du Futur" gathering industrial, technology and academic stakeholders to

organise and coordinate initiatives and projects for the modernisation and the transformation of the

French industry.

At European level, SCS cluster is coordinating the IoT4Industry project. IoT4Industry is a 30 months

project financed by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission.

At global level, SCS cluster is involved in the Industrial Internet Consortium, an open membership

organization, formed to accelerate the development, adoption and widespread use of

interconnected machines and devices and intelligent analytics.

TVT Innovation - Pôle Mer Méditerranée

Toulon -http://www.tvt.fr/- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The DIH is part of the Toulon Var Technologies (TVT) non-profit organization, created in 1988 and

dedicated to support innovative ecosystems in the Var area and the Sud Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur

region. TVT has built a hub that enabled the development of 3 business units inside a single

organization : TVT Innovation, Metropolitan Economic Development Agency & Business Innovation

Centre; Pôle Mer Mediterranée (PMM), Maritime Competitiveness Cluster; System Factory (SF),

Open Innovation Platform (SeaLab/AirLab).

Technical competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics; Micro and nano electronics, smart

system integration; Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical


networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Interaction

technologies; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data,

database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling;

Gamification; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive

manufacturing (3D printing); ICT management, logistics and business systems; Internet services; New

Media technologies.

Link to national or regional initiatives for digitising industry

Regional level: Future Industry 4.0 (it is about supporting companies in transforming their business

models, their organizations, their design and marketing methods, as well as promoting Digital

challenges); TVT Innovation is involved in the scientific council of the Henri Fabre association that

works on the regional technological roadmap.

National level: TVT Innovation is part of the French Tech, a French national initiative that supports

the digital ecosystems and its start-ups; FTVT Innovation is part of the French Fab, a French national

initiative to support the French industrial ecosystem; Industrie du Futur: French program to support

Industry 4.0 that is locally implemented with the support of the national network UIMM (Union of

Industries in Metallurgy); TVT Innovation is one of the founding member of the France living lab,

which supports the development of living labs and their services on the French territory.

European level: CO-CREATE, a MED funded project which supports cross-fertilization processes

http://www.tvt.fr/-


52

between creative industries and traditional clusters contributing to test co-design and creative

methods applied to entrepreneurs and clusters managers with the support of IPR instruments for

their management; NEPTUNE, an innovation action project supported by H2020 programme which

aims to implement a Blue Growth Accelerator supporting the development of new cross-sectoral

and cross-border industrial value-chains mixing Aerospace, ICT in marine and maritime domains.

Team Henri Fabre

Marignane - 2014 - http://www.projet-henri-fabre.com/- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Henri Fabre project is a public-private initiative to create synergies between partners

competences, expertise and resources. The project focuses on 4 main fields : energy, medical, naval

and aeronautics.

Technical competences: Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling;

Additive manufacturing; Laser based manufacturing.


The activities of the hub are aligned with the French national initiative for digitising industry, Alliance

Industrie du Futur.

Safe Cluster

Aix en Provence - 2015 -http://www.safecluster.com/- Evolutionary State: In preparation

SAFE Cluster is a recent created cluster focusing on global security. Its network includes customers

and suppliers of security solutions. Born from the merging of Pegase and Risks clusters, SAFE Cluster

reunites almost 600 affiliates, including: companies, and training and research organizations related

to security, environment protection and aerospace sectors; together with insurance companies,

banks, and, most important, customers (civil and cities security services, etc.)

Technical competences: IoT; AI; Cyber security; Data mining, big data, database management;

Software as a service and service architectures.



Industrie du Futur.

Booster SPACE4EARTH

Aix en Provence -http://www.safecluster.com/- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Booster aims to develop innovative solutions in the main fields of PACA Region smart

specialisation: Smart Energy, Tourism, health, digital, Risks and environment. The hub is referenced

by Conseil Régional PACA as a key action in his "key technologies" program.

Technical competences: Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber security; Data

mining, big data, database management; Cloud computing

http://www.projet-henri-fabre.com/-

http://www.safecluster.com/-

http://www.safecluster.com/-


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Industrie du Futur.

