Trends in advanced manufacturing R&I : advanced manufacturing projects and what they tell us about the future of the manufacturing industry.
Date: 2023-11-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: advanced technology industry, circular economy, digital transformation, digitisation, green economy, processing industry, research project

Trends in Advanced 
Manufacturing R&I 

Advanced Manufacturing projects  
and what they tell us about the future  
of the Manufacturing Industry

Trends in Advanced Manufacturing R&I
Advanced Manufacturing projects and what they tell us about the future of the Manufacturing Industry

European Commission

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Directorate E — Prosperity
Unit E.3 —Industrial Transformation
Contact 
Email 

Nicholas Deliyanakis
nicholas.deliyanakis@ec.europa.eu 
 RTD-PUBLICATIONS@ec.europa.eu

Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content And Technology
Directorate A — Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry
Unit A.4 — Digital Transformation of Industrial Ecosystems
Contact  
Email  

Yves Paindaveine
yves.paindaveine@ec.europa.eu
RTD-PUBLICATIONS@ec.europa.eu

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

Manuscript completed in November 2023. 

This document has been prepared for the European Commission, however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the European Commission 
shall not be liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse.

PDF

ISBN 978-92-68-05256-3

doi:10.2777/209329

KI-03-23-252-EN-N

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2023

©  European Union, 2023

The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented by Commission Decision 2011/833/EU of 12 December 2011 on the reuse 
of Commission documents (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39). Unless otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative 
Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that reuse is allowed provided 
appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated.
For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need to be sought directly from the respective 
rightholders. The European Union does not own the copyright in relation to the following elements:
Cover page: Cover page: ©VectorMine, #462408338; #578567528; 2023. Source: stock.adobe.com.
Inside illustrations: © CONVERGING (p 21), AIRISE (p 24), ALICIA (p. 25) and Fit4FoF (p 40) projects.

 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Trends in Advanced 
Manufacturing R&I

Advanced Manufacturing projects  
and what they tell us about the future 
of the Manufacturing Industry

edited by
Nicholas Deliyanakis, Måns Lindberg,  
Edoardo Mascalchi and Yves Paindaveine

2023

Directorates-General for Research and Innovation and 
Communications Networks, Content And Technology 
Horizon Europe - Digital, Industry and Space

Table of Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................... 4 

1. 

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 5 

Policy Context ................................................................................ 5 

The EU R&I landscape for advanced manufacturing .................. 6 

2. 

PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS OF ADVANCED 
MANUFACTURING R&I ......................................................... 10 

The Factories of the Future Partnership ...................................... 10 

2.1.1.  Overview of Factories of the Future 

2.1.2. 

Evaluation of Factories of the Future 

2.1.2.1.  Evaluation of Horizon 2020 

2.1.2.2.  Evaluation of Factories of the Future, based on completed projects 

2.1.2.3. 

Issues in further exploitation 

10 

11 

11 

12 

16 

The Made in Europe Partnership .................................................. 17 

2.2.1.  Made in Europe – Overview 2021-2024 

2.2.2.  Made in Europe – Funding in 2021-2023 

2.2.3.  Made in Europe – Portfolio analysis 

2.2.3.1.  Zero-defect Manufacturing (ZDM) (IA, 2021-TT-01-02) 

2.2.3.2.  Manufacturing with Bio-based materials (RIA, 2021-TT-01-05) 

2.2.3.3.  Reconfigurable production (IA, 2022-TT-01-01) 

2.2.3.4.  Complex functional surfaces (RIA, 2022-TT-01-02) 

2.2.3.5.  Distributed control and modular manufacturing (RIA, 2022-TT-01-03) 

2.2.3.6. 

Intelligent work piece handling (robotics) (RIA, 2022-TT-01-04) 

2.2.3.7.  Artificial Intelligence enhanced robotics systems for smart 

manufacturing (IA, 2021-TT-01-01) 

2.2.3.8.  Laser-based technologies for green manufacturing (RIA, 2021-TT-01-

03) 

2.2.3.9.  Artificial Intelligence for sustainable, agile manufacturing (IA, 2021-TT-

01-07) 

2.2.3.10.  Data-driven Distributed Industrial Environments (IA, 2021-TT-01-08) 

2.2.3.11.  ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability in SMEs (I4MS2) (IA, 

2022-TT-01-06) 

2.2.3.12.  Digital tools to support the engineering of a Circular Economy (RIA, 

2022-TT-01-07) 

17 

18 

18 

19 

19 

19 

20 

20 

20 

21 

21 

22 

22 

23 

24 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
EIT Manufacturing .......................................................................... 26 

2.3.1. 

EIT Manufacturing Innovation Calls for Proposals during 2020-
2022 period 

26 

European Research Council and Manufacturing ........................ 29 

Synergies with other programmes ............................................... 31 

2.5.1. 

2.5.2. 

Digital Europe Programme 

National and Regional Initiatives 

31 

33 

3. 

FUTURE TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING R&I ..................... 34 

Made in Europe Orientations 2025-27 .......................................... 34 

3.1.1. 

3.1.2. 

3.1.3. 

Excellence - Efficient, responsive and smart factories and supply 
chains 

Circularity - Circular products and Climate-neutral manufacturing 

Services - New integrated business, product-service and 
production approaches; new use models 

3.1.4. 

Human-centred and human-driven manufacturing 

35 

36 

37 

39 

EIT Manufacturing Vision .............................................................. 42 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................... 45 

Annex 1a – FoF topics 2014-20 by FoF Roadmap Domain 

Annex 1b – FoF Classification by content technology 

Annex 1c – FoF projects / topics under LEIT-NMBP 

Annex 1d – FoF projects / topics under LEIT-ICT 

Annex 2a – MiE topics 2021-24 by MiE Objective 

Annex 2b – MiE projects / topics 2021-22 (non-digital focus) 

Annex 2c – MiE projects / topics 2021-22 (digital focus) 

Annex 3 – Industrial demonstrators in FoF / MiE projects 

48 

49 

52 

62 

68 

71 

73 

75 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Advanced manufacturing covers technologies used in the discrete manufacturing industry, 
that is, the manufacturing of products from cars, to wind turbines to toys. The manufacturing 
industry plays a key role in the twin green and digital transitions and is a major employer in 
the European Union.   

This  report  looks  at,  and  draws  conclusions  from,  the  rich  portfolio  of  EU  projects 
supporting advanced manufacturing, mostly under the Factories of the Future and Made in 
Europe partnerships. From the beginning of Factories of the Future projects in 2010 and up 
to the time of writing, a total of EUR 2.2 billion has been invested in these R&I projects (four 
more years of public investments remain under the Made in Europe partnership). Projects 
relevant  to  advanced  manufacturing  have  in  addition  been  funded  under  the  European 
Research  Council  (ERC),  by  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and  Technology  (EIT), 
and by the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). 

Between  them,  the  projects  have  covered  a  diverse  array  of  advanced  manufacturing 
technologies and sought to integrate these technologies in the service of the manufacturing 
industry  of  the  future,  in  terms  of  competitiveness,  sustainability  and  human-centric 
factories. 

The report concludes with an analysis of the trends in manufacturing industry and the vision 
of the various stakeholders.  

Key  future  needs  are  to  systematically  integrate  circularity  in  the  manufacturing  industry 
and  in  manufactured  products;  to  respond  to  the  trend  of  manufacturing  as  a  service;  to 
capitalise  on  digitalisation  and  AI,  while  fostering  a  human-centred  and  human-driven 
manufacturing industry; and to incorporate breakthrough manufacturing technologies. 

Efforts  beyond  R&I  are  needed  to  take  advantage  of  the  advanced  manufacturing 
technologies that are being developed, and these include crucially the need to disseminate 
these  technologies  to  all  companies,  most  importantly  SMEs;  and  to  foster  the  skilled 
workers that companies need to adopt the technologies. 

4 

 
 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The authors are grateful to the following for their contributions to this report (references to 
papers and organisations can be found at appropriate points in the report): 

•  The  project  advisers  in  HaDEA  looking  after  advanced  manufacturing  projects,  and 
especially Laszlo Hetey and Rositsa Georgieva for the coordination of the portfolio; 

•  The unit Industrial Transformation of Directorate-General Research and Innovation, for 

many contributions and suggestions; 

•  The  unit  Digital  Transformation  of  Industrial  Ecosystems  of  Directorate-General 
Communications Networks, Content And Technology, for invaluable contributions to the 
work on advanced manufacturing, and the links to the Digital Europe Programme; 

•  ERCEA  for  very  valuable  inputs  regarding  ERC  projects  related  to  advanced 

manufacturing; 

•  EFFRA, the European Factories of the Future Research Association; 

•  EIT Manufacturing; and 

•  Manufuture-EU, the European Technology Platform for Manufacturing. 

Any remaining errors or omissions are ours. 

1. 

Introduction 

This report covers EU-level research and innovation (R&I) on advanced manufacturing. In 
the context of this report, advanced manufacturing covers technologies used in the discrete 
manufacturing industry, that is, the manufacturing of products from cars, to wind turbines to 
toys.  In  the  broader  context  of  manufacturing,  there  is  a  distinction  between  discrete 
manufacturing  and  the  process  industries,  such  as  chemicals;  there  is  also  a  distinction 
from biomanufacturing, such as medicines or food. 

The report 

• 

• 

• 

• 

outlines  the  results  from  the  EU-funded  activities  for  advanced  manufacturing  under 
Horizon 2020 (H2020); 

looks  at  the  current  activities  (R&I  topics  and  latest  projects)  under  Horizon  Europe 
(HEu); 

outlines orientations for the remaining years of Horizon Europe; and 

presents  the  collective  vision  of  the  stakeholders  on  future  R&I  in  advanced 
manufacturing, in terms of trends and their connections to wider policy. 

  Policy Context 

We need an industrial transition which will allow us to live on a green and healthy  planet. 
The EU is facing unforeseen challenges including the increasingly frequent consequences 

5 

 
 
of climate change. The war of aggression in Ukraine and the COVID-19 crisis compounded 
the pressure already faced by industry in terms of energy prices and supply chains. Against 
this background, the twin green and digital transitions require substantial R&I investments; 
and a seamless integration of technological, environmental and social innovation remains a 
priority.  Resilience  and  technological  sovereignty  have  become  renewed  priorities  for  the 
EU, because of the currently complex geopolitical and economic situation. 

In this context, it is crucial to reinforce Europe’s position in net-zero industries, green and 
digital  technologies,  artificial  intelligence,  a  responsible  supply  of  raw  materials  and  the 
circular economy, because of their strategic and environmental effects in multiple domains 
across industry. 

The manufacturing industry plays key roles in the twin green and digital transitions: first, it is 
undergoing these transitions in itself, and second it can contribute to the overall transitions 
through  the  products  it  manufactures  for  net-zero  industries.  In  addition,  it  is  a  major 
employer,  and  the  latest  manufacturing  technologies  can  foster  high-quality  jobs  in  the 
industry and promote creativity.  

The  Commission’s  proposal  for  a  Net-Zero  Industry  Act  aims  to  scale  up  the 
manufacturing of clean technologies in the Union. This will make a significant contribution to 
de-carbonisation  and  greening.  The  Act  proposes  a  benchmark  of  40%  by  2030  for  the 
production  of  clean  technologies  in  the  Union;  and  aims  to  foster  a  good  regulatory 
environment  in  which  to  invest,  with  lean  administration,  fast  permits  and  investments  in 
skills. 

A second highly relevant initiative on regulation is the Critical Raw Materials Act; its aim is 
a  secure  and  sustainable  supply  of  critical  raw  materials  for  the  Union’s  industry  and  a 
much  reduced  dependency  of  the  Union  on  imports  from  single-country  suppliers  –  with 
strong emphasis on the recycling of critical raw materials. 

  The EU R&I landscape for advanced manufacturing  

This report focuses on R&I activities for the development of discrete manufacturing, carried 
out at the EU level and linked to the EU R&I Framework Programmes. Horizon Europe is 
the  EU’s  key  funding  programme  for  research  and  innovation  for  the  years  2021-2027.  It 
tackles  climate  change,  helps  to  achieve  the  UN’s  Sustainable  Development  Goals  and 
boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth. The programme facilitates collaboration and 
strengthens  the  impact  of  research  and  innovation  in  developing,  supporting  and 
implementing  EU  policies,  while  tackling  global  challenges.  It  supports  the  creation  and 
better diffusion of knowledge and technologies. It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent 
pool,  boosts  economic  growth,  promotes  industrial  competitiveness  and  optimises  the 
impact of investment within a strengthened European Research Area. 

6 

 
The figure above shows the structure of the Horizon Europe framework programme. Pillar 
2, 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness' consists mainly of clusters 
of research and innovation activities, in order to maximise integration and synergies across 
the respective thematic areas, while securing high and sustainable levels of impact for the 
Union in relation to the resources that are expended. 

Within Pillar 2, Cluster 4, ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ supports in general key enabling 
technologies  that  are  strategically  important  for  the  European  Union’s  industrial  future.  A 
key  aspect  is  the  twin  green  and  digital  transition  of  both  manufacturing  and  process 
industries.  Manufacturing  industry  in  particular  is  addressed  in  the  context  of  the  Made  in 
Europe European Partnership. 

European  Partnerships  bring  together  the  European  Commission  and  private  and  public 
partners,  to  address  some  of  Europe’s  most  pressing  challenges  through  concerted 
research and innovation initiatives. They are a key implementation tool of Horizon Europe 
and contribute significantly to achieving the EU’s political priorities.  

The  Made  in  Europe  Partnership  is  a  so  called  co-programmed  partnership.  These  are 
partnerships  between  the  Commission  and  a  combination  of  mostly  private  partners  and 
research and technology organisations (RTOs), based on memoranda of understanding as 
the basis for cooperation; these specify the objectives, the commitments of the public and 
private  sides,  and  the  governance  structure.  The  European  Factories  of  the  Future 
Research  Association  (EFFRA)  is  a  non-profit,  industry-driven  association.  EFFRA 
represents the private side of the Made in Europe partnership (and previously the Factories 
of the Future partnership). 

7 

 
 
The  Made  in  Europe  Partnership  will  run  for  seven  years  (2021-27)  with  an  expected  EU 
funding of EUR 900 million, and an expected total level of investment, including the private 
investments to be leveraged by 2030, of EUR 1.8 billion.1 

in 

industry 

terms  of  competitiveness,  productivity,  and 

The  2030  vision  of  the  partnership  is  to  reinforce  the  global  position  of  Europe’s 
manufacturing 
technology 
leadership.  The  Partnership  seeks  to  increase  the  number  and  attractiveness  of  jobs  in 
manufacturing,  while  securing  the  environmental,  economic  and  social  sustainability  for 
future generations in Europe. Made in Europe will contribute to a competitive, green, digital, 
resilient  and  human-centric  manufacturing  industry  in  Europe.  It  will  be  at  the  centre  of  a 
twin ecological and digital transition, being both a driver of, and subject to, these changes. 

The  predecessor  of  Made  in  Europe,  Factories  of  the  Future,  was  a  contractual  public-
private partnership with EU funding of EUR 1.15 billion. It was the Union's main programme 
for realising competitive, human-centred and sustainable manufacturing. 

Pillar  3  of  Horizon  Europe,  ‘Innovative  Europe’  includes  the  European  Institute  for 
Innovation  and  Technology  (EIT),  an  EU  body  that  aims  to  strengthen  sustainable 
innovation  ecosystems  across  Europe,  foster  the  development  of  entrepreneurial  and 
innovation  skills  in  a  lifelong  learning  perspective,  support  EU  universities  in  integrating 
more  entrepreneurial  education,  bring  new  solutions  to  global  societal  challenges  to  the 
market, and create synergies and added value within Horizon Europe. EIT Manufacturing is 
an  EIT  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Community  (KIC),  bringing  together  close  to  70 
European  leading  partners  from  business,  education  and  research.  Partners  come  from 
diverse  sectors,  providing  complementary  skills 
to  address  current  manufacturing 
challenges and to succeed in the twin green and digital transition. 