Connectwave

Rousset -http://www.centrenational-rfid.com/- Evolutionary State: In preparation

With 10 years of experience in digital technologies as CNRFID, Connectwave is a major player in the

development of IoT solutions. It supports SMEs and start-ups in the implementation of digital

solutions, in particular for: support on IoT technologies; Business development (promotion of IoT

uses with events / showrooms, Open Innovation Days).

Technical competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; Cyber physical

systems; IoT; Cyber security (including biometrics).


The activities of the hub are aligned with the french national initiative for digitising industry, Alliance

Industrie du Futur.

AUSTRIA

SALZBURG:

Digital Innovation Hub WEST

The project of this DIH starts in September 2019.

Data Market Austria (DMA)

Salzburg - 2016 - http://datamarket.at- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Data Market Austria Project is creating a Data-Services Ecosystem in Austria by advancing

technology foundations for secure data markets and cloud interoperability, and creating an

environment encouraging data-centred innovation. It is not directly involved with the Region of

Salzburg, and it acts mainly as Austrian institution.

Technical competences: AI; Advanced or High-performance computing; Data mining, big data,

database management; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing.


The activities of the hub are aligned with the Austrian national initiative for digitising industry,

Industrie 4.0 Oesterreich and the Digital Roadmap.

http://www.centrenational-rfid.com/-

http://datamarket.at-/


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WIEN:

VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs-GmbH

Wien -http://www.vrvis.at- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The internationally recognised VRVis is the Austria‘s leading non-profit research institution in the

field of visual computing and is part of the Austrian Flagship Research Competence Program COMET

conducted by FFG. VRVis conducts innovative research and development projects in cooperation

with austrian entreprises and universities.

Technical competences: IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Advanced or

High-performance computing; Data mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual

reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Additive manufacturing (3D printing).


VRV is linked to several platforms: Austrian Industrie 4.0 initiative; Correlated Multi-Modal Imaging

Node Austria (CMI); Photonics Austria; GSV, a platform advocating an efficient sustainable

multimodal transport infrastructure as a basis for economic growth and continuous welfare for

citizens. Moreover, VRV is aligned with the RIS 3 strategy.

CDP - Center for Digital Production

Wien - 2017 - https://www.acdp.at- Evolutionary State: In preparation

The CDP is one of the leading researches and development platforms in the field of flexible

manufacturing automation, machine-to-machine communication and production networks.

CDP offers research and knowledge about digital, intelligent or "smart" product development

processes.

Technical competences: Internet of Things; Interaction technologies.


CDP is in cooperation with the Austrian "Platform Industrie4.0" elaborated the project "Pro2Future".

CDP is using the facilities of Pilotfabrik 4.0 for evaluation, testing and dissemination purposes.

CDP is cooperating with Pro2Future in a "Common Research Program".

GERMANY

BAVARIA:

Munich Innovation Hub for Applied AI

Munich -https://www.fortiss.org - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

http://www.vrvis.at-/

http://www.acdp.at-/

http://www.fortiss.org/


55

The Munich Innovation HUB for applied AI integrates the applied AI activities of the Munich

Metropolitan Region and in particular of the institutions fortiss, the appliedAI initiative of

UnternehmerTUM and of the Munich School of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MSRM) in one

place.

Technical competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF: Cyber physical systems; Robotics and

autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Interaction technologies; Advanced or High performance computing;

Data mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization;

Simulation and modelling; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; ICT

management, logistics and business systems; Internet services.


The HUB has been funded within the government frameworks “Bayern Digital I and Bayern Digital

II”. The activities of the cluster are well aligned with the German national initiatives for digitizing

industry, Industry 4.0, Digital Hub Initiative, Mittelstand 4.0, AUTONOMIK for Industrie 4.0 as well as

the German AI strategy.

Moreover, the HUB carries out several projects within the H2020 context.

Center Digitisation.Bavaria, ZD.B

Garching - https://zentrum-digitalisierung.bayern/ - 2016 - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The Center Digitisation Bavaria supports already existing activities in the areas of digitisation and

develops them further in a sustainable manner. ZD.B acts as a coordinator for numerous actions,

that include: startups support; Strengthening companies; Expansion of research and teaching.

Technical competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; Sensors, actuators,

MEMS, NEMS, RF; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics

and autonomous systems; IoT; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data

mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Gamification;

Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing.


The HUB has been funded within the government frameworks “Bayern Digital I and Bayern Digital

II”. The activities of the hub are well aligned with the German national initiatives for digitising

industry, Industry 4.0, Mittelstand 4.0 and Autonomik for Industrie 4.0.

Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Augsburg

Augsburg – 2016 - https://kompetenzzentrum-augsburg-digital.de/ - Evolutionary State: In

preparation

The competence centre in Augsburg assists small and medium-sized enterprises with responding to

the challenges of digitization. It offers trainings and implementation projects for executives and

employees.



56



Advanced or High-performance computing; Data mining, big data, database management

Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Gamification; Software as a

service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing; Laser based

manufacturing


The activities of the hub are well aligned with the German national initiatives for digitising industry,

Industry 4.0, Mittelstand 4.0 and Autonomik for Industrie 4.0.

Miro Innovation Lab

Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling – 2017 - https://miroinnovationlab.de/de/miro-innovation-lab/

Evolutionary State: In preparation

The MIRO Innovation Lab (MIL) is an open innovation lab in the field of medical robotics. Funded by

the Helmholtz Association with the goal to support cooperative research in medical robotics, it

enables close collaboration between the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics of the German

Aerospace Centre (DLR), clinical partners, participating industrial partners, and other research

institutions.

Technical competences: Robotics and autonomous systems; AI; Interaction technologies;

Augmented and virtual reality, visualization.




Bavarian Robotic Network (BaRoN)

Garching bei München– 2017 – w ww.robot.bayern - Evolutionary State: In preparation

BaRoN brings together several actors in Bavaria: the TUM Robotics Competence Center founded

within the HORSE project, Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR), ITZB (Projektträger Bayern) and

Bayerische Patentallianz in order to facilitate the process of robotizing Bavarian manufacturing

sector. The mission of the network is to make Bavaria the frontrunner of the digitized and robotized

European industry.

Technical competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and

autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization


Thanks to its members and through the cooperation with ZD.B BaRoN is linked to the following

regional and national initiatives: Bavaria Digital – Bavarian State Strategy (Masterplan Bayern Digital;

Masterplan Bayern Digital II); OP Bayern ERDF 2014-2020; Regional Smart Specialisation - S3


57

(Bavarian Focal Points: Efficient production technologies, mechatronics, automatisation & robotics;

ICT); Bavarian Cluster Initiative (Mechatronics and Automation; Automotive).

The hub's coordinating organisation has also actively participated in the Innovation for

Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) and Smart Anything Anywhere (SAE) initiatives of the European

Commission through the H2020 funded projects: TETRAMAX and HORSE.

Lagarde1 - Zentrum für Digitalisierung und Gründung

Bamberg– 2017 - h ttp://www.lagarde1.de - Evolutionary State: In preparation

The HUB brings together startup companies, corporates and the regional universities and offers a

platform where they can meet, get to know each other, get to know the company aims and at best

the make projects and cooperations together. They organize events, seminars and workshops for

startups and also mid-sized companies.

Technical competences: Cyber physical systems; IoT; Location based technologies; Interaction

technologies; Gamification; Cloud computing; New Media technologies




BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG:

Hahn-Schickard Gesellschaft für Angewandte Forschung e.V. (Hahn-Schickard)

Villingen-Schwenningen - https://www.hahn-schickard.de - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Hahn-Schickard is a German non-profit R&D organization oriented to applied research and

microsystems engineering development, micro assembly technology, micro-analytical systems,

medical devices, and information technology.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics

and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Data

mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation

and modelling; Gamification; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing (3D printing); Laser based

manufacturing.