To  ensure  that  innovations  reach  the  market,  that  industry  has  the  right  talent,  and  that 
entrepreneurs  can  thrive,  EIT  Manufacturing  connects  and  integrates  the  areas  of 
education, innovation and business creation. Meanwhile, the Regional Innovation Scheme 
of  EIT  Manufacturing  is  designed  to  overcome  disparities  between  regions,  strengthening 
the  local  innovation  ecosystems  in  countries  that  are  moderate  or  modest  innovators,  by 
offering dedicated programmes and building links between key innovation actors. 

Pillar 1 of Horizon Europe, ‘Excellent Science’ includes the European Research Council 
(ERC).  The  ERC  is  the  premier  European  funding  organisation  for  excellent  frontier 
research.  Its  mission  is  to  encourage  the  highest  quality  research  in  Europe  through 
competitive  funding,  and  to  support  investigator-driven  frontier  research  across  all  fields, 
based  on  scientific  excellence.  It  offers  four  core  grant  schemes:  Starting  Grants, 
Consolidator  Grants,  Advanced  Grants  and  Synergy  Grants.  With  its  additional  ‘Proof  of 
Concept Grant scheme’, the ERC helps grantees to explore the innovation potential of their 
research results.  

Completing  the  picture  of  the  EU  R&I  ecosystem,  the  European  Technology  Platforms 
(ETP)  were  the  first  type  of  public-private  partnership  established  in  the  research  field  at 

1 As stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, ‘the Partners other than the Union envisage to dedicate 
up to EUR 900 million for the period 2021- 2030 in research, innovation and other activities in the area of the 
Co-programmed European Partnership, engaging their constituent and affiliated entities to make such 
investments. These contributions will complement the Union contribution and will at least match the Union 
contribution.’ 

8 

 
 
European  level.  These  industry-led  stakeholders'  fora  develop  roadmaps  that  align 
research  priorities  in  a  technological  area.  Without  dedicated 
funding,  ETPs  are 
coordination and advisory structures, helping to define strategy and priorities at European, 
to  discrete 
national  and 
manufacturing. The mission of Manufuture is to develop a strategy based on Research and 
Innovation, capable of speeding up the rate of industrial transformation to high-added-value 
products,  processes  and  services,  securing  high-skills  employment  and  winning  a  major 
share of world manufacturing output. 

levels.  Manufuture-EU 

the  ETP  dedicated 

regional 

is 

To complete the overview of the R&I landscape, an important concept in R&I is that of the 
Technology  Readiness  Level  (TRL),  an  indicator  of  the  maturity  level  of  a  particular 
technology.  This  measurement  system,  with  nine  levels  from  TRL  1  to  TRL  9,  provides  a 
common  understanding  of  technology  status  and  addresses  the  entire  innovation  chain. 
The  majority  of  the  R&I  activities  outlined  in  this  report  correspond  to  TRLs  4  to  7,  with 
lower TRLs addressed by ERC, while TRLs 8 and 9 correspond to industrial deployment. 

9 

 
 
 
2.  Portfolio analysis of Advanced Manufacturing R&I  

  The Factories of the Future Partnership 

2.1.1.  Overview of Factories of the Future 

R&I for discrete manufacturing was supported under Horizon 2020 (H2020) mainly through 
Factories of the Future (FoF), a contractual public-private partnership. 

The  first  Factories  of  the  Future  partnership  was  created  in  the  course  of  FP7,  in  the 
context of the recovery from the financial crisis of 2008 (alongside other partnerships with 
industry).  The  EU  funding  under  FP7  was  EUR  665  million  (2010-13),  of  which  EUR  414 
million was under the NMP theme and EUR 251 million under the ICT theme. 

A new Factories of the Future partnership was introduced for Horizon 2020 (the contractual 
agreement  was  signed  in  December  2013).  The  indicative  EU  funding  for  the  FoF 
partnership under H2020 was EUR 1,150 million (2014-20), with the following key figures: 

•  EU funding: 

EUR 1,075 million 

(639M€ from LEIT-NMBP, and 436M€ from LEIT-ICT) 

•  Call topics: 

43 (33 under LEIT-NMBP, and 10 under LEIT-ICT 2) 

•  Projects: 

178 (106 under LEIT-NMBP, 72 under LEIT-ICT) 

(90 RIAs, 73 IAs, 15 CSAs3) 

•  Unique participants:  

•  Participations: 

1,585 

2,884 

•  EU funding per project: 

EUR 6.04 million (RIAs: 5.41, IAs: 7.88, CSAs: 0.89) 

•  Participants per project: 

16.2 (RIAs: 13.7; IAs: 21; CSAs: 8.5) 

• 

Industry participation: 

50%, including 30% SMEs 

•  Proposal success rate: 

13.1% 

The  partnership  was  programmed  in  collaboration  with  the  European  Factories  of  the 
Future  Research  Association  (EFFRA),  representing  the  private  side.  The  focus  was  on 
specific production technologies, including additive manufacturing, robotics and zero-defect 
manufacturing; and also on the ICT aspects, including digital platforms, artificial intelligence 

2 In LEIT-ICT several topics included sub-topics 

3 RIA – Research and Innovation Action; IA – Innovation Action; CSA – Coordination and Support Action 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
(AI)  and  digital  innovation  hubs.  The  last  generation  of  FoF  projects should  be  completed 
by the end of 2024. 

The FoF roadmap for 2013-204 identified six domains: advanced manufacturing processes; 
adaptive  and  smart  manufacturing;  digital,  virtual  and  resource  efficient  factories; 
collaborative and mobile enterprises; human-centred manufacturing; and customer-focused 
manufacturing.  Annex  1a  shows  the  call  topics  addressing  each  domain,  while  annex  1b 
shows their classification by technology. In 2018-20, the FoF topics were part of the focus 
area  ‘Digitising  and  Transforming  Industry’  (DT),  with  contributions  from  several  parts  of 
H2020.  Annexes  1c  and  1d  list  the  complete  project  portfolio  of  FoF,  together  with  topic 
codes, roadmap classification, project classification by content and technology, and project 
information. 

2.1.2. 

Evaluation of Factories of the Future 

2.1.2.1. 

Evaluation of Horizon 2020 

Before a specific evaluation of the outcomes of the Factories of the Future under Horizon 
2020, it is useful to consider the general findings of the ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020. 
The Digital and Industrial Transition study 5 covered the LEIT programmes (ICT, NMBP and 
Space), of which Factories of the Future was a component. Its general findings, not limited 
to, but including, this partnership, are: 

• 

In  general,  the  LEIT  programmes  have  fulfilled  their  main  goals,  to  support  the 
innovation  drive  of  companies  and  to  de-risk  R&I  in  enabling  technologies,  that  is,  to 
‘bridge the valley of death’.  

•  Most stakeholders had plans to capitalise on the technologies developed; on the other 
hand,  researchers  highlighted  the  importance  of  mid-level  TRL  research  for  capacity-
building in view of longer-term needs (‘re-filling the innovation pipeline’). 

•  To support upscaling, technology infrastructures were supported (e.g. open innovation 
test beds) in projects involving partners across the entire value chain; this also resulted 
in an inevitable increase in the size of some projects. 

•  There  are  detailed  figures  for  further  investments,  showing  that  in  the  LEIT 
programmes, SME participants attracted EUR 9.36 billion of private funding from 2014 
to 2022 – mostly from venture capital and private equity. Compared to the total public 
funding for SMEs in the LEIT programmes, this represents a leverage factor for private 
funding of about 4. 

•  The  LEIT  programmes  were  found  to  be  aligned  with  stakeholders  needs,  who 
expressed  appreciation  when  interviewed,  especially  for  the  successful  creation  of 
knowledge-sharing  ecosystems  and  research-industry  collaboration.  Part  of  this 

4 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fac27b2a-9b7c-4fa0-9963-e9ef6864e23d 

5 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/dbf6a6fe-26a8-11ee-a2d3-01aa75ed71a1/language-

en 

11 

 
 
success  comes  from  the  inclusion  of  stakeholders  in  the  design  process  of  the 
programmes. 

•  The stakeholder’s perspective, however, needs to be integrated within the overall policy 
and  research  agendas  in  order  fully  to  address  structural  weaknesses  and  research 
gaps, in addition to strengthening what is already successful. 

•  More effort is needed in the policy coordination with other programmers and objectives, 

especially with cohesion policy. 

2.1.2.2. 

Evaluation of Factories of the Future, based on completed projects 

As input to this report, the project advisers in HaDEA, 6 considered a number of cases from 
recently  completed  FoF  projects,  looking  for  a  variety  of  outcomes  with  regard  to  further 
exploitation.  

to  circularity  and  human-centric 
Some  additional 
approaches  are  outlined  in  the  context  of  future  challenges,  in  sections  3.2.2  and  3.2.4 
respectively.  

findings  regarding  contributions 

A  partial  analysis  of  industrial  demonstrators  in  FoF  projects,  and  the  first  two  years  of 
MiE  projects,  is  presented  in  Annex  3.  This  shows  the  prevalence  of  a  number  of 
manufacturing  sectors,  and  indicates  that  on  average  20%  of  the  EU  contribution  in  a 
typical  project  is  dedicated  to  demonstrators  (the  possible  reasons  why  this  proportion  is 
not  higher  are  explained  in  the  annex).  About  two  thirds  of  the  analysed  demonstrators 
covered the machine tool, automotive, aerospace and electronics industries, while sectors 
like medical equipment and textiles are less well represented 

6 HaDEA is the Executive Agency of the European Commission implementing a large part of Cluster 4, 
‘Digital, Industry and Space’, including the Made in Europe topics and projects, as well as the legacy 
projects of the Factories of the Future.   

12 

 
 
 
 
 
To start with, seven noteworthy examples of FoF projects are outlined. 

Example 1: OPTIMAI (958264), topic FoF-11-2020 on zero-defect manufacturing 

The OPTIMAI project is delivering several solutions for zero-defect manufacturing, utilising 
state  of  the  art  technological  tools  namely  AI  algorithms,  blockchain,  augmented  reality 
interfaces and visual analytics, digital twins, etc.. 

There is a specific focus on visual sensors and the use of AI to support the human decision 
making. Three promising modules were developed, aligned with the needs of each pilot site 
of  the  project,  and  having  the  potential  to  impact  the  manufacturing  community  after  the 
completion  of  the  project.  Three  modules  at  TRL7  can  be  exploited  and  introduced  in 
industrial environments:  

•  AI / Deep Learning / Soft Sensing inspection module for electronics, involving cheaper 

sensors and reduced control time (Microchip Technology Caldicot Limited, UK);  

•  Real-time  defect  detection  module,  with  high  classification  accuracy  of  defects, 
integrated  on  AR  glasses  for  antenna  manufacturing,  offering  automated  control, 
reduced  costs  thanks  to  the  early  detection  of  defects,  and  reduced  time-to-market 
(Televes, ES); 

•  Reinforcement learning approach for calibration of valve blocks (Kleeman Hellas, GR). 

The project aims to achieve a scrap reduction up to 40% thanks to the improved production 
quality. 

Example  2:  DIY4U  (870148),  topic  FoF-05-2019  on  Open  Innovation  for  Collaborative 
Production Engineering 

The  project  focused  on  the  customised  production  of  ‘Fast  Moving  Consumer  Goods’. 
Although  their  production  does  not  involve  only  discrete  manufacturing,  the  project 
developed  two  manufacturing  demonstration  facilities  –  packaging  and  associated 
machinery.  These  machines  will  take  chemical  feedstocks  and  process  them  into 
customised laundry detergents under the direction of the DIY4U digital platform; users can 
select  a  nearby  Fab  Lab  and  enter  their  customisation  requests.  The  demonstrators  will 
take  typically  five  feedstocks  and  use  them  to  manufacture  a  customised  detergent.  The 
modular  devices  can  consist  of  several  operational  units.  This  is  only  one  of  the  possible 
application areas. 

The  technology  prototype  is  ready  to  be  taken  up  by  Fab  Labs  with  a  related  business 
model, and the opportunities look promising, the question being whether the exploitation will 
take place within the project or will be taken up by some of the involved partners or others.7 
More than 100 products have been produced to check the operability of the Fab Labs. 

7 DIY4U is expected to receive follow-up funding in the STARHAUS project, under topic 2023-HUMAN-01-53 

(subject to grant). 

13 

 
 
 
 
Example  3:  SOFTMANBOT  (869855),  topic  DT-FOF-12-2019  on  Handling  systems  for 
Flexible Materials 

In  spite  of  significant  advances  in  robotics,  the  handling  of  soft  materials  using  robots 
remains limited, as typical gripper tools incorporate no sensors and are highly application-
specific. The  control systems of the robot need to  be very sensitive, accurate and fast, to 
prevent  unwanted  deformation  and  damage;  and  the  level  of  deformation  needs  to  be 
controlled.  

The  robotic  system  developed  by  SOFTMANBOT 
technologies: 

is  centred  around 

three  main 

• 

• 

a  robotic  perception  platform  for  real-time  parametrisation  and  tracking  of  the 
deformation and contact state of complex flexible products, able to achieve up to 1mm 
precision in deformation detection with real-time tracking; 

intelligent, dexterous and low-cost grippers for deformable object handling, integrating 
embedded sensors (tactile, force, proximity and vision); 

•  multi-sensor  planning  and  control  system  with  real-time  tracking,  taking  as  inputs  the 

model of the product and the model of the human-robot interactions. 

In  addition,  the  automation  solution  works  in  close  collaboration  with  human  operators  in 
order to help them in the execution of contact-based challenging tasks. 

It was discovered in the course of the project that the adoption of new technologies was a 
major  challenge,  both  for  operators  and  for  managers.  After  integrating  the  technology 
developed in the project and after providing a full training for the operators, the percentage 
of the understanding rose from 40% to more than 70%. The operators understood that the 
robotic  solutions  were  there  to  help  them  in  their  daily  practice.  Moreover,  managers 
understood the need to rethink their manufacturing process to reduce waste and energy, by 
introducing  new  production  lines  alongside  the  existing  ones.  This  will  require  engineers 
with new skills, raising the general issue of the reskilling and upskilling that are necessary 
for the advanced manufacturing technologies to be taken up, especially by SMEs. 

Example  4:  SHERLOCK  (820689),  topic  DT-FOF-02-2018  on  Effective  Industrial  Human-
Robot Collaboration 

The  project  developed  safe  and  user-friendly  robotic  technologies  in  four  different 
production environments, enhancing them with smart mechatronics and AI based cognition, 
creating  efficient  human-robot  collaboration  stations.  The  operators  are  assisted  by 
augmented reality visualisations, which can show the instructions and the successive steps 
in the assembly process.  

The  project  demonstrated  the  technologies  in  four  manufacturing  sectors:  solar-thermal 
panels, industrial modules, aeronautics structures and machine tool production.  

A  High  Payload  Collaborative  Manipulator  was  utilised  to  handle,  rotate,  and  move  the 
heavy  solar  thermal  collectors  and  present  them  to  the  operators  in  the  most  convenient 
way  to  perform  the  various  assembly  processes  that  required  human  dexterity,  such  as 
screwing  small  components  on  the  collector.  Thanks  to  this  technology,  the  maximum 
weight of the part to be handled by the operator within a cycle has been lowered from 42kg 
to 2kg, while improving ergonomics. 

14 

 
A low payload collaborative robot was utilised to operate together with human operators on 
the  riveting  of  more  than  a  hundred  varieties  of  panels  of  industrial  modules,  in  this  way 
increasing efficiency and reducing assembly time by almost a half. 

As part of the successful exploitation measures adopted in the project, three products have 
been  placed  on  the  market  by  partners,  even  before  the  completion  of  the  project,  with 
other products expected soon. This highlighted the satisfaction of the end users regarding 
the innovation developed in the project, and showed how a good replicability of the solution 
could contribute to a successful exploitation. Training was also provided to workers on how 
to use the developed innovations. 

Example 5: SeCoIIA (Secure Collaborative Intelligent Industrial Assets), topic ICT-08-2019 
on Security and resilience for collaborative manufacturing environments 

The  project  contributed  to  the  digital  transition  of  manufacturing  industry  towards  more 
connected,  collaborative,  flexible,  and  automated  production  techniques.  There  were  four 
use cases, from aeronautics, automotive and naval construction sectors, demonstrating and 
validating  the  general  applicability  of  the  developed  techniques  to  highly  demanding 
industries.  

A  comprehensive  and  holistic  approach  of  manufacturing  collaboration  schemes  for 
Machine  to  Machine  (M2M),  Machine  to  Human  (M2H),  Human  to  Human  (H2H),  and 
Organisation to Organisation (O2O) has been realised, taking into account key capabilities 
like human preparedness, information security, process safety and social liability, from shop 
floor to cloud. 

SeCoIIA  was  one  of  the  finalists  of  the  European  Commission’s  Industry  5.0  Award.  The 
award  recognises  EU-funded  projects  whose  results  make  European  industry  more 
resilient, sustainable and human-centric. In total nearly 60 applications were evaluated by a 
high-level independent jury from industry, civil society, social partners and academia. Three 
other projects were selected for this award, but SeCoIIA remains a very good practice for 
the manufacturing industry. 

Example  6:  EFPF,  topic  DT-ICT-07-2018-2019  on  Digital  Manufacturing  Platforms  for 
Connected Smart Factories 

EFPF, the European Connected Factory Platform for Agile Manufacturing, has laid a solid 
foundation  for  further  exploitation,  with  the  establishment  of  the  European  Factory 
Foundation  (EFF)  as  a  non-profit  association  in  Austria,  to  drive  the  further  development, 
maintenance,  hosting,  operation,  and  exploitation  of  the  EFPF  Platform,  as  well  as  the 
orchestration  of  its  ecosystem  after  the  project  finalisation.  The  maturity  of  the  developed 
solution  has  been  tested  and  verified  through  the  implementation  of  20  sub-projects 
following an open-call process. 

Major  contributions  are  the EFPF  platform  and  the  Data  Spine,  whose  potential  has  been 
well documented in the open calls, as well as in the more than 50 exploitation plans already 
drafted.  The  sustainability  of  the  results  is  ensured  by  the  European  Factory  Foundation 
(EFF). 

The  project  has  considerable  potential  both  for  the  participating  SMEs  to  expand  their 
market activities, and for SMEs outside the consortium to adopt and use the project results. 

15 

 
Example  7:  EnerMan  (958478),  topic  FoF-09-2020  on  Energy-efficient  manufacturing 
system management 

Although energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are predominantly issues for 
the  energy-intensive  process  industries,  energy  consumption  in  manufacturing  has  also 
become a key consideration given the high energy prices.  

The  EnerMan  project  developed  an  energy  management  framework  for  smart  factories, 
predicting  changing  energy  demands  as  a  function  of  production  lines  and  processes; 
considering  changing  energy  prices;  and  providing  updates  in  the  factory  production  line, 
equipment,  processes  control  loop.  The  system  has  been  integrated  and  tested  in  eight 
different  industrial  pilots,  from  the  automotive  industry  to  foundries  and  the  food  industry. 
The energy management system includes modules that can be used in part or as a whole. 
The  project  achieved  energy  savings  up  to  20%  in  some  pilots  with  reductions  in  CO2 
emissions up to 5%. 

2.1.2.3. 

Issues in further exploitation 

Some  projects  under  FoF  topics,  or  topics  closely  related  to  FoF,  experienced  some 
difficulties  with  regard  to  further  exploitation.  Some  of  the  identified  factors  hindering 
ultimate success were: 

•  Even  where  a  project  has  achieved  its  target  figures,  the  lack  of  an  insightful  and 
convincing  analysis  of  the  possible  impact  of  the  project  outcomes  diminishes  the 
relevance of such results. 

•  Even  where  a  functional  prototype  was  delivered,  the  demonstration  phase  was  not 

fully implemented, and as a result technical problems could not be solved. 

•  Exploitation activities started at too late a stage in the project. 

•  Some  consortia  may  have  been  over-dependent  on  one  partner  for  industrial 

exploitation. 

•  The  quality  and  innovation  shown  by  the  initial  proposal  did  not  materialise  in  the 

project implementation. 

•  There was insufficient emphasis on the business case and exploitation strategy, which 
is approached in many different ways in proposals; more guidance may be useful. 

A  particular  further  observation  concerns  the  projects  arising  from  two  topics  on  business 
models  and  supply  chains,  which  were  not  under  FoF  but  were  highly  relevant:  the  direct 
industrial  outcome  of  all  five  projects  was  unclear.  Although  there  is  a  need  for  new 
business models and different approaches to supply chains, the problem was tackled at the 
wrong end in these cases, and the projects did not include relevant industrial players that 
could have pushed for a successful commercial exploitation. 

16 

 
 
 
  The Made in Europe Partnership 

2.2.1.  Made in Europe – Overview 2021-2024 

Made  in  Europe  (MiE)  is  the  co-programmed  partnership  under  Horizon  Europe,  which 
succeeded Factories of the Future. (A co-programmed partnership under Horizon Europe is 
in practice equivalent to a contractual public-private partnership under Horizon 2020.) 

The  indicative  EU  funding  for  the  MiE  partnership  is  EUR  900  million  (2021-27),  which  is 
provided  under  Cluster  4,  ‘Digital,  Industry  and  Space’.  Following  the  impact-centred 
approach  of  Horizon  Europe,  Cluster  4  includes  six  ‘Destinations’,  corresponding  to  six 
broad  expected  impacts.  Made  in  Europe  falls  under  the  Destination  ‘Climate  neutral, 
Circular  and  Digitised  Production’,  which  supports  the  twin  green  and  digital  transition  of 
industry.  The  co-programmed  partnerships  Processes  for  Planet  (P4P)  and  Clean  Steel, 
supporting  energy-intensive  process  industries,  are  also  under  this  Destination,  as  is 
support for the construction industry. The Work Programmes 2021-228 and 2023-249 cover 
the  first  four  years  of  Horizon  Europe,  and  both  are  informed  by  the  Strategic  Plan  2021-
24.10 

The partnership is programmed in a continuing collaboration with the European Factories of 
the Future Research Association (EFFRA), representing the private side. EFFRA published 
a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)11 in October 2021. The SRIA identifies 
four specific objectives, with a total of 19 subsidiary R&I objectives: 

1.  Efficient, responsive and smart factories and supply chains 

2.  Circular products and Climate-neutral manufacturing 

3.  New integrated business, product-service and production approaches; new use models 

4.  Human-centred and human-driven manufacturing innovation 

8 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2021-2022/wp-7-

digital-industry-and-space_horizon-2021-2022_en.pdf 

9 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2023-2024/wp-7-

digital-industry-and-space_horizon-2023-2024_en.pdf 

10 https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/publication/horizon-europe-strategic-plan-2021-2024_en 
11 https://www.effra.eu/sites/default/files/made_in_europe-sria.pdf 

17 

 
 
 
 
2.2.2.  Made in Europe – Funding in 2021-2023 

The figures for Made in Europe in the first three years, 2021-23,12 are as follows: 

•  EU funding: 

EUR 464 million13 

•  Call topics: 

•  Projects: 

16 

75  

(35 RIAs, 39 IAs, 1 CSA) 

•  Participations: 

1,136 

•  EU funding per project: 

EUR 6.19 million14 

•  Participants per project: 

15.2 

• 

Industry participation: 

54%, including 33% SMEs [2021-22]15 

•  Proposal success rate: 

14.8%16 

Annex 2a lists the Made in Europe topics in 2021-24, and their classification by technology 
up to and including 2023; while Annexes 2b and 2c show the project portfolio in 2021-22. 

2.2.3.  Made in Europe – Portfolio analysis 

The  portfolio  analysis  that  follows  has  been  carried  out  by  HaDEA  for  the  twelve  areas 
covered  in  2021-22  (sub-sections  2.2.3.1  to  2.2.3.12).  For  2023,  the  corresponding  grant 
agreements were pending at the time of writing and no portfolio analysis has been carried 
out;  nevertheless  preliminary  results  are  outlined  for  one  closely  related  topic  outside  the 
MiE partnership (sub-section 2.2.3.13).  

In addition to the advanced manufacturing technologies outlined in this portfolio analysis, it 
is  evident  that  a  large  range  of  manufacturing  sectors  are  covered  through  industrial 
demonstrators. A partial analysis of these demonstrators can be found in Annex 3.  

A  further  important  point  to  note  is  that  many  of  the  applications  address  net-zero 
industries,  thus  broadening  the  impact  of  Made  in  Europe  beyond  the  manufacturing 
industry. 

12 The grant agreements fort he 2023 projects were not signed at the time of writing. 
13 While the total indicative budget in the MiE calls 2021-23 was 406M€, the actual budget for funded 

projects is higher as the result of funding reserve proposals using surplus budget. 

14 Although the average project budget in MiE is about 5% larger than in FoF,  there is less spread, with 

fewer very large projects.  

15 The participation of industry has increased by a few percentage points in MiE compared to FoF. 
16 The average success rate in 2021-22 is similar to that of FoF in 2014-20. However there was a notable 

increase in 2022, with four of the six topics of that year reaching about 20%; and similarly higher success 
rates were seen in all four topics of 2023. 

18 

 
 
2.2.3.1.  Zero-defect Manufacturing (ZDM) (IA, 2021-TT-01-0217) 

Zero-defect  manufacturing  reduces  waste  and  costs  and  leads  to  higher-quality  products. 
Starting in FP7, this range of technologies was pursued in H2020 with 15 projects, of which 
five  are  still  running;  six  projects  were  added  in  2021.  The  new  projects  cover  turbine 
blades (TURBO); photovoltaics (Platform-zero); composite structures for ships and aircraft 
(Flash-Comp);  an  open  platform  in  cyber-physical  manufacturing  (OpenZDM);  non-
destructive  testing  (ZDZW);18  and  marine  engines  (ENGINE).  The  11  running  projects,  all 
IAs, involve 46 industrial demonstrators. 

This  project  cluster  has  produced  a  draft  roadmap  and  suggestions  for  future  priorities, 
including: 

•  Digital platforms and decentralised intelligence 

•  Enhancement of ZDM techniques with digital technologies including AI 

•  Zero-defect re-manufacturing 

2.2.3.2.  Manufacturing with Bio-based materials (RIA, 2021-TT-01-05) 

The demonstrators resulting from this topic are not related solely to discrete manufacturing 
production  lines  but  have  links  to  the  processing  of  materials  and  the  associated  process 
industries. As a result, this topic was noticeably oversubscribed compared to the other 2021 
topics of made in Europe (a 2024 topic on bio-intelligent manufacturing explicitly excludes 
developments  in  materials  processing).  Nevertheless,  there  is  a  strong  connection  to  the 
MiE Specific Objective 2 on circular and climate-neutral manufacturing. 

The  six  funded  projects  (AMBIANCE,  Bio-Uptake,  Green-Loop,  NewWave,  VITAL, 
Waste2Biocomp)  include  17  demonstrators,  covering  construction,  outdoor  furniture, 
packaging, automotive, footwear and textiles, and medical equipment. 

2.2.3.3.  Reconfigurable production (IA, 2022-TT-01-01) 

This  topic  resulted  in  three  funded  projects  (RaRe2,  FLEX4RES,  R3GROUP).  The 
technologies used include AI, data spaces, digital twin manufacturing, digital twin logistics, 
in-line process control algorithms and quality assessment, and the simulation of alternative 
value chains. The approaches involve (i) early detection of reconfiguration needs, based on 
structured  and  analysed  data  coming  from  internal  and  external  sources;  (ii)  smart 
connection  of  physical  and  logical  elements  in  order  to  rapidly  adapt  products,  processes 
and supply chain to the changed situations; (iii) empowering and upskilling workers to make 
fast and concrete decisions about reconfiguration.  

17 Throughout this report, the abbreviation TT in the topic identifier refers to Twin-Transition, e.g. 2021-TT-

01-02 is the topic HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-02. 

18  ZDZW  for  example  is  developing  digital  non-destructive  testing,  monitoring  and  control  suites  with  six 
pilots in different sectors; the technologies typically save 50% in terms of waste and materials use, and 
10-25% in terms of energy. 

19 

 
 
2.2.3.4.  Complex functional surfaces (RIA, 2022-TT-01-02) 

The  topic  resulted  in  five  funded  projects  (BILASURF,  CLASCO,  SYNTECS,  FABulous, 
Sure2Coat). They cover laser functionalisation and texturing (with bio-inspired parts in one 
case);  surface  treatment  using  multiphoton  lithography;  and  the  replacement  of  stainless 
steel or other materials with corrosive-resistant aluminium and copper, reducing the use of 
materials  and  enhancing  efficiency  in  various  applications.  These  projects  additionally 
address circularity. 

2.2.3.5.  Distributed control and modular manufacturing (RIA, 2022-TT-01-03) 

The  topic  resulted  in  four  funded  projects  (MODUL4R,  MARS,  ONE4ALL,  MODAPTO), 
involving  a  total  of  10  demonstrators,  with  a  particularly  strong  SME  participation  (38%). 
Among  the  technologies  to  be  deployed  in  industrial  environments  are  dynamically 
configured  manufacturing  networks  based  on  flexible,  sustainable  process  chains; 
distributed  intelligence  and  control  via  interoperable  digital  twins;  quality  control  with  AI-
human collaboration; and blockchain in cloud manufacturing. 

The  projects  address 
in 
manufacturing through deployment of digital technologies for reducing energy consumption 
and CO2 emissions. 

Industry  5.0  paradigm,  and  envisage  sustainability 

the 

2.2.3.6. 

Intelligent work piece handling (robotics) (RIA, 2022-TT-01-04) 

Collaborative  technologies,  such  as  human-robot  collaborations  powered  with  artificial 
intelligence,  have  much  potential  in  the  European  manufacturing  industry  and  are  a  key 
element  in  the  transition  towards  Industry  5.0.  This  topic  is  complemented  by  the  topic 
2021-TT-01-01, ‘AI enhanced robotics systems for smart manufacturing’ (IA under both the 
MiE and the AI, Data and Robotics partnerships). 

Two previous topics on robotics in manufacturing were funded under FoF: 

- 

FOF-02-2016 – Machinery and robot systems in dynamic shop floor environments 
using novel embedded cognitive functions (IA) 

-  DT-FOF-02-2018 – Effective Industrial Human-Robot Collaboration (RIA) 

The FoF topics have led to a total of six funded projects, while the latest MiE topic added 
four  funded  projects  (AGILEHAND,  HARTU,  MASTERLY,  SMARTHANDLE),  covering  a 
wide range of manufacturing settings, from battery dismantling, to food sorting, contact lens 
manufacturing  and  aeronautics  components.  A  project  cluster  has  been  set  up.  Human-
centricity  and  circularity  are  key  aspects  of  the  projects  funded  under  this  topic:  robots 
capable  of  handling  different  kind  of  objects  will  work  collaboratively  with  the  users,  while 
AI-based  algorithms  will  help  to  optimise  the  processes,  enabling  a  more  efficient  use  of 
material resources and a reduction of waste. 

This  topic  encouraged  international  cooperation,  in  particular  with  Japan  and  South 
Korea.  As  a  result,  all  projects  include  partners  from  the  East  Asia  region:  AGILEHAND 
involves  Nagasaki  University  and  Tokyo  University  of  Technology  (JP);  HARTU  includes 
cooperation  with  the  Industrial  Technological  Research  Institute  –  ITRI  (TW)  and  INFAR 
Industrial Co Ltd (TW) (the latter will also deploy an innovative robotic solution as industrial 
demonstrator);  MASTERLY  includes  cooperation  with  the  Institute  of  Machinery  and 
Materials  (KR);  and  SMARTHANDLE  includes  cooperation  with  a  branch  in  the  EU  of 
Menicon Co Ltd (JP). 

20 

 
2.2.3.7.  Artificial Intelligence enhanced robotics systems for smart manufacturing 

(IA, 2021-TT-01-01) 

This  topic  aimed  to  develop  seamless  collaboration  in  teams  of  human  workers, 
autonomous agents and robots; to provide safe and reconfigurable solutions, allowing fast 
repurposing in production; and to create a network of open-access pilots to allow new users 
to experiment with new technologies. 