Hahn-Schickard is supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg, in line with

the regional Innovation Strategy. This regional strategy emphasises the topics addressed by Hahn-

Schickard as key enabling factors for the regional smart specialisation. In particular the topics are:

Smart Systems Integration; Cyber-physical systems; Microsystems technologies; Software

development related to the mentioned topics.

http://www.lagarde1.de/

http://www.hahn-schickard.de/


58

Moreover, Hahn-Schickard supports SMEs, midcaps and start-ups, and bridge them to up-to-date

knowledge from science and support mutual technology transfer. Hahn-Schickard is founding

member of the regional digitisation initiative called “Allianz 4.0 Baden-Württemberg”.

At the European level, Hahn-Schickard: supports the SmartAnythingEverywhere Initiative (SAE

initiative) coordinated the H2020 project “Smarter-SI” and manages the Coordination and Support

Action “Smart 4 Europe”.

Hahn-Schickard is member of the European Technology Platform on Smart Systems Integration

(EPoSS.) Furthermore, it is member of the M2M alliance, key partner of the Microtec Südwest

cluster, member of Baden-Württemberg’s Industry 4.0 Alliance and the Smart-Home & Living

Initiative.

Institute of Reliable Embedded Systems and Communication Electronics

Offenburg - 2015 - https://ivesk.hs-offenburg.de/- Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The Institute of Reliable Embedded Systems and Communication Electronics (ivESK) at Hochschule

Offenburg was created to focus on: OiT (including, for example, smart meters and smart grids,

industrial and process automation, Car-to-Car and Car-to-X communication, home and building

automation, telehealth and telecare applications); wired and wireless networks of embedded

systems, as well as their interconnection in “cyber-physical systems” (CPS); data security and privacy

aspects.

Technical competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Broadband and other communication

networks (e.g. 5G); Cyber physical systems; Location based technologies; Cyber security; Simulation

and modelling.




Smart Data Solution Center Baden-Württemberg

Stuttgart -2015 - https://sdsc-bw.de/- Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The Smart Data Solution Center Baden-Wuerttemberg (SDSC-BW) is a neutral and independent

institution that facilitates the entrance of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) of Baden-

Wuerttemberg into Smart Data technologies.

Technical competences: Cyber physical systems (e.g. embedded systems); IoT; AI; Data mining, big

data, database management; ICT management, logistics and business systems.


The initiative is financially supported by the Ministry of Science, Research and Art (Ministerium für

Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst MWK). The MWK represents the key aspects of the Baden-

Wuerttemberg state politics.


59

Fraunhofer IPA - Robot and Assistive Systems

Stuttgart - http://ipa.fraunhofer.de/robotsystems - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

The department “Robot and Assistive Systems” develops robot systems and automation solutions

for industry and also for the services sector. The department develops and implements key

technologies in innovative industrial robots, service robots and intelligent machines.

They offer a wide range of services in robot technology and application: System design; Feasibility

studies; Simulation of robot systems and components; Material flow simulation; Prototype

development; Drafting of requirements and technical specifications; Measurement of robots and

systems; Optimization of existing systems.

Technical competences: Robotics and autonomous systems.


Fraunhofer IPA contributes to several research projects in the fields of manufacturing, automation,

human working systems and IT, as H2020 CSA RockEU and H2020 CSA RockEU2.

Fraunhofer IPA provides also services and applies all strategies to the design and implement the

Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3): offer guidance material and good practice examples; Inform

strategy and policy-making; facilitate peer-reviews and mutual learning; Support access to relevant

data; Train policy-makers.

Finally, Fraunhofer IPA takes part in numerous initiatives at regional (eg. Lenkungskreis Allianz

Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg), national (eg. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Robotik) and

international (eg. European Factories of the Future Research Association) level.

Fraunhofer Future Work Lab (FWL)

Stuttgart - 2016 - http://www.futureworklab.de - EvolutionaryState: Fully operational

The Future Work Lab is an innovation lab for work, people and technology, recognized also as

competence center. Furthermore, Future Work Lab functions as an interactive showroom and ideas

center for sustainable human-centered workplace design in the fields of manufacturing, research

and development. Future Work Lab is based on pilot-run and applicable solutions for digitization and

automation (Industry 4.0) to actively shape industrial work of the future in Germany and Europe,

relying on close collaboration with (inter-) national partners and related institutions.



autonomous systems; IoT; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Data mining, big

data, database management ;Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling;

Gamification; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing.


FWL contributes to different researches in the fields of IT, manufacturing, automation and human

working systems. The hub's coordinating organisation has also actively participated to the

Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS), Smart Anything Anywhere (SAE), Open Data and

Robotics initiatives of the European Commission through the H2020 funded projects: ODINE,

http://ipa.fraunhofer.de/robotsystems

http://www.futureworklab.de/


60

SmartEEs, EuroPractice, Robott-NET, Actphast, BeinCPPs, EuroCPS, Fortissimo 2, GateOne,

CloudiFacturing, MIDIH, L4MS, AMABLE, FED4SAE, and DIATOMIC.

FZI Research Center for Information Technology

Karlsruhe - http://www.fzi.de/en/home/- EvolutionaryState: Fully operational

The FZI Research Center for Information Technology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a

non-profit institution for applied research in information technology and technology transfer. Its task

is to provide businesses and public institutions with the latest research findings in information

technology. It also qualifies young researchers for their career in academics or business as well as

self-employment.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies;

Interaction technologies; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining,

big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and

modelling; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; ICT management,

logistics and business systems; Internet services.




Application Center for Automation in Healthcare

Manheim - 2011 - https://pamb.ipa.fraunhofer.de/en.html- EvolutionaryState: Fully operational

The Application Center for Automation in Healthcare is operated by the Fraunhofer Project Group

for Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology of Fraunhofer IPA. The project group was established

by the state of Baden-Württemberg and Fraunhofer to develop new ideas for automation in

medicine and biotechnology. The Application Center is used to conduct research and development

for automation in healthcare applications. It is also used by companies to develop and test new

automation applications in their own projects or to train medical staff.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials; Robotics and autonomous

systems; Interaction technologies; Data mining, big data, database management; Simulation and

modelling.


Fraunhofer is an active member in the initiative “Forum Gesundheitsstandort Baden-Württemberg”

headed by the Ministerpräsident of Baden-Württemberg to strengthen the medical technology

industry in Baden-Württemberg.

The Fraunhofer Project Group for Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology participates also to

the activities of the Mannheim Medical Technology Cluster, and forms a core facility for reverse

translation in the field of digital health from-bed-to-bench-to-bed.

http://www.fzi.de/en/home/-


61

Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Stuttgart

Stuttgart - 2016 - https://digitales-kompetenzzentrum-stuttgart.de/ - Evolutionary State: In

preparation

The Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Stuttgart offers support for SMEs on topics concerning

digitization. With a regional focus on businesses in Baden-Württemberg, the competence centre has

two contact points in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. It assists SMEs in effectively integrating digital

applications in their value chain by offering information and practical training about technological,

organizational and work-design related questions.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; Interaction

technologies; Cyber security; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing.




Application Center Industrie 4.0

Stuttgart - 2015 - https://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de/en/cooperation/industry-on-

campus/application-center-industrie-40.html - Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Application Center Industrie 4.0 is part of Fraunhofer IPA. It is used to conduct research on

Industrie 4.0 applications, as well as to further develop them to meet requirements. Companies may

use the center as a testing environment for their own projects, or for joint research and

development projects.

Technical competences: Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems;

Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies;


Simulation and modelling; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing;

Additive manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and business systems.




The Application Center Industrie 4.0 receives funding from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of

Economic Affairs, Employment and Housing.

Center Digitisation District Böblingen (ZD.BB)

Böblingen - 2017 - https://www.zd-bb.de- Evolutionary State: In preparation

http://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de/en/cooperation/industry-on-

http://www.zd-bb.de-/


62

The ZD.BB is the central consulting and transfer office for all companies, especially for SMEs with a

geographical focus in the district of Böblingen.