Four  IA  projects  have  been  funded  under  the  topic  (for  a  total  of  38M€),  AI-PRISM, 
FLUENTLY,  CONVERGING  and  COGNIMAN.  These  are  planning  demonstrators  in 
operational  environments,  covering  inter  alia  automotive,  aeronautics,  white  goods, 
furniture, electronics, medical implants and battery dismantling. 

AI-PRISM  is  driven  by  industrial  end  users,  in  developing  a  human-centred  AI-based 
toolbox focusing on tasks that are difficult to automate, and where speed and versatility are 
essential. The consortium engaged in international cooperation with Korea. 

FLUENTLY  is  developing  a  smart  Interface  unit  interpretating  speech  and  gestures  and 
translating  these  into  robot  instructions,  making  industrial  robots  accessible  to  any  skill 
profile. It also models changes in products and production, so that they can be recognised 
and  matched  by  robots  in  cooperation  with  humans.  The  bond  between  the  human  and 
robot is personalised, and it is established during a preliminary training at Robo-Gym, the 
first European hub for human-robot interactive training. 

CONVERGING  is  developing  production  systems  that  adopt  both  human  and  automated 
resources that can work together seamlessly in a ‘social industrial environment’, depicted in 
the figure below, which ensures trustful, safe and inclusive user experience. 

COGNIMAN  is  developing  a  human-centric  modular  toolbox,  including  sensors  and  digital 
twins, to facilitate reconfigurable, sustainable and resilient manufacturing. The toolbox could 
be easily adapted to new, diverse manufacturing processes and environments. 

2.2.3.8.  Laser-based technologies for green manufacturing (RIA, 2021-TT-01-03) 

Many manufacturing processes are facilitated by lasers, such as milling, turning, grinding, 
surface treatment, sintering, forming and additive manufacturing. The purpose of this topic 
is to reinforce such laser-based technologies, and in this way to improve  

-  Sustainability, by reducing waste and consumption; 

21 

 
 
-  Agility,  by  making  processes  more  versatile,  simpler  to  reconfigure  and  more 

efficient to control through data exchange; and 
First-time-right manufacturing. 

- 

Four  projects  have  been  funded  under  the  topic:  OPTIMAL,  METAMORPHA,  OPeraTIC 
and  InShaPe.  In  general  these  projects  combine  different  laser-based  technologies 
(including  some  hitherto  niche  technologies)  and  quality  monitoring  systems,  aiming  for 
solutions that are all-electric and all-digital and support zero-defect manufacturing. 

These projects are planning validations in different use cases: automotive, industrial optics, 
aerospace, lens arrays for high-end virtual reality displays, microfluidic structures for lab-on-
chip devices and the energy sector. 

2.2.3.9.  Artificial Intelligence for sustainable, agile manufacturing (IA, 2021-TT-01-

07) 

The  objective  of  the  topic  was  to  exploit  the  potential  of  state-of-the-art  AI  as  a 
transformation  tool  to  support  circularity,  sustainability,  agility  and  resilience  in  the  entire 
manufacturing  and  process  industry  (hence  the  projects  are  of  interest  also  to  the 
Processes4Planet  partnership).  The  projects  are  developing  AI  tool  sets,  with  simplified 
interfaces requiring only easy-to-acquire skills and adapted to manufacturing environments 
without  highly  skilled  personnel.  In  this  way  they  support  also  the  human-centric  goal  of 
Made in Europe. 

Three projects have been funded under this topic, AIDEAS, Circular TwAIn and s-X-AIPI;  

AIDEAS  will  develop  AI  technologies  for  supporting  the  entire  lifecycle  of  industrial 
equipment,  i.e.  design,  manufacturing,  use  repair  or  recycle,.  The  project  will  develop  AI 
suites, to be demonstrated by four machinery manufacturers providing industrial equipment 
to different industrial sectors: metal, stone, plastic and food. 

Circular TwAIn is developing an integrated and domain-agnostic AI platform, involving also 
digital  twins,  to  support  the  manufacturing  and  process  industries  towards  a  sustainable 
and circular production. The three planned demonstrators involve de- and re-manufacturing 
of Li-Ion battery packs; recovery of waste from electronic equipment (WEEE); and a pilot for 
the petrochemical industry. 

s-X-AIPI  aims  to  provide  AI-solutions  to  process  industries  for  agility  of  operation, 
improvement  of  performance,  and  circularity  and  lower  carbon  footprints.  Four  industrial 
pilots  are  planned:  steel  products;  road  paving;  pharmaceutical  industry  (chemicals  and 
active pharmaceutical ingredients); and recycling of aluminium scrap. 

2.2.3.10. Data-driven Distributed Industrial Environments (IA, 2021-TT-01-08) 

The  objective  of  the  topic  was  to  capitalise  on  the  opportunities  of  sharing  and  exploiting 
industrial data, striking the right balance between storing and handling data centrally in the 
cloud  or  locally  –  and  hence  address  the  potential  of  future  digital  value  chains  and 
enhance resilience. 

Three  projects  have  been  funded  under  this  topic  (for  a  total  of  24M€):  Zero-SWARM, 
RE4DY  and  5G-TIMBER.  These  cover  both  technology  areas  addressed  in  the  topic:  (i) 
technologies,  specifications  and  standards  for  data,  products  and  business  processes, 
which  can  be  commonly  agreed  and  shared  (RE4DY  and  5G-TIMBER)  and  (ii)  advanced 

22 

 
5G  technologies  to  support  the  exploitation  of  industrial  data  (Zero-SWARM  and  5G-
TIMBER).  

RE4DY  is  developing  four  trials  for  lighthouse  value  networks  in  key  sectors  (automotive, 
electric batteries, aeronautics and machine tools). 

5G-TIMBER  applies  the  data  sharing  paradigm  in  the  wood  industry,  covering  machinery, 
components for the construction and renovation of green buildings, and the valorisation of 
wood  waste;  and  linking  this  to  SMEs  covering  the  5G  element  across  three  countries, 
Finland, Estonia and Norway.  

2.2.3.11. ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability in SMEs (I4MS2) (IA, 

2022-TT-01-06) 

I4MS2  aims  to  further  digitalise  the  EU  manufacturing  industry,  supporting  in  particular 
manufacturing  SMEs  and  mid-caps  in  adopting  the  latest  digital  technologies  for  their 
business  operations  through  experimentation  and  testing.  It  builds  on  the  I4MS  initiative 
funded  under  Factories  of  the  Future.  I4MS2  under  Made  in  Europe  places  additional 
emphasis  on  sustainable  and  resilient  production.  An  additional  objective  is  to  make 
manufacturing  jobs  safer  and  more  attractive  for  a  diverse  population  of  workers.  At  least 
50% of the project budget should be cascaded to SMEs and mid-caps to participate in the 
experiments. 

Four  projects  have  been  funded  under  this  topic  (for  a  total  of  31M€):  AI  REDGIO  5.0, 
WASABI, CIRCULOOS and AIRISE. 

AI REDGIO 5.0 builds on the alliance between Vanguard19 European regions and European 
Digital  Innovation  Hubs20  (EDIHs),  taking  into  account  the  outcomes  of  the  previous  AI 
REGIO project under I4MS, and implementing a digital transformation based on AI-at-the-
Edge.  The  outcomes  of  AI  REGIO  in  14  Vanguard  regions  are  being  (i)  extended  to  the 
Industry  5.0  paradigm;  (ii)  enabled  by  the  newest  trusted  technologies  along  the  edge-to-
cloud continuum; (iii) supported by European open source implementations, preserving EU 
values  and  ethical  principles;  and  (iv)  interconnected  with  the  EDIH21  network  under  the 
Digital Europe Programme22 (DEP). 

WASABI  will  provide  SMEs  with  the  tools  and  knowledge  to  improve  workers’  capacities 
and  performance,  providing  advanced  user  interfaces  for  continuous  augmented  decision 
making. Such interfaces assist employees in interacting with complex software, effectively 
reducing  its  skill  threshold.  In  consequence,  humans  will  find  it  easier  to  apply  software 
effectively  at  work.  The  advanced  interfaces  will  cover,  for  instance,  situation  analysis, 
intervention identification, action planning and execution, impact monitoring and mitigation. 

19 https://www.airedgio5-0.eu/  

20 https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/home 

21 https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/edih-catalogue?f%5B0%5D=technologies%3A627   

22 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme  

23 

 
 
One  of  the  key  technologies  in  the  portfolio  is  the  digital  intelligent  assistant  (DIA)  –  an 
anthropomorphic, task-oriented AI with a conversational interface. 

CIRCULOOS develops circular manufacturing tools which continuously optimise the entire 
supply chain, integrating planning and execution, as well as the sustainability and circularity 
profile  of  products.  This  environment  will  enable  companies  to  configure  and  implement 
circular manufacturing processes that cover the entire life cycle of products. Skills upskilling 
and reskilling will also be provided. 

AIRISE  will  support  European  SMEs  and  mid-caps  in  the  uptake  of  Artificial  Intelligence 
applied to manufacturing, with a specific focus on the use of AI-enabled applications at the 
edge. The key objective for applications is a reduction of waste and carbon footprint while 
ensuring  the  resilient  operation  of  manufacturing.  The  consortium  will  create  an  eco-
system, connecting SMEs to Digital Innovation Hubs and commercial companies to achieve 
real-world applications. Open calls will allow SMEs to easily access AI expert competence 
through  initial  assessments  and  through  further  proposals  for  pilot  applications  and 
validation experiments. The ambition of the project is to support more than 500 cases, as 
depicted in the figure below. 

2.2.3.12. Digital tools to support the engineering of a Circular Economy (RIA, 2022-

TT-01-07) 

The objective of the topic was to use digital tools, including standards for data, to support 
industrial processes for recycling, re-manufacturing, refurbishing and reuse of products and 
components.  A  related  objective  is  to  minimise  dependency  on  imported  raw  materials  or 
harmful materials. 

Five  projects  have  been  funded  under  this  topic  (for  a  total  of  30M€):  CIRC-UITS,  DiCiM, 
DaCapo, AUTO-TWIN and ALICIA.  

24 

 
 
 
CIRC-UITS  and  DiCiM  cover  applications  in  the  automotive,  white  goods  and  electronics 
sectors. 

DaCapo  is  developing  a  systematic  approach  for  human-centric  digital  tools  and  services 
for  circular  strategies,  spanning  manufacturing  and  product  life-cycles.  Scenarios  will  be 
tested in aeronautics, mobile phones and logistics. 

AUTO-TWIN  is  developing  digital  twins  for  circular  business  processes,  including  an 
international data space, to facilitate the exchange of manufacturing, product and business 
data within value networks. The tools will  be tested in a battery cloud platform, in plastics 
recycling and in the sterilisation process for the health sector. 

ALICIA is developing a circular manufacturing ecosystem for production resources, such as 
robotic  arms  or  conveyor  belts.  The  underlying  vision  is  that  within  five  to  ten  years, 
production resources will be traded and reused to their maximum utility amongst factories in 
Europe, as depicted in the figure below. 

2.2.3.13. 

Localised  and  Urban  Manufacturing,  supporting  creativity  and  the  New 
European Bauhaus (RIA, 2023-HUMAN-01-53) 

This  topic  did  not  form  a  part  of  the  MiE  partnership,  nevertheless  the  subject  matter  is 
highly relevant and addresses inter alia three of the specific objectives of MiE, on human-
centred  manufacturing,  circularity  and  services.  Four  projects  are  expected  to  be  funded 
under  this  topic,  for  a  total  of  EUR  10.3  million.  In  broad  terms,  they  are  expected  to 
contribute to urban ecosystems supporting recycling, upcycling and creativity. Amongst the 
four projects is STARHAUS, a continuation of DIY4U (section 2.1.2.2, example 2). 

25 

 
 
 
 
  EIT Manufacturing 

EIT  Manufacturing  is  one  of  the  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Communities  (KICs)  of  the 
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Its activities are complementary to 
those of the Made in Europe partnership, in that they focus on support for the deployment 
of manufacturing technologies, entrepreneurship and skills.  

2.3.1. 

EIT Manufacturing Innovation Calls for Proposals during 2020-2022 period 

EIT  Manufacturing  has  been  running  innovation  calls  for  proposals  since  2020.  During  its 
first three years of activity, EUR 45 million was allocated to 77 innovation activities led by 
European consortia of generally four to five members. The average success rate was 46% 
at  the  launch  of  the  KIC  and  went  down  to  22%  in  2022,  following  a  steep  increase  in 
received proposals. The activities supported innovations contributing to advancing at least 
one of the following four flagships: 

•  Flexible Production Systems for Competitive Manufacturing  

• 

Low Environmental Footprint Systems & Circular Economy for Green Manufacturing  

•  Digital & Collaborative Solutions for Innovative Manufacturing Ecosystems  

•  Human-machine Co-working for Socially Sustainable Manufacturing 

EIT Manufacturing is funding innovation activities during their latest stages of development, 
aiming to support: 

•  Technological development from TRLs 6-7 to TRLs 8-9;  

•  The implementation of the solution in at least two different industrial environments; 

•  The commercialisation efforts of the consortium member that will ultimately deliver the 

product on the market; and  

•  Collaboration of the best manufacturing innovation actors across Europe. 

In  this  way,  the  innovation  programme  EIT  Manufacturing  offers  a  clear  continuation 
opportunity  to  R&I  activities  supported  under  the  Factories  of  the  Future  and  Made  in 
Europe partnerships. This link has been further investigated and strengthened in 2022 with 
the launch of the pilot Innovate Together call, aiming to fast-track outputs of FoF projects in 
reaching their markets. Three projects were supported and successfully implemented within 
the  context  of  this  initiative,  and  discussions  are  currently  underway  regarding  its’ 
enlargement.  One  of  these  projects  has  also  been  assessed  as  a  success  story  and  is 
further described later in this section. 

Looking back at the first three years, key findings include: 

•  Supported activities generally reached their technical goals, deploying their respective 

solutions in real industrial environments. 

26 

 
•  The  focus  on  commercialisation  tasks  was  often  underestimated  in  initial  years.  This 
resulted in late findings about market interest and reduced the effective go-to-market of 
associated technologies. 

•  The  profile  of  business  owners  (consortium  partners  in  charge  of  commercialisation) 
shifted  from  large  companies  and  integrators  to  smaller  entities  (SMEs,  startups), 
focusing on the commercialisation of technology bricks rather than full solutions. This in 
turn created synergies with the Business Creation programmes of EIT Manufacturing. 

•  The  ability  to  create  new  businesses  out  of  innovation  activities,  measured  by  the 
number  of  startups  created,  has  been  significantly  more  difficult  than  originally 
expected. Out of 77 projects, only four resulted in the creation of a startup to lead the 
commercialisation of the innovation developed. 

•  The  implementation  of  the  activities  often  included  development  of  education  and 
training  material  regarding  the  innovation  developed.  This  allowed  to  anticipate  the 
need  for  upskilling  and  reskilling  the  workforce  in  order  to  efficiently  adopt  the 
innovation in the production processes. 

•  The one-year project duration has posed challenges in achieving the expected results 
for many activities. Consequently, starting in 2023, the possibility to fund activities over 
a two-year period has been provided. In that sense, the Innovate Together programme, 
building  on  the  results  of  past  FoF  projects,  has  proven  particularly  efficient  by 
guaranteeing  a  solid  starting  TRL  and  a  trusted  collaboration  between  consortia 
partners. 

The following are examples of success stories amongst supported activities: 

Example 1: SoftDREAM (2020 & 2021) on additive manufacturing 

The SoftDREAM project aimed at increasing the resilience of the European manufacturing 
industry by making it possible to transform industrial robotic arms into flexible 3D printers, 
on demand. It led to the creation in 2021 of a start-up, ADAXIS, that developed a suite of 
new innovative software tools making it easy and intuitive to setup an existing robot as a 3D 
printer. 

this 

innovative  approach,  manufacturers  are  able 

Through 
their  existing 
infrastructure  to  perform  advanced  additive  and  subtractive  processes,  combining  better 
performance  (use  of  six  axes  or  more),  scalability  and  reduced  material  waste.  It  is  of 
particular interest for European manufacturing facilities that are in general highly robotised. 
The impact of the solution is measured at different levels: 

to  use 

•  Resilience: If supply chains have been disrupted, and it is not possible to get hold of 
specific  parts,  this  solution  allows  companies  to  quickly  retool  to  meet  an  ongoing 
supply shock. It is especially useful in European manufacturing, which has a very high 
density of industrial robots. 