Core goals are: Create transparency regarding digital technologies and their application; Transfer of

current research results in SMEs; Methodologically supported development of digital business

models; Development of further education concepts and curricula; Building expertise in SMEs to

shape the digital transformation.

Technical competences: IoT; AI; Data mining, big data, database management; Software as a service

and service architectures; ICT management, logistics and business systems.


The ZD.BB is linked to the following initiatives: Digital Hubs Baden-Württemberg; Wirtschaft digital

Baden-Württemberg: Initiative Wirtschaft 4.0 Baden-Württemberg.

Aalen University / Transfer Platform Industry 4.0

Aalen - 2016 - h ttp://www.lagarde1.de - Evolutionary State: In preparation

T he I4.0 testbeds support SMEs to test their new I 4.0 products and components as well as the

appendant digital process and linked business models under real conditions.



technologies; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; Cyber security; Data

mining, big data, database management.


The hub's activities are aligned with the national initiative for digitising industry, Industry 4.0 and

with the Smart Product Testlab - Smart Lab.

Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum

Karlsruhe - https://www.steinbeis-europa.de/en/ - Evolutionary State: In preparation

Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum (SEZ) was founded in March 1990 by the Commissioner for Europe of

Baden-Württemberg's former Minister of Economic Affairs. SEZ's core business activity is facilitating

the path to European research funding opportunities for Baden-Württemberg's Small and Medium-

sized Enterprises (SMEs) and to support transnational technology transfer. In 2016, Steinbeis 2i

GmbH (S2i) was founded to complement this mission.

Technical competences: ND


The Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum is member of the Platform Industry 4.0 Baden-Württemberg.

It contributes to the Vanguard Initiative / Smart Specialization

http://www.lagarde1.de/

http://www.steinbeis-europa.de/en/


63

As a member of the Steinbeis network and a partner in the Enterprise Europe Network, SEZ and S2i

forms a bridge to Europe for companies and industry, research organisations, universities,

administrations and policy makers.

Smart Data Innovation Lab

Karlsruhe - 2014 - http://www.sdil.de/en/ - Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Smart Data Innovation Lab (SDIL) offers big data researchers unique access to a large variety of

big data and in-memory technologies. Industry and science collaborate closely to find hidden value

in big data and generate smart data. Projects focus on the strategic research areas of Industry 4.0,

Energy, Smart Cities and personalized Medicine

Technical competences: Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Cyber physical systems (e.g.

embedded systems); IoT; AI; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data,

database management; Simulation and modelling.




Software-Cluster

Karlsruhe - 2010 - http://www.software-cluster.org - Evolutionary State: In preparation

The Software-Cluster’s main area of expertise is software for managing business processes within

and between companies. The members of the Software-Cluster include the most important German

software companies; numerous medium-sized companies, leading research institutions (eg. German

Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and the Research Center for Information Technology).

Technical competences: AI; Interaction technologies; Cyber security; Software as a service and

service architectures; Cloud computing.




SLOVENIA:

Jožef Stefan Institute

Ljubljana– -http://tehnologije.ijs.si - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Jožef Stefan Institute is a knowledge centre specialized in natural science and technology. In order to

increase the flow of knowledge and technology into the domestic and foreign economies it has been

established an internal Center for Technology Transfer and Innovation (CTT).

Technical competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics; Micro and nano electronics, smart

http://www.sdil.de/en/

http://www.software-cluster.org/

http://tehnologije.ijs.si/


64

system integration; Sensors, actuators; Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials;

Screens and display technologies; Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical

systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction

technologies; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing; Data mining, big data,


Gamification; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive

manufacturing; Laser based manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and business systems;

Internet services; New Media technologies.


The activities of the hub are aligned with the Slovenian national initiative for digitising industry,

Slovenian Digital Coalition.

Jozef Stefan Institute led the Strategic Partnership for Research and Innovation SRIP Smart Cities;

and the Strategic Partnership for Research and Innovation SRIP. It is part of the videoLectures.NET,

free and open access educational video lectures repository;and of the digital library 'IMP language

resources for historical Slovene'

The hub participates also to the Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) and Smart Anything

Everywhere (SAE) initiatives of the European Commission through the H2020 funded projects

ReconCell and Tetramax respectively.

HPC5 - High Performance and Cloud Computing Cross-border Competence Consortium

Nova Gorica – 2012 - https://www.arctur.si/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

HPC5 aims to create an innovative network for CloudHPC computing in the Slovenia-Italy region.

HPC5 stimulates, facilitates and sustains a business growth system in technologically oriented niches.

Technical competences: Broadband and other communication networks; Cyber physical systems;

Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance

computing; Data mining, big data, database management; Augmented and virtual reality,

visualization; Simulation and modelling; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud

computing; Additive manufacturing; Laser based manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and

business systems; Internet services.


Jozef Stefan Institute is part of numerous national and European initiatives for digitising industry.

Among these initiatives: Strategic Partnership for Research and Innovation SRIP Smart Cities and

communities partnership; Strategic Partnership for Research and Innovation SRIP ToP; "Smart

Factories in new EU Member States"; Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) and Smart Anything

Everywhere (SAE) initiatives of the European Commission through the H2020 funded projects

ReconCell and Tetramax respectively.

Digital Innovation Hub of Eastern Slovenia (DIGITECH SI -East)

Celie – 2017 -http://toolscluster.net - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

http://www.arctur.si/

http://toolscluster.net/


65

DIGITECH SI – East is a regional innovation ecosystem that provides knowledge and technology

know-how about the Industry 4.0, supporting systems and services. DIGITECH SI – East is enabled

and supported by industry driven virtual living laboratory LENS Living Lab, Toolmakers Cluster of

Slovenia, Competence Center ROBOFLEX and Competence Center AALaseR, with their regional and

international business ecosystems.

Technical Competences: Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI;

Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Cyber security; Data mining, big data,


Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing; Laser

based manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and business systems.


DIH Eastern Slovenia is included in S4-Slovenia's Smart Specialization Strategy, and it is related to

SRIP TOP - Strategic Research Innovation Partnership FOF - Factories of the Future, which is part of

the implementation of this strategy.

TCS, leading organization of DIGITECH SI-East, is project partner in H2020 I4MS Project "HORSE":

Smart integrated Robotics system for SMEs controlled by IoT based on dynamic manufacturing

processes.

Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia

Lubiana – 2017 - http://dihslovenia.si/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia (DIHS) is a national one-stop-shop that provides knowledge,

technology expertise, technologies, experimental and pilot environments, best practices,

methodologies and other activities necessary to support the digitization and the evolution of the

Slovenian Industry.


MEMS, NEMS, RF; Screens and display technologies; Broadband and other communication networks;

Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; AI; Cyber security; Data mining, big data, database

management; Augmented and virtual reality, visualization; Simulation and modelling; Gamification;

Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud computing; Additive manufacturing; ICT



Digital Innovation Hub Slovenia participate to the DIGITAL SLOVENIA 2020 development strategy.

Furthermore, DIHS is included in S4-Slovenia's Smart Specialization Strategy, and it is part of SRIP

TOP - Strategic Research Innovation Partnership FOF - Factories of the Future.

DIHS is already included in the Action Plan of the ICT Innovation Network under the Smart Cities and

Communities SRIP.

DIHS is operating both at national and at regional level; moreover, it is involved in many EU and

national projects through strategic partners, to list some of them: Interreg Europe ERUDITE, Interreg

Danube FORESDA and InnoHPC, Horizon 2020 LiveRUR, etc.

http://dihslovenia.si/


66

Styrian Technology Park, STP

Pesnica pri Mariboru – 1994 - h ttps://www.stp.si - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Styrian Technology Park (STP) works both as: Regional Centre for Technology Development (pursuing

technology transfer, technological & innovative research and development sphere among / with

different target groups and topics); and Business Support Centre and Accelerator.