•  Circular  Economy:  By  allowing  companies  to  easily  replace  older  parts,  repair  parts 
and remanufacture parts, the system prevents waste. Using 3D-scanning, components 
can be printed for repair. 

ADAXIS started commercial sales of its product AdaOne in 2021. 

27 

 
Example 2: MASSI (2022), on green manufacturing 

The MASSI project aimed at developing a platform to perform sustainability assessments in 
manufacturing.  The  assessment  methodology  helps  companies  to  evaluate  their  own 
sustainability level and to improve the eco-mindset of both management and employees. 

The  platform  improves  sustainability  by  enhancing  both  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
information  gathered  from  plants  and  provides  useful  insights  to  monitor  and  guide  the 
sustainability journey of the companies. 

From  a  societal  point  of  view  and  thanks  to  the  solution  developed,  the  employees  have 
indirect  access  to  a  repository  of  sustainability  knowledge  which  helps  the  sharing  of 
knowledge  and  ecological  behaviours  among  employees  and  their  families  and  relatives 
outside the company, as well as society as a whole, to develop an eco-mindset. From the 
manufacturing  point  of  view,  the  solution  allows  for  a  reduced  amount  of  resource 
consumption and helps to reduce the eco-footprint of the company. 

MASSI solution has been launched on the market. It is providing a consultancy service on 
sustainability together with a comprehensive digital solution that goes from the assessment 
up  to  the  identification  of  improvement  paths  towards  more  sustainable  productions.  The 
solution has been sold to a first customer. 

Example  3:  LAMM  (2022  –  selected  through  the  Innovate  Together  program),  on  additive 
manufacturing 

The  LAMM  project  focused  on  the  development  of  a  Wire  Arc  Additive  Manufacturing 
(WAAM)  kit,  allowing  a  five-time  increase  in  productivity  for  large  scale  metal  additive 
manufacturing, also increasing the environmental performance of the process. 

Thanks to an innovative hardware and software solution, LAMM enables manufacturing of 
more massive components in a much shorter period of time and reduces the cost of printing 
thanks to the higher productivity. The main material being explored are Ti-6Al-4V and Low-
Alloy-High-Strength steel. The industries of interest are aerospace, marine, energy and the 
defence sector. 

After  six  years  of  preliminary  R&D,  partially  funded  under  Horizon  2020  and  EITM 
programmes,  the  consortium  has  now  finalised  the  design  of  the  two  new  printing  heads 
that  deliver  the  new  AM  processes,  performed  lab  testing  and  installed  these  in  two 
industrial  settings.  WAAM3D,  the  company  in  charge  of  commercialising  the  solution 
managed to make its first purchase order right at the end of the EITM funding period. 

Challenges addressed and areas for improvement 

A  number  of  activities  did  not  fully  reach  their  objectives,  in  particular  in  terms  of 
commercialisation. The following causes can be identified: 

•  Applying  consortia,  especially  the  ones  with  experience  in  Pillar  II  calls,  frequently  do 
not  fully  identify  the  importance  of  commercialisation  as  the  final  goal  of  the  project. 
Therefore, they do not allocate the expected effort and importance to commercialisation 
tasks  during  the  project.  Consequently,  this  misunderstanding  can  also  influence  the 
selection and role of the business owner, who might be disconnected from the project 
or lack the necessary expertise and track record to effectively fulfil the responsibilities. 

28 

 
•  Although the application and selection processes are continuously updated to address 
commercialisation needs, they still do not allow to safely identify the solutions with the 
highest  market  potential.  Many  applications  are  still  missing  some  basic  go-to-market 
considerations,  such  as  the  identification  of  the  addressable  market,  a  thorough 
evaluation of the competition, or a preliminary pricing strategy. Additionally, the trade-
off between impact and market potential needs to be investigated further. 

  European Research Council and Manufacturing 

The  European  Research  Council23  (ERC)  funds  research  projects  on  the  sole  basis  of 
excellence  in  any  area  of  science  or  technology.  Frontier  research  funded  by  the  ERC 
generates  novel  ideas,  knowledge  and  innovation  across  all  fields  of  science  and 
scholarship,  contributes  to  the  wider  goals  of  the  EU,  and  addresses  many  global 
challenges. 

In addition to the long-term funding (up to 5 years for Starting, Consolidator and Advanced 
grants  and  6  years  for  the  Synergy  grants),  the  ERC  Poof  of  Concept  grants  seek  to 
promote  the  exploration  of  commercial  and  social  innovation  potential  of  ERC-funded 
research. 

Naturally, projects of direct relevance to manufacturing as a whole have been funded, and 
in  this  section  we  focus  on  ERC  projects  related  to  discrete  manufacturing.  Unlike  the 
collaborative projects, the main ERC grants  are for a single principal investigator and their 
research group (an exception are the Synergy Grants). A sizeable number of ERC projects 
address lower TRLs (‘blue sky’ research), and thus complement the support in the parts of 
the  programme  which  focus  on  higher  TRLs  and  applications.  Some  ERC  projects  are 
closer to industrial applications. 

An analysis of the ERC portfolio identified a total of 38 projects within the realm of discrete 
manufacturing  (20  other  projects  were  related  to  the  manufacturing,  or  upscaling,  of 
advanced  materials).  Of  these  38  projects,  30  projects  are  focusing  on  manufacturing 
technologies;  five  projects  are  focusing  on  the  human  factor;  and  three  projects  examine 
the sourcing of critical raw materials for manufacturing applications and circularity. 

The  majority  of  the  ERC  projects  on  manufacturing  technologies  are  on  various  forms  of 
additive manufacturing, bio-printing and 4-D printing. This work can complement the work in 
Made in Europe, and some results may deserve further funding for collaborative research 
under Made in Europe, or elsewhere. 

The  ERC  projects  focusing  on  the  human  factor  looked  at  the  socio-economic  aspects  of 
productivity  and  the  decline  in  manufacturing  jobs  (RMGPP,  DESPO  and  TextileLab); 
ergonomics  for  high-mix  /  low-volume  production  (Ergo-Lean);  and  the  policy  aspects  of 
localised manufacturing (CosmoLocalism). 

To better understand the potential links between this kind of research and the mainstream 
R&I on manufacturing technologies, the principal investigators of five of these projects were 
interviewed.  It  is  interesting  that  ERC  researchers  working  on  manufacturing  technologies 

23 For more information about the ERC see https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-glance 

29 

 
 
are potentially unaware of the related funding under Made in Europe. Nevertheless, some 
of the researchers had links to industrial players that may be interested in their results. 

3DAddChip  is  developing  a  3-D  printing  paradigm  to  produce  miniaturised  complex 
devices with several components and diversified functions for on-chip technologies. These 
would  be  adaptable  to,  for  example,  flexible  substrates,  smart  textiles  and  biomedical 
sensors.  The  elementary  building  blocks  of  the  devices  will  be  2-D  nanomaterials,  which 
present unique optical, electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. This project aims to 
demonstrate  miniaturised  energy  storage  and  conversion  units  fabricated  with  inks 
produced using a pilot plant. These units are essential components of any on-chip platform 
as they ensure energy autonomy. 

EyeRegen  uses  techniques  such  as  3-D  bio-printing  and  nano-fibre  electrospinning  to 
fabricate  biomaterial  scaffolds,  which  can  in  turn  be  used  with  a  patient’s  own  cells  to 
regenerate cornea post-implantation. This can replace difficult and costly procedures based 
on  donor  corneas  or  donor  cells.  The  design  of  the  biomaterial  scaffold  will  be  based  on 
different  chemical,  biochemical,  physical  and  mechanical  cues  to  control  the  behaviour  of 
cells. 

Volume-Bio is developing a multi-material volumetric bio-printing technology for the precise 
generation of engineered tissues and organoids exhibiting specific physiological functions. 
Such  tissues  and  organoids  promise  to  revolutionise  medicine  by  tackling  the  shortage  of 
transplants. Volumetric printing exploits optical tomographic approaches, in order to control 
the  printing  in  3-D.  The  functionality  of  living  organs  is  intimately  linked  to  their  complex 
architecture,  where  multiple  cell  populations  interact  in  a  precisely  orchestrated  spatial 
distribution.  

Amongst other technologies, the project is upgrading a 3-D volumetric printer; bio-printable 
materials 
these 
developments, a factory to produce stem cells. 

to  organise  and  self-assemble;  and,  based  on 

that  allow  cells 

WhiteMech  is  developing  the  science  and  the  tools  for  a  new  generation  of  mechanisms 
that can program themselves, automatically tailor their behaviour so as to achieve desired 
goals,  maintain  themselves  within  safe  boundaries  in  a  changing  environment,  and  follow 
regulations  and  conventions  that  evolve  over  time  (all  these  mechanisms  are  being 
revolutionised by advancements in sensing and actuation components, but these are held 
back by the fact that their logic is still based on hard-wired rules). The project aims to apply 
the results in three areas: smart connected manufacturing, Internet of Things, and systems 
for business process management (BPM). 

is  an  example  of  a  socio-economic  project  relevant 

GRIP-ARM 
in 
manufacturing:  it  examines  the  globalised  supply  of  and  demand  for  rare  earths,  some  of 
the  most  significant  critical  raw  materials.  This  covers  mining,  processing  and 
manufacturing,  as  well  as  use  and  recycling.  Hence  mining  will  be  assessed  both  as  a 
strategy  for  industrialisation  and  as  an  integral  part  of  contemporary  efforts  towards  a 
sustainable supply of raw materials. The project deals with state capacity, business power 
and domestic markets; links between resource extraction and manufacturing; and the issue 
of  supplying  resources  for  manufacturing  in  importing  countries  while  reducing  the  socio-
environmental costs of extraction. 

to  resilience 

30 

 
 
 
  Synergies with other programmes 

2.5.1. 

Digital Europe Programme 

The Digital Europe programme is focused on deploying digital technologies to businesses, 
citizens  and  public  administrations,  providing  strategic  funding  to  answer  the  challenges 
faced  by  Europe  today,  and  building  digital  capacity  in  five  key  capacity  areas: 
supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring a 
wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.  

2.5.1.1. 

Digital  Europe  Programme:  the  network  of  European  Digital  Innovation 
Hubs 

European  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  (EDIHs)  are  one-stop  shops  that  help  companies 
become more competitive with regard to their business, production processes, products or 
services  using  digital  technologies.  EDIHs  provide  access  to  technical  expertise  and 
experimentation, so that  companies can  “test before invest”. They also provide innovation 
services,  such  as  financing  advice,  training  and  skills  development  that  are  needed  for  a 
successful digital transformation. 

They support at large scale SMEs and small mid-caps, as well as public administrations, by 
providing services for free or at discount. For the first time, the Digital Europe Programme 
has enabled a systematic deployment of such digital capacities across EU regions with this 
objective. It represents more than EUR 300 million in EU funding for the first three years, in 
co-financing with public national and regional public authorities.  

As  from  2023,  there  are  more  than  200  EDIHs  (151  co-funded  by  Digital  Europe,  and 
another 50-60 with a Seal of Excellence funded directly by Member States). A catalogue is 
available on the EDIH web portal.24 

A  network  of  European  Digital  innovation  hubs  has  been  launched  and  strengthens  the 
hubs and connect them, so that all businesses across the EU, in all regions and sectors can 
have  the  support  they  need  to  digitally  transform  their  business.  European  Digital 
Innovation  Hubs  are  an  important  tool  in  Europe’s  industrial  policy  and  SME  policy  to 
support companies with the digital transition.  

The majority of the EDIH work on industrial technologies in general, and about half of them 
are involved in the manufacturing and process industries. The existence of the EDIHs is a 
huge  opportunity  for  the  Made  in  Europe  partnership,  as  it  makes  available  a  capillary 
network  of  organisations  to  support  the  deployment  of  new  digital  manufacturing 
technologies in the real world. 

2.5.1.2. 

Digital Europe Programme: Data Spaces for Manufacturing 

Digital  Europe  also  plans  a  significant  scale  up  of  the  deployment  and  use  of  the  data 
spaces  for  manufacturing,  as  part  of  the  deployment  of  sectorial  common  data  spaces, 
based  on  secure  and  federated  cloud-to-edge  infrastructure  that  are  accessible  to 
businesses  and  the  public  sector  across  the  EU.  Such  Data  Spaces  aim  at  enabling  the 

24 https://ec.europa.eu/edih 

31 

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
European  manufacturing  industry  to  get  more  value  out  of  industrial  data,  and  develop 
further  data-driven  business  models  that  take  full  opportunity  of  advanced  digital 
innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence.  

EU DATA SP4CE caters for a cooperative multi-stakeholder data governance, an inventory 
of commercially viable data platforms for manufacturing and a blueprint for manufacturing-
specific  building  blocks.  Two  projects  (SM4RTENANCE,  UNDERPIN)  have  been  selected 
in  2023  to  deploy  data  spaces  for  manufacturing  for  dynamic  asset  management  and 
condition  monitoring,  and  enable  companies  in  different  user  roles  (e.g.  supplier,  client, 
service provider) to interact with large amounts of industrial data across their organisational 
borders.  As  the  manufacturing  sector  is  diverse  and  complex,  it  will  become  critical  to 
address supply chain management. 

The  forthcoming  emergence  of  such  data  infrastructures  is  also  a  stepping  stone  for  the 
manufacturing industry to support data-driven transition to a greener and circular economy, 
also  by  enabling  new  business  models,  for  example,  based  on  a  Manufacturing-As-A-
Service approach and ‘eXtended Reality’ for industrial virtual worlds.  

2.5.1.3. 

Digital  Europe Programme:  AI  Testing  &  Experimentation  Facility  for 
Manufacturing 

To bridge the gap between AI research and deployment, the Digital Programme is funding 
together with Member States new AI Testing and Experimentation Facility for Manufacturing 
where  companies  are  able  to  test  and  deploy  their  latest  AI-based  technologies  in  real-
world environments.  

The  principal  objective  of  this  measure  is  to  increase  the  productivity  and  innovation 
capacity  of  European  manufacturing  sector,  its  resilience  and  global  competitiveness 
through the integration of state-of-the-art AI and robotics technologies in the manufacturing 
domain.  

The consortium of AI in ‘Manufacturing testing and experimentation facilities for European 
SMEs’ (AI-MATTERS), with partners from eight European countries led by  CEA (FR),  lays 
out a consorted approach for an impactful European reference Testing and Experimentation 
Facilities dedicated to the uptake of AI in the European Manufacturing sector.  

The  overarching  objective  of  the  AI-MATTERS  testing  and  experimentation  facility  is  to 
implement concrete steps to strengthen Europe’s positioning and leadership in the uptake 
of  human-centric  Artificial  Intelligence  systems  enabling  robotics  and  other  advanced 
technologies to create leap transformations of the EU manufacturing system. 

The AI-MATTERS nodes rely on a very rich manufacturing innovation ecosystems and are 
clearly connected with European Digital Innovation Hubs and other  EU initiatives, such as 
e.g. the I4MS programme. These links convincingly guarantee that the Manufacturing TEF 
will reach out to industry and SMEs. Very good connections to data spaces, links to national 
initiatives, regulatory bodies and relevant institutions are in place.  

32 

 
 
 
 
 
2.5.2. 

National and Regional Initiatives 

2.5.2.1. 

Vanguard Initiative 

The members of the Vanguard Initiative25 are regional or equivalent authorities responsible 
for  implementing  a  smart  specialisation  strategy,  which  have  committed  themselves 
politically to the following principles, through the so-called Milan Declaration: 

• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

implement smart specialisation strategies;  

advance technological developments through interregional collaboration; 

support demonstration and piloting of new European value-chains; 

promote co-investments and facilitate access to combined funding in European priority 
areas; 

support  interregional  collaboration  through  synergies  between  regional,  national  and 
European instruments; and 

become a powerful force for European technological change and advancement. 