Technical Competences: Micro and nano electronics, smart system integration; IoT; Location based

technologies; Data mining, big data, database management; Internet services


STP has several connections with different initiatives: Smart City Maribor; SRIP Networks for 1) the

transition into circular economy, and for 2) smart buildings and homes, including wood chain; it

connects different stakeholders, business subjects, educational and research institutions to create a

more advanced living environment; National network of creative laboratories FABLABs.

Digital Innovation Hub for Smart Manufacturing

Murska Sobota - http://p-tech.si/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

DIH for Smart Manufacturing is part of the Pomurje Technology Park, a community that promotes

the transfer of knowledge, experience and technologies about innovative entrepreneurship in the

region, and promotes the creation of new, growth-focussed and knowledge-based companies.

Technical Competences: Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT; Interaction technologies; Software

as a service and service architectures; ICT management, logistics and business systems; Internet

services.


The DIH is involved in several initiatives, in particular it participates to the implementation of the

Slovenian Smart Specialization Strategy S4 (Pillar 3: Industry 4.0; Area VI.- Factories of the future).

Moreover, it is part of the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy

2014-2020 - Priority 2.3: Dynamic and competitive entrepreneurship for green economic growth.

Finally, the activities of the hub are well aligned with the Slovenian Digital Coalition, a national

initiative for digitising industry.

DIH AGRIFOOD - Digital Innovation Hub for Agriculture and Food production

Murska Sobota - http://itc-cluster.com/dih-agrifood/ - Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Digital Innovation Hub for Agriculture and Food production (DIH AGRIFOOD) brings together

Slovenian and European research and development expertise in the field of Agriculture and Food

production. DIH AGRIFOOD vision is to become Slovenian leader in the development of innovative

applications of smart farming solutions and services in areas where it creates maximum value for

Slovenian and European Agri-Food system.

http://www.stp.si/

http://p-tech.si/

http://itc-cluster.com/dih-agrifood/


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MEMS, NEMS, RF; Broadband and other communication networks; Robotics and autonomous

systems; IoT; AI; Location based technologies; Interaction technologies; Data mining, big data,

database management; Simulation and modelling; Software as a service and service architectures;

Cloud computing; ICT management, logistics and business systems; Internet services; New Media

technologies.


The DIH is involved in several initiatives, in particular, it participates to the implementation of the

Slovenian Smart Specialization Strategy S4.

In addition, the DIH participates to the events and workshops of the SRIP about Sustainable Food.

Members of the DIH AGRIFOOD network are included into the SRIP partnership and are in this way

following strategic and operational steps to digitize this industry.

Finally, the activities of the hub are well aligned with the Slovenian Digital Coalition, a national

initiative for digitising industry.

DIH UM

Mariboru - https://www.um.si/en/Pages/default.aspx- Evolutionary State: Fully operational

Digital Innovation Hub is inserted in the University of Maribor. It is a non-profit network hub, and its

vision is to create a collaborative community focused on digital technologies and new business

models that can improve the competitiveness of companies.

Technical Competences: Organic and Large Area Electronics (OLAE); Micro and nano electronics,

smart system integration; Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF; Photonics, electronic and optical


networks; Cyber physical systems; Robotics and autonomous systems; IoT, AI; Location based

technologies Interaction technologies; Cyber security; Advanced or High performance computing;


Simulation and modelling; Gamification; Software as a service and service architectures; Cloud

computing; Additive manufacturing; Laser based manufacturing; ICT management, logistics and

business systems; Internet services; New Media technologies.


DIH UM cooperates/ is involved with: Slovenian Smart Specialisation Strategy (S4); the Strategy for

the Development of the Information Society by 2020 "Digital Slovenia 2020" and the Slovenian

Digital Coalition; Slovenina DIHs network; European Union strategy for the Danube region (EUSDR),

especially Pillar 3 (Prosperity); Technology transfer consortium of Slovenia; “Demola” initiative,

started by the University of Tampere, Finland to facilitate multidisciplinary co-creation projects and

bring together industry experts and Students; “Danube Transfer Center” of the University of

Maribor; “Enterprise Europe Network Slovenia; a cooperation project with the Slovenian agricultural

organizations for the digitization of the Agrifood system.

http://www.um.si/en/Pages/default.aspx-

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