The Vanguard Initiative currently has 39 member regions. The core activity of the Vanguard 
Initiative is the implementation of its Pilot Projects, which have been developed through the 
active  participation  of  clusters,  science  parks,  research  institutes  and  universities  in  the 
member  regions.    Three  of  the  eight  current  pilots  are  directly  related  to  advanced 
manufacturing: 

•  Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing (ESM)26 
•  High-performance Production through 3D-Printing (3D Printing)27 
•  Advanced  Manufacturing  for  Energy  Related  Applications  in  Harsh  Environments 

(ADMA)28 

25 https://www.s3vanguardinitiative.eu/ 
26 https://www.s3vanguardinitiative.eu/pilots/efficient-and-sustainable-manufacturing-esm 
27 https://www.s3vanguardinitiative.eu/pilots/high-performance-production-through-3d-printing 
28 https://www.s3vanguardinitiative.eu/pilots/advanced-manufacturing-energy-related-applications-harsh-

environments 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.  Future Trends in Manufacturing R&I 

  Made in Europe Orientations 2025-27 

The  Commission  services,  in  consultation  with  stakeholders,  are  developing  a  new 
Strategic  Plan  for  the  last  three  years  of  Horizon  Europe,  2025-27.  While  the  broader 
priorities  for  Cluster  4,  ‘Digital,  Industry  and  Space’  remain  valid  –  namely  the  twin  green 
and  digital  transition,  resilience  and  open  strategic  autonomy  –  these  priorities  have 
acquired a new impetus because of the recent geo-political developments. 

For the manufacturing industry, the main priority is to operate competitively and sustainably, 
while  reducing  dependencies  in  terms  of  technologies  and  material  resources,  as  well  as 
energy. A further factor, particularly relevant to manufacturing, is the demographic evolution 
in  the  workforce,  which  increases  the  need  for  automation,  and  for  the  physical  and 
cognitive augmentation of humans. The pace of climate change is accelerating at the same 
time, with ensuing socioeconomic, environmental and health consequences. 

The importance of systemic approaches, encompassing different industrial sectors from the 
manufacturing  and  processing  industries,  and  their  links  to  raw  materials  and  advanced 
materials, is becoming increasingly evident. 

Finally,  a  key  question  to  bear  in  mind  is  the  choice  of  products  and  services  that 
manufacturing  industry  should  provide  in  the  context  of  a  net-zero  industry  policy.  This 
includes  in  particular  products  that  are  key  for  sustainable  and  renewable  energy 
generation  and  storage,  such  as  solar  panels,  batteries,  hydrogen  solutions,  e-fuels 
solutions,  sustainable  mobility,  wind  energy  solutions  and  critical  machinery  components 
that  save  energy  consumption.  Although  the  Made  in  Europe  partnership  will  continue  to 
address  sector-independent  technologies,  as  has  been  illustrated  by  the  examples  in  the 
previous  chapters,  the  engagement  of  the  manufacturing  community,  the  choice  of 
technologies, and the synergies with other programmes, may be influenced by this factor. 

New  components  include  the  regenerative  economy,  an  economic  model  in  which  the 
planetary ecosystem and its resources are fully respected. Another major priority will be to 
address  the  strategic  dependency  on  raw  materials  and  the  integration  of  advanced 
materials,  and  secondary  raw  materials  (including  achieving  circularity  in  the  design  of 
advanced  materials).  Moreover,  the  proposed  European  Chips  Act,  which  aims  to  double 
Europe’s  current  global  market  share  in  semiconductor  chips  to  20%  by  2030,  is  an 
important strategic priority. 

The four Working Groups involving the Commission services and EFFRA (corresponding to 
the four specific objectives in section 3.1), are considering the orientations described in the 
following  sections.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  priorities,  like  the  four  specific  objectives, 
overlap considerably with each other. For example, data spaces and digital twins are an all-
encompassing  priority.  Similarly,  the  human-centric  aspects  can  be,  and  are  in  practice, 
integrated in topics focused on technologies. Hence the future R&I topics will address, but 
may  not  correspond  directly  to,  these  orientations.  Moreover,  some  of  the  orientations 
below go beyond R&I in the context of Made in Europe, as they are for example related to 
deployment of technologies and the creation of eco-systems, and need synergies with other 
activities, including the Digital Europe Programme and EIT Manufacturing. 

34 

 
3.1.1. 

Excellence - Efficient, responsive and smart factories and supply 
chains 

As  the  examples  of  projects  presented  in  this  report  show,  the  FoF  partnership  made 
significant  progress  in  a  wide  array  of  individual  manufacturing  technologies,  including 
additive  manufacturing,  zero-defect  manufacturing,  connected  factories  and  human-
machine interfaces. 

In addition to systemic approaches, support for the development of specific technologies is 
still  needed,  as  there  are  still  unsolved  challenges  at  the  factory  level.  The  needs  are 
related to productivity and competitiveness, as well as to sustainability. All levels need to be 
addressed:  the  machine,  production  line,  plant  and  value  network  levels;  advanced 
including  re-
automation  and  digitalisation  approaches;  and 
manufacturing capabilities and the implementation of digital product passports. 

the  product  design, 

Smart manufacturing approaches for ‘Zero-X’ are needed – zero defects, zero breakdowns, 
and zero waste. 

In  order  to  obtain  robust,  resilient  and  competitive  value  networks,  the  manufacturing 
ecosystems require data spaces with standardised data formats for the exchange of design, 
manufacturing,  logistics  and  data  for  products  and  components  (digital  twins),  to  allow  for 
real-time deep chain planning and control for logistic information and design modifications. 
The  data  should  adhere  to  the  FAIR  principle  (findable,  assessable,  interoperable, 
reusable); however, there are no standards yet. 

Flexible  factory  automation  approaches  are  needed  to  shorten  the  time-to-market  of 
manufacturing products, in particular for low-volume production. 

Clearly,  advanced  manufacturing  will  continue  to  be  influenced  by  the  fast  spread  of 
Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  methods,  Manufacturing  R&I  has  to  focus  not  only  on  the 
development of relevant technologies, but also on their adoption in industry. For example, 
AIM-NET,29  an 
the 
that  combines  academia  and 
manufacturing community as users of AI. 

focuses  on 

initiative 

industry 

Finally, there is a need to address breakthrough manufacturing technologies.  

These breakthrough technologies include bio-intelligent manufacturing, first addressed in 
a  2024  MiE  topic.  The  vision  of  bio-intelligent  manufacturing  is  not  only  to  copy,  but  to 
integrate and interact with, biological systems. It is about the harnessing of nature's design 
principles  and  manufacturing  capabilities  to  design  and  operate  at  the  atomic  level  of 
organic and inorganic matter. Two examples are: 

•  Biosensors  in  manufacturing  systems:  A  new  class  of  biosensors  interacting  with  the 
living organs and brains (including human) will conceivably change the way micro and 
nano-manufacturing  is  combined  with  biomaterial  science  and  bioprinting  to  create  a 
new class of solutions. 

29 https://www.aim-net.eu/ 

35 

 
 
•  Bio-actuators in manufacturing systems: For about 15 years, applied research has tried 
to  simulate  bio-actuators  with  carbon  nanotubes,  electroactive  polymers,  and  other 
controllable  materials.  Now,  science  has  started  to  employ  muscular  cells  directly  to 
compose biotechnical actuators. 

3.1.2. 

Circularity - Circular products and Climate-neutral manufacturing 

The  FoF  partnership  made  progress  in  promoting  circularity  in  the  discrete  manufacturing 
sector. Some of the key results achieved include: 

1.  Development  of  innovative  and  sustainable  technologies  in  a  number  of  different 
manufacturing  sectors.  This  has  included  the  use  of  ICT  to  optimise  production 
processes, strategies to reduce waste, enable re-use and improve resource efficiency. 

2.  Creation of new value chains which focus on the recovery and reuse of materials and 
components,  and  on  the  development  of  new  products  and  services  that  support 
circularity.  

For  example  the  KYKLOS  4.0  project  demonstrated  the  transformative  effects  that 
cyber-physical  systems  (CPS),  product  life-cycle  management  (PLM),  life-cycle 
assessment  (LCA),  AI  and  augmented  reality  technologies  will  have  on  circular 
manufacturing. 

3.  Development of circular business models that promote circularity. These models aim to 
reduce  waste  and  promote  resource  efficiency  by  focusing  on  product  design, 
remanufacturing, and recycling. 

4.  Support  for  cross-sector  collaboration  between  manufacturers,  suppliers,  and  end-
users,  as  well  as  collaboration  between  the  manufacturing  sector  and  other  sectors 
such as waste management and logistics. 

Overall, FoF has helped to create a more sustainable and resource-efficient manufacturing 
system,  which  is  essential  for  achieving  the  goals  of  the  European  Green  Deal  and 
ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the European manufacturing industry. 

The new challenges for circular, connected manufacturing ecosystems are: 

•  At  the  factory  level,  the  circular  transition  requires  a  range  of  innovative  and 
automated  de-  and  re-manufacturing  operations,  including  the  physical  collection  of 
products, disassembly, separation and sorting of products and components.  

• 

In  addition  to  that,  there  is  a  clear  need  for  a  product  data  ecosystem,  for  the 
collection and sharing of data along complex value networks. Particular needs are the 
digital  product  passport,  digital  twin  implementations,  and  the  connection  to  data 
spaces.  A  2024  topic  on  technologies  and  solutions  to  support  circularity  for 
manufacturing is expected to make major contribution in this area. 

•  At  the  product  level,  it  is  necessary  to  enable  the  repair,  reconditioning  and 

transformation of products into new ones.  

−  The  preferred  option  is  to  retain  or  even  upgrade  the  function  and  the  value  of  a 
product or system along its life-cycle and make the circular loop as short as possible, 
before opting for instance for material recycling routes. 

36 

 
−  Products  need  to  be  designed  for  remanufacturing:  modular  design,  design  for 
remanufacturing  needs  to  be  reinforced  from  the  beginning.  However,  the  co-
existence  of  actual  and  future  products  also  needs  to  be  supported,  requiring  for 
instance mixed-model assembly, where the complexity is increasing. 

•  Setting up circular manufacturing value networks is a complex process. The routes 
that  used  products  and  components  need  to  follow  across  a  circular  value  network, 
need  to  be  developed  with  the  support  from  digital  decision-making  solutions  and 
quantitative assessment of sustainability KPIs (these need to be sufficiently broad 
to cover all impacts). 

•  At  the  level  of  materials,  the  manufacturing  industry  needs  to  find  alternatives  for 
materials  that  are  either  scarce  or  that  have  a  high  ecological  footprint.  Highly 
productive recycling processes and value chains need to be put in place or need to be 
further  developed  in  order  to  generate  recycled  materials  in  a  sufficient  volume  and 
with sufficient quality. Research will be needed on how to integrate materials that are 
safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) in the key products of the future (for example, 
green  steel  is  different  from  coke-based  steel;  Biomaterials  behave  differently  and 
require other manufacturing processes). 

•  Circularity  and  resilience  are  interlinked  with  value  chains.  These  can  be  longer  and 
highly distributed or more localised. A key priority is to make circularity and resilience 
more quantifiable. 

•  The new circular economy will need to be underpinned by innovative business models 
and  servitisation  approaches.  This  adds  an  additional  dimension  to  the  need  for 
realising  resilient  value  networks,  where  reusing  and  remanufacturing  of  components 
and resources will be a key capability in view of achieving open strategic autonomy and 
environmental sustainability. 

•  Localised and urban manufacturing, also important in the context  of human-centric 
approach,  can  make  significant  contributions  to  circularity,  including  through  the 
potential to reuse urban waste.  

• 

In  terms  of  energy  efficiency,  the  manufacturing  industry  can  contribute  through 
circular approaches and also through the reduction of energy consumption and the use 
of fossil fuels in manufacturing. 

•  Finally, there is a strong logistics component, where the ecological impact of transport 

will also need to be considered. 

3.1.3. 

Services - New integrated business, product-service and production 
approaches; new use models 

The well known “software as a service” trend fuelled by cloud computing in recent years is 
just  one  aspect  of  a  clear  industry  trend  towards  offering  “everything”  as  a  service;  e.g., 
mobility as a service, infrastructure as a service, security as a service, etc.  

In the area of manufacturing, this approach is extremely interesting because servitisation of 
manufacturing carries several advantages, like an increase in resiliency and flexibility of the 
manufacturing  process.  It  is  noteworthy  that  “manufacturing  as  a  service”  allows  easy 
access  to  modern  manufacturing  facilities  which  are  typically  more  efficient  and  “green” 
than  the  equivalent  legacy  facilities;  this  aspect,  together  with  the  potential  to  optimise 

37 

 
logistics by moving production closer to the position of the customer, give to manufacturing 
as a service an important advantage in terms of sustainability. 

The  ongoing  servitisation  trend,  whereby  manufacturing  companies  deploy  manufacturing 
equipment as a “product-service”, increases the creation of long-term partnerships between 
manufacturing  system  providers  and  manufacturing  companies,  associated 
the 
application of innovative business models. 

to 

Services can be associated to the modification of the behaviour of machinery, repurposing, 
reconfiguration,  customising  or  energy  efficiency;  and  the  integration  in  the  manufacturing 
process and equipment in the work flow of the manufacturing company. 

While services provided in the context of the manufacturing of products can have a short-
term  horizon,  there  is  also  a  longer-term  component,  where  the  full  life-cycle  orientation 
includes circular aspects of the manufacturing system. Namely, the servitisation trend has a 
strategic  aspect  in  going  from  the  “smart  factory”  to  the  “smart  value  chain”  to  the 
“sustainable value chain”. Digital technologies are needed to support the transition towards 
more sustainable manufacturing. 

These services and the associated enabling technologies are evolving along the (extended) 
lifecycle of these manufacturing systems.30 

•  Quick-response  services,  using  technologies  such  as  trustable  AI,  digital  twins  and 
next-generation sensors, will support hyperflexible production processes and maintain 
optimal manufacturing operations even under critical conditions. The possibility to use 
the  most  appropriate  manufacturing 
the 
sustainability of the manufacturing process.  

improve  significantly 

resources  will 

−  Manufacturing  equipment  or  associated  service  providers  need 

to  provide 
continuous  support  to  manufacturing  companies  in  obtaining  the  best  possible 
performance from their manufacturing assets, even in changing conditions (such as 
deviating characteristics of materials and components). 

−  The continuous optimal use of manufacturing assets needs to be addressed from the 
manufacturing  process  level  up  to  the  workplace  and  factory  level,  requiring  the 
integration  across  the  value  chain  of  digital  technologies  for  quality  assurance  and 
advanced prognostics, including energy consumption management. 

−  Digital  twins  /  industrial  virtual  worlds  are  needed  for  virtual  commissioning,  repair 
and  maintenance,  while  reducing  the  need  for  physical  fine-tuning  and  on-site 
interventions.  

−  Life-cycle  management  of  manufacturing  solutions  and  associated  services  will 

enable a flexible, productive and sustainable manufacturing industry. 

https://www.the-future-of-commerce.com/2023/02/08/servitization-in-manufacturing-new-

30 
services-drive-growth/  
https://www.the-future-of-commerce.com/2019/09/25/field-service-management-for-
manufacturing/ 

38 

 
 
 
−  Applications of Artificial Intelligence have a very important role in the development of 
service-oriented  production  models,  as  AI  is  needed  to  manage  the  complexity  of 
integration across the value chain. While applications of AI in manufacturing do not 
pose  the  ethical  risks  associated  with  AI  in  other  domains  (e.g.,  disinformation, 
profiling,  algorithmic  bias  etc.)  nevertheless  there  are  significant  challenges  for  a 
broad deployment of AI in this area, namely the age and lack of connectivity of older 
manufacturing equipment and the reluctance to sharing data, both for cybersecurity 
and  legal/ownership  reasons.  Data  spaces  address  specifically  the  data  sharing 
aspect. 

•  Data  spaces  and  cloud/edge  solutions  will  allow 

resilient 
manufacturing,  capable  of  adapting  to  changing  external  conditions  by  leveraging  the 
data from the value chain. This includes the industrial implementation, and associated 
services, for digitally enabled product and process qualification. 

responsive  and 

−  The  machine-to-machine  exchange  of  manufacturing  data  and  the  associated  data 
spaces  will  be  one  of  the  most  important  drivers  for  progress  in  manufacturing,  by 
supporting smart factories in sharing data with other factories and with organisations 
such as service providers. 

−  Open  standards  are  needed,  enabling  the  digitalisation  of  industry  from  design  to 
manufacturing and (remote) services, considering also the large numbers of SMEs in 
the manufacturing ecosystem. 

−  Manufacturing data spaces should feature: openness, decentralisation, sovereignty, 
trusted  data 
interoperability,  scalability, 
exchange, technologies to secure data sovereignty, and clear shared rules for data 
economics, in order to allow data sharing under fair conditions for all the actors in the 
value chain. 

integrity,  security  and 

transparency, 

•  Digitally enabled certification and qualification of processes will accelerate the launch of 
new products into the market and facilitate a broad adoption of Manufacturing-as-a 
Service production that provide the corresponding assurance. It will also drive the 
uptake on new production technologies. 

3.1.4. 

Human-centred and human-driven manufacturing 

The FoF partnership made progress in human centricity through a number of projects: 

•  The coordination and support action Fit4FoF, “Making our Workforce Fit for the Factory 
of  the  Future”,  focused  on  skills  and  future  scenarios.  Results  include  117  emerging 
new  job  profiles,  a  repository  of  existing  upskilling  initiatives  and  a  novel  Upskilling 
Analysis  Tool,  which  was  developed  to  support  the  rapid  analysis  of  the  upskilling 
needs  by  correlating  the  identified  job  profiles  to  the  technological  trends,  skills,  and 
training programmes, as is depicted in the figure below. 

39 

 
 
•  The  coordination  and  support  action  ConnectedFactories2,  “Global  leading  smart 
manufacturing  through  digital  platforms,  cross  cutting  features  and  skilled  workforce”, 
focused  on  the  digitalisation  of  EU  manufacturing,  e.g.  data  spaces,  AI,  cybersecurity 
and smart factories. 

•  The  projects  resulting 

the 

from 

topic  DT-FoF-05-2019,  Open 

for 
collaborative  production  engineering,  Open_Next,  DIY4U,  INEDIT  and  iPRODUCE, 
collaborated on a common policy brief. This included draft topics for ‘Exploiting Urban 
and  Social  Manufacturing  towards  Industry  5.0  making  use  of  Open  Innovation 
Community  Hubs’.  Interestingly,  they  see  that  circular  approaches  are  particularly 
effective with human-centric manufacturing. 

Innovation 

The new challenges for human-centred manufacturing are: 

At  the  machine,  factory  and  process  levels,  there  is  a  need  for  physical  and  cognitive 
augmentation  of  human  capabilities  for  inclusive  and  socially  sustainable  manufacturing. 
The  demographic  evolution  reinforces  the  need  to  continuously  improve  the  well-being  of 
factory workers and the attractiveness and inclusiveness of manufacturing workplaces. 

•  Physical  and  virtual  augmentation  should  reduce  efforts  of  people  to  cooperate  with 

machines, reduce human strain and stress through 

−  advanced mechatronics and robotics allowing for safe, seamless and natural human-

machine cooperation and interaction; and 

−  augmented reality solutions (including wearables). 

40 

 
 
•  Cognitive augmentation will be brought about by 

−  Going  beyond  technologies  and  shifting  the  focus  to  the  people  bringing  value  in 

manufacturing, including collaborative working environments; 

−  data engineering so that AI works for humans (who are in this case expert domains) 

and not the opposite; 

−  advanced information sharing and personalised digital work instructions; 

−  advanced visualisation technologies; 

−  advanced data models, synthetic data generation and semantics; and 

− 

intuitive interaction with AI and data analytics technologies. 

−  Standards,  common  data  formats  and  application  programming  interfaces  (API)  for 

knowledge management systems (KMS) and decision support systems (DSS). 

−  Open-hardware  standards  and  business  models  that  allow  customer  product 

optimisation, e.g. furniture, automotive, smart electronics. 

More  broadly,  there  is  a  need  for  digitally-enabled  upskilling,  qualification  and  job 
transformation: 

• 

It is important to study the role of virtual reality in the manufacturing sector. 

•  There  is  a  competence  shift  in  manufacturing  processes  which  is  accelerated  by  the 
transition  towards  a  zero-net  industry  (see  also  the  priorities  ‘Recovering  and 
preserving the European leadership in critical and high value added products’ and ‘Next 
level of scalable, highly productive and zero-defect re-manufacturing technologies’).  

•  This  competence  shift  requires  the  upskilling  and/or  reskilling  of  personnel  and  the 
empowerment of young professionals in manufacturing. Similar to the priority ‘Digitally 
enabled  compliance  and  integration  of  innovative  manufacturing  solutions’,  the 
upskilling  and  the  qualification  of  workers  should  be  further  supported  by  digital 
technologies, while respecting privacy aspects associated to personal information. For 
instance, augmented reality solutions can be used to quality workers remotely.  

•  Digital tools can support career development of workers by providing guidance towards 
new opportunities in manufacturing and matching workers’ capabilities with job profiles. 

•  Artificial  Intelligence  and  digital  twins  need  to  support  trusted  decision  making  by 
humans  when  reallocating  manufacturing  capabilities  within  the  factory  or  along  the 
value network. This includes the quantitative assessment of resilience (KPIs). 

41 

 
Human-centred developments have links to the three other specific objectives: they will not 
only  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  well-being  of  workers,  but  will  also  increase  quality, 
productivity, efficiency and sustainability. 31 

Turning  to  the  approach  for  supporting  the  human-centric  objective,  an  attempt  has  been 
made in past MiE topics to integrate skills and some aspects of human centricity; however, 
there  is  a  need  for  some  dedicated  projects,  to  avoid  burdening  mainstream  projects  with 
training  and  human-centric  tasks.  In  this  context  it  is  very  important  to  capitalise  on 
synergies with EIT Manufacturing, DEP and ESF+. 32 

A further issue related to the human side is engagement with wider society: a first attempt is 
being  made  with  topic  2023-HUMAN-01-53  on  localised  and  urban  manufacturing  (see 
section 2.2.3.13). 

  EIT Manufacturing Vision 

EIT Manufacturing (EITM), highlighted its vision for the future of Manufacturing in the 2021 
document ‘Fixing our Future’.33 In the vision, there is a clear call to action in order to tackle 
the climate crisis that we are currently facing. This needs the entire society to act to ensure 
prosperity  in  the  future.  In  order  to  do  so,  it  is  needed  to  take  into  account  many  specific 
issues such as decarbonisation, the lack of skills, inclusivity, human-centricity, shortage of 
resources, etc. In this context, EITM believes that the manufacturing sector has the power 
to  become  a  “guiding  star”  for  the  other  types  of  industries  to  solve  many  issues  we  are 
currently  facing.  The  future  will  be  driven  by  data  and  AI.  In  EITM’s  opinion,  the 
manufacturing  in  the  next  years  will  need  an  inclusive,  human-centric  and  transparent 
working  environment  where  data  and  AI  empower  the  worker  and  encourage  lifelong 
learning.  Along  with  this,  the  manufacturing  sector  should  be  able  to  do  more  with  less, 
saving resources and energy will be key. Ethical and circular manufacturing should be the 
way forward. In addition, the manufacturing sector should sustain the well-being of all and 
the capacity of our natural world to replenish itself, while enabling long-term, broad-based 
prosperity. Finally, collaborations and connections will be an important factor for the survival 
of the manufacturing sector. 

31  See  also  Industry  5.0  where  work  is  currently  being  done  on  an  ERA  Roadmap  on  Human-Centric 
Technologies  and  Practices.  This  focuses  especially  on  how  to  scale-up  such  approaches  to  technology 
development  and  adoption,  how  to  create  ecosystems  and  the  learning  capacities  /  readiness  in 
companies to shift to these kinds of technologies. 

32 Further references on human centricity: 

- Skills for additive manufacturing: https://www.skills4am.eu/ 
- Tech workshops and courses: https://produktion2030.se/en/tech-workshops-and-courses/ 
- EIT Manufacturing’s learning platform supporting Europe’s manufacturing industry to upskill: 

https://www.skillsmove. eu/ 

- EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative – One million people skilled in deep tech by 2025: 

https://www.eitdeeptechtalent.eu/ 

33 https://bespokecph.com/fixingourfuture/ 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
EITM,  also  identifies  four  ‘Pillars  of  Change’  -  enablers  to  achieve  the  above  mentioned 
vision for the future of manufacturing: 

Driving Change Through EU Policy and Values 

In EITM’s opinion, as supply chain resilience gains importance, the EU will need to advance 
policy  initiatives  to  help  European  manufacturers  to  build  competitive  capacity  and 
continuity,  protect  the  region’s  interests  and  promote  its  values  worldwide  towards  a 
strategic  autonomy  in  a  global  economy.  In  addition  to  that,  Europe  will  need  to  take  a 
sensible approach to data privacy and protection, to ensure that it leads the way in the AI 
deployment  and  becomes  competitive  while  remaining  compliant  with  EU  values  and 
principles.  Finally,  EU  policy  will  shape  the  next  generation  of  products  and  equipment 
driving the ‘twin transition’ that Europe needs to make. 

Building collaborative ecosystems 

EITM  calls  for  stronger  partnerships  between  industry  and  academia  that  are  needed  to 
foster talent, capabilities and perspectives that can allow EU to position itself at the forefront 
of  the  manufacturing  industry.  SMEs  are  facing  a  myriad  of  challenges  and  European 
governments,  at  all  levels,  can  provide  support  and  help  them  thrive  well  into  the  future 
through  collaboration.  EITM  calls  for  collaboration  within  industry  players  too.  Addressing 
issues of sustainability and the potential of circularity demands closer collaboration between 
and within organisations. 

Empowering a human work culture 

EITM stresses that rebranding manufacturing as human-centred has the potential to attract 
and  grow  a  new  and  more  diverse  workforce.  These  positive  changes  in  a  transforming 
industry  will  lead  to  a  new  workforce  trends  and  new  working  ecosystems.  Finally, 
innovative  approaches  to  re-  and  up-skilling  are  integral  to  reaching  the  potential  of  the 
manufacturing of the future. 

Transition to sustainable practice 

EITM highlights that better sustainability performance is the key to reach a more conscious 
outcome of the manufacturing of the future focused not only on profit generation but also on 
the  well-being  of  people  and  planet.  In  addition  to  that,  the  systemic  integration  of  digital 
technologies  is  essential  for  developing  a  sustainable  circular  economy.  Finally,  EITM 
stresses the existence of a growing correlation between business development and metrics 
related  to  sustainability.  Digitalisation  has  the  power  to  reduce  energy  and  resources 
consumption, hence reducing costs and achieving a more sustainable environment. 

Finally,  EITM  identified  four  future  areas  of  actions  applied  to  the  context  of  the 
manufacturing sector: 

Future of Data 

In EITM’s opinion, sharing data is not a new thing, but the requirements of collaborating in 
data spaces go beyond the bare exchange of data and need to ensure resiliency. Privacy or 
lack of skills are a remarkable concern. For this aspect, EITM draws attention to Gaia-X, the 
EU’s response to the cloud giants in the US and China. Furthermore, the compliance with 
current and future ethical standards to ensure transparency will be fundamental. Quality of 
data  will  be  key  too.  In  this  regard,  a  particular  attention  to  cybersecurity  is  needed.  In 

43 

 
addition to this, data will play an important role in ensuring a more sustainable planet in the 
future.  AI  will  support  companies  in  saving  energies  and  resources.  This  support  will 
anyway come at a cost and it will be important to also consider the power required to train 
algorithms.  

Future of Energy and Critical Resources 

EITM  stresses  that  new  and  efficient  sources  of  energies  are  needed.  In  this  regard, 
manufacturing  can  take  actions  towards  more  sustainable  energy  sources  while  at  the 
same  time  act  as  enabler  for  the  deployment  of  them  (e.g.  production  of  wind  turbines). 
Furthermore, with the rise of renewable energy, there is a growing need for flexibility in the 
energy  system,  opening  up  for  new  opportunities  of  decentralised  energy  structures. 
Improvements  in  the  energy  grid  will  be  needed  too,  including  at  national  level.  Finally, 
while  looking  for  a  greener  future  for  manufacturing,  challenges  arise  when  it  comes  to 
access to critical materials and resources. 

Future of Materials and Products 

EITM also draws the attention towards the concept of remanufacturing: the rebuilding of a 
product  to  specifications  of  the  original  manufactured  product  using  a  combination  of 
reused, repaired and new parts. In addition to that, new innovative machines will be needed 
to ensure less waste of material and to avoid or to predict defects. In parallel, new materials 
and  processes  will  be  developed  to  make  a  positive  contribution  to  the  planet,  instead  of 
taking  things  aways  from  it.  Biomaterials  and  Biomanufacturing  will  play  a  key  role  in  this 
regard.  

Future of the Factory 

Finally, EITM highlights the need for new innovations inside the future factories. Digital tools 
such  as  Metaverse  will  allow  companies  to  test  in  the  virtual  world,  saving  resources  and 
being more sustainable. Digitalisation will also enable new services. In fact, manufacturing 
has been transformed as companies are moving towards a service-centric business models 
and logic. Finally, the development of EU-level value chains has evolved into an expansive 
network  of  localised,  specialist  manufacturers  ensuring  resilience  through  non-linear  and 
distributed  production.  The  model  promotes  designing  globally  while  producing  locally, 
leveraging digital manufacturing technologies and highlighting the opportunity for engaging 
directly with customers to shift from mass- to personalised and on-demand production. 

44 

 
 
 
4.  Conclusions and recommendations 

This  report  tells  the  story  of  the  Horizon  2020  and  Horizon  Europe  projects  supporting 
manufacturing, mostly under the Factories of the Future and Made in Europe partnerships. 
These  manufacturing  partnerships  have  generated  an  extensive  array  of  manufacturing 
technologies,  which  can  support  the  manufacturing  industry  of  the  future,  and  which  are 
already finding applications in industry.  

Identified technological needs for the future include: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

addressing  breakthrough  manufacturing  technologies,  including  bio-intelligent 
production exemplified by bio-sensors and bio-actuators in manufacturing systems, 
and more generally the merging of the biological world with hardware and software.  

the  need  to  integrate  more  the  circularity  aspect  and  circular  economy  models 
into  discrete  manufacturing,  including  the  regenerative  economy  -  a  model  where 
the  planetary  ecosystem  and  its  resources  are  more  respected.  The  new 
challenges for circular, connected manufacturing ecosystems include: 

o  a range of innovative and automated de- and re-manufacturing operations 

at factory level, 

o  a  product  data  ecosystem,  for  the  collection  and  sharing  of  data  along 
complex  value  networks,  with  particular  needs  for  the  digital  product 
passport, digital twin implementations, and the connection to data spaces. 

o 

o 

the  repair,  reconditioning  and  transformation  of  products  into  new  ones  at 
product level.  

the need for products designed for remanufacturing where modular design and 
design for remanufacturing needs to be reinforced from the beginning. The co-
existence of actual and future products also needs to be supported, requiring 
for instance mixed-model assembly, where the complexity is increasing. 

trend  whereby  manufacturing  companies  deploy 
the  ongoing  servitisation 
manufacturing  equipment  as  a  “product-service”,  increases  the  creation  of  long-term 
partnerships  between  manufacturing  system  providers  and  manufacturing  companies, 
associated  to  the  application  of  innovative  business  models  and  enabling  the  broad 
emergence of Manufacturing-as-a-Service through distributed production facilities. 

advanced  productivity  and  flexibility  empowered  by  advanced  digital 
technologies,  such  as  AI,  and  a  wave  of  further  digitalisation  where  data 
spaces and cloud/edge solutions will allow responsive and resilient manufacturing, 
capable  of  adapting  to  changing  external  conditions  by  leveraging  the  data  from 
the value chains. Links  to European Partnership on AI, Data and Robotics (ADRA) 
is to be further reinforced. 

•  Open standards are needed, enabling the digitalisation of industry from design to 
manufacturing and (remote) services, considering also the large numbers of SMEs 
in the manufacturing ecosystem. Value chains are needed that allow data sharing 
under fair conditions for all the actors. 

45 

 
•  Reducing the strategic dependency on raw materials, combined with achieving 

circularity in the design of advanced materials. 

•  Human-centred  and  human-driven  manufacturing  including  physical  and  virtual 
augmentation, cognitive augmentation, digitally-enabled upskilling, qualification and job 
transformation,  including  with  a  reinforced  focus    on  human-robot  collaboration 
enhanced  by  artificial  intelligence    and  in  general  robotics  systems  for  smart 
manufacturing enhanced by artificial intelligence.   

•  The  transition  towards  a  net-zero  industry,  which  forces  a  competence  shift  in 

processes and products in the manufacturing industry. 

A number of general recommendations can be made, in the light of experience from R&I 
projects on advanced manufacturing: 

•  More  focused  efforts  are  needed  to  prepare  for  and  achieve  future  deployment;  the 
additional  activities  of  the  partnership  in  that  regard  need  to  be  consolidated;  and 
synergies with other programmes need to be actively explored. The R&I projects under 
Made  in  Europe  cannot  address  deployment  directly,  since  the  maximum  technology 
readiness  level  reached  is  TRL7,  that  is,  demonstrators  in  industrial  environments. 
Nevertheless,  projects  differ  in  practice  with  regard  to  their  efforts  towards  future 
deployment. In some cases, the need for a business case and exploitation strategy has 
not been understood. One of the ways forward are the ‘Innovate Together’ calls of EIT 
Manufacturing.  Another  way  is  extended  use    in  upcoming  programmes  of    the 
application experiments and open call experiments schemes which enable in particular 
SMEs  to  gain  access  to  new  automation  technologies  and  contribute  to  the  technical 
innovations.  

•  At  the  other  end  of  the  innovation  pipeline,  intelligence  arising  from  research 
projects at relatively low technology readiness levels and ‘blue sky’ research – as 
in  the  examples  presented  in  this  report  –  needs  to  be  systematically  assessed 
and, where appropriate, developed in collaborative R&I projects (spanning TRLs 3 
to 5). 

•  Approaches like the one above can moreover help to mitigate issues linked to the 

exploitation of results, which were discussed in section 2.1.2.3.  

•  There  is  a  need  for  data  ecosystems  addressing  not  simply  factories  but  entire 
value  chains.  In  the  future,  circularity  in  manufacturing,  and  in  manufactured 
products,  will  rely  heavily  on  such  data  ecosystems  (sometimes  referred  to  as 
‘industry commons’).  

•  Moreover,  there  is  a  need  to  effectively  link  manufacturing  industry  to  the  latest 
generation  of  advanced  materials,  and  to  secondary  raw  materials.  This  can  be 
done through integrated data ecosystems, as well as the manufacturing processes 
necessary for such integration. 

•  Manufacturing  SMEs  often  face  inertia  and  a  lack  of  appropriate  skills,  when  it 
comes  to  adopting  the  latest  manufacturing  technologies.  SMEs  participating  in 
R&I projects in general find pathways to deployment. It is clear, however, that R&I 
projects  cannot  include  all  manufacturing  SMEs  in  practice.  Hence,  other 
mechanisms  are  needed  to  help  SMEs  in  taking  up  advanced  manufacturing 
technologies and connecting to manufacturing eco-systems. 

46 

 
•  Skills  emerge  as  a  crucial  factor  in  deploying  manufacturing  technologies, 
especially  in  manufacturing  SMEs.  There  is  a  clear  need  for  upskilling  and 
reskilling  of  existing  workforces,  as  well  as  a  need  to  attract  a  new  generation  of 
workers to manufacturing jobs. These needs cannot be addressed directly through 
R&I projects. Nevertheless, R&I projects often point the way forward with regard to 
the  skills  that  are  needed,  and  this  intelligence  from  projects  has  to  be  gathered 
and  acted  upon  systematically.  The  concept  of  Teaching  Factories  can  be 
recommended.34 

34 For instance, the lighthouse project Greece4.0, coordinated by the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems 
(LMS), was set up in 2023, to support the digital transformation of the Greek manufacturing industry. 

47 

 
 
 
 
Annex 1a – FoF topics 2014-20 by FoF Roadmap Domain  

FoF Roadmap Domains 

Topic codes (NMBP; ICT) 

1: Advanced Manufacturing 
Processes 

2: Adaptive and Smart 
Manufacturing Systems 

FOF-02-2014, FOF-10-2015, FOF-12-2015, FOF-13-
2015,  
FOF-01-2016, FOF-05-2016, FOF-06-2017, FOF-07-
2017,  
FOF-08-2017, DT-FOF-04-2018, DT-FOF-06-2019, 

DT-FOF-07-2020, DT-FOF-09-2020; 

FOF-13-2016 

FOF-06-2014,  FOF-11-2015,  FOF-02-2016,  FOF-03-
2016,  
DT-FOF-02-2018, DT-FOF-03-2018, DT-FOF-08-2019,  
DT-FOF-12-2019, DT-FOF-10-2020, DT-FOF-11-2020; 

FOF-09-2015,  FOF-11-2016,  FOF-12-2017,  DT-ICT-
03-2020 

3: Digital, Virtual and Resource 
Efficient Factories 

4: Collaborative and Mobile 
Enterprises 

FOF-03-2014, FOF-12-2015, FOF-09-2017; 

FOF-08-2015, ICT-38-2020 

DT-FOF-05-2019; 

FOF-01-2014, DT-ICT-07-2018-2019, ICT-08-2019 

5: Human-Centred Manufacturing  FOF-04-2014, FOF-07-2014, FOF-04-2016, DT-FOF-

01-2018; 

6: Customer-Focused 
Manufacturing 

FOF-05-2014, FOF-10-2015, FOF-10-2017, DT-FOF-
05-2019; 

48 

 
 
 
 
Annex 1b – FoF Classification by content technology 

#ZDM - zero defect manufacturing 
#AM - additive manufacturing 
#Robotics - robotics, automation 
#MultiMat - multi-materials manufacturing / composites materials 
#MI - manufacturing intelligence, ICT, software, data, visualisation 
#SurfText - surface texturisation  
#OptoElec - opto-electronics 
#EnerEff - energy efficiency, optimisation of energy/processes/resources 
#ReManu - remanufacturing, refurbishment, reconfiguration, reuse 
#PredMain - predictive maintenance 
#WorkEnv - work environments, human-centred manufacturing 
#Custom - customer-focused manuf., incl. do-It-yourself / makers 
#Policy - policy-related (CSA) 
#Process - manufacturing processes as injection moulding, welding, roll-to-roll, … 
#DigitalPlatform - digital manufacturing platforms (for connected smart factories) 
#I4MS - ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SME / digital innovation hubs (DIH) 
#Cloud - cloud computing/storage 
#ModSim - modelling and simulation 
#DigitalAutomation – digital automation 
#AI - artificial intelligence 

49 

 
 
 
Classification by content / technology 

ZDM – Zero-defect Manufacturing 

AM - Additive Manufacturing 

Robotics, automation 

Surface texturisation 

Opto-electronics 

Multi-materials / Composites manufacturing 

Manufacturing Intelligence, ICT, software, data, visualisation 

Energy efficiency, optimisation of energy/processes/resources 

Re-manufacturing, refurbishment, reconfiguration, reuse 

Predictive Maintenance 

Work environments, human-centred manufacturing 

Customer-focused manufacturing, incl. do-it-yourself / makers 

Policy (CSA) 

Manufacturing processes, e.g. injection moulding, welding, roll-to-roll 

Digital  Platform  -  digital  manufacturing  platforms  (for  connected  smart 
factories) 

I4MS - ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SME / digital innovation hubs (DIH) 

Cloud - cloud computing/storage 

Modelling and simulation 

Digital Automation 

AI - Artificial Intelligence 

TOTAL 

LEIT-
NMBP 

LEIT-
ICT 

Total 

12 

13 

14 

6 

6 

7 

8 

5 

9 

6 

7 

6 

7 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3 

8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

15 

21 

14 

6 

6 

7 

12 

20 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

8 

1 

6 

5 

9 

6 

7 

6 

15 

1 

6 

16 

16 

0 

0 

0 

0 

10 

10 

8 

8 

106 

72 

178 

50 

 
 
The following table shows the top 20 participating countries, which accounted for 95% of all 
participations: 

Country 

Spain 

Germany 

Italy 

France 

UK 

Greece 

Netherlands 

Switzerland 

Belgium 

Austria 

Portugal 

Sweden 

Finland 

Poland 

Norway 

Ireland 

Slovenia 

Denmark 

Romania 

Türkiye 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

Participations 

% 

482 

446 

442 

210 

185 

151 

119 

89 

87 

86 

79 

63 

62 

45 

38 

38 

37 

35 

26 

26 

16.7% 

15.5% 

15.3% 

7.3% 

6.4% 

5.2% 

4.1% 

3.1% 

3.0% 

3.0% 

2.7% 

2.2% 

2.1% 

1.6% 

1.3% 

1.3% 

1.3% 

1.2% 

0.9% 

0.9% 

51 

 
 
 
 
Annex 1c – FoF projects / topics under LEIT-NMBP 

Project Call Id 

Topic Code 

Topic description 

Roadmap domain 

Acronym 

Start Date 

End Date 

Type  Duration 

Partners 

EU funding [€] 

Classification35 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-02-2014 

Manufacturing processes for complex structures and geometries with 
efficient use of material 

Domain 1 

BOREALIS 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

FORTAPE 

01/02/2015 

31/01/2018 

RIA 

REProMag 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

ToMax 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

18 

11 

15 

10 

5,968,875 

#AM 

5,030,003.96 

#MultiMat 

5,726,365 

#AM 

3,157,986 

#AM 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-03-2014 

Global  energy  and  other  resources  efficiency  in  manufacturing 
enterprises 

Domain 3 

MEMAN 

01/01/2015 

30/06/2018 

RIA 

42 

28 

5,998,686 

#EnerEff 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-04-2014 

Developing smart factories that are attractive to workers 

Domain 5 

FACTS4WORKERS 

01/12/2014 

30/11/2018 

SatisFactory 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

IA 

IA 

48 

36 

17 

11 

6,344,544.38 

#WorkEnv 

4,024,712 

#WorkEnv 

35 The classification is set out in Annex 1b 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-05-2014 

Innovative Product-Service design using manufacturing intelligence  Domain 6 

DIVERSITY 

01/02/2015 

31/01/2018 

RIA 

FALCON 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

ICP4Life 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2018 

RIA 

Manutelligence 

01/02/2015 

31/01/2018 

RIA 

ProRegio 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

PSYMBIOSYS 

01/02/2015 

31/01/2018 

RIA 

36 

36 

48 

36 

36 

36 

9 

13 

12 

13 

12 

13 

4,055,840 

#MI, #Cloud 

4,594,973 

#MI 

4,924,693 

#MI, #DigitalPlatform 

4,267,735 

#MI, #DigitalPlatform 

5,145,321.25 

#MI 

5,996,303.75 

#MI 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-06-2014 

Symbiotic  human-robot  collaboration 
multimodal manufacturing systems 

for  safe  and  dynamic 

Domain 2 

FourByThree 

01/12/2014 

30/11/2017 

SYMBIO-TIC 

01/04/2015 

31/03/2019 

SYMPLEXITY 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2018 

IA 

IA 

IA 

36 

48 

48 

17 

17 

19 

6,305,517 

#Robotics 

6,451,703 

#Robotics 

6,660,525 

#Robotics 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-07-2014 

Support for the enhancement of the impact of FoF PPP projects 

Domain 5 

Co-FACTOR 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2016 

CSA 

24 

EFFECTIVE 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2016 

CSA 

24 

FOCUS 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2016 

CSA 

24 

FoFAM 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2016 

CSA 

24 

319,940 

#Policy 

299,661 

#Policy 

324,794 

#Policy, #ZDM 

348,210 

#Policy, #AM 

7 

5 

13 

4 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FoF-Impact 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2016 

CSA 

24 

9 

393,559 

#Policy 

H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-10-2015 

Manufacturing of custom made parts for personalised products 

Domain 1,6 

CerAMfacturing 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

MovAiD 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

OPENMIND 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

Symbionica 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

10 

13 

9 

12 

5,121,799.5 

#AM, #MultiMat 

5,136,875 

#Custom 

4,528,568.75 

#Custom 

4,908,750 

#AM, #ReManu 

H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-11-2015 

Flexible  production  systems  based  on  integrated  tools  for  rapid 
reconfiguration of machinery and robots 

Domain 2 

openMOS 

01/10/2015 

31/01/2019 

PERFoRM 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

ReCaM 

01/11/2015 

31/10/2018 

IA 

IA 

IA 

40 

36 

36 

19 

19 

11 

6,368,790.88 

#ReManu, #MI, #Robotics 

7,094,095 

#ReManu, #Robotics 

5,302,860 

#ReManu, #MI, #Robotics 

H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-12-2015 

Industrial technologies for advanced joining and assembly processes 
for multi-materials 

Domain 1 

ComMUnion 

01/12/2015 

31/05/2019 

FineSol 

01/11/2015 

30/04/2019 

FlexHyJoin 

01/10/2015 

31/12/2018 

JOIN-EM 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

42 

42 

39 

36 

4,863,011.00 

#MultiMat, #AM 

4,959,450.00 

#MultiMat, #AM 

4,141,347.64 

#MultiMat 

4,127,029.00 

#MultiMat 

17 

14 

12 

16 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-13-2015 

Re-use  and  remanufacturing 
sustainable product lifecycle management 

technologies  and  equipment 

for 

Domain 1 

Eco-Solar 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

sustainablySMART 

01/09/2015 

31/10/2019 

RIA 

36 

50 

12 

18 

5,642,707.50 

#ReManu 

6,989,278.00 

#ReManu 

H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-14-2015 

Integrated  design  and  management  of  production  machinery  and 
processes 

Domain 3 

ambliFibre 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

TWIN-CONTROL 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

36 

36 

12 

11 

4,735,941.25 

#MI, #MultiMat 

5,600,241.00 

#MI, #ZDM 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-01-2016 

Novel  hybrid  approaches  for  additive  and  subtractive  manufacturing 
machines 

Domain 1 

4D hybrid 

01/01/2017 

31/12/2019 

RIA 

HINDCON 

15/09/2016 

14/09/2019 

RIA 

KRAKEN 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

LASIMM 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

OpenHybrid 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

36 

21 

14 

17 

15 

14 

4,990,000.00 

#AM, #Robotics 

4,798,205.00 

#AM 

4,711,586.25 

#AM 

4,868,262.50 

#AM 

5,133,381.25 

#AM 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-02-2016 

Machinery  and  robot  systems  in  dynamic  shop  floor  environments 
using novel embedded cognitive functions 

Domain 2 

COROMA 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

IA 

36 

23 

5,979,444.99 

#Robotics 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THOMAS 

01/10/2016 

31/03/2021 

IA 

54 

8 

4,510,700.00 

#Robotics 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-03-2016 

Zero-defect  strategies  at  system  level  for  multi-stage  manufacturing 
in production lines 

Domain 2 

ForZDM 

01/10/2016 

31/03/2021 

GO0D MAN 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

STREAM-0D 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2020 

ZAero 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

Z-Fact0r 

01/10/2016 

31/03/2020 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

54 

36 

48 

36 

42 

16 

10 

13 

9 

14 

5,896,860.40 

#ZDM 

4,012,462.00 

#ZDM 

4,159,145.00 

#ZDM 

3,548,206.01 

#ZDM 

4,206,252.88 

#ZDM 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-04-2016 

Continuous adaptation of work environments with changing levels of 
automation in evolving production systems 

Domain 5 

A4BLUE 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

Factory2Fit 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

HUMAN 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

INCLUSIVE 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

MANUWORK 

01/10/2016 

31/03/2020 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

42 

9 

12 

15 

14 

18 

4,179,062.50 

#WorkEnv 

4,322,462.50 

#WorkEnv 

3,991,354.95 

#WorkEnv, #Robotics 

4,324,587.50 

#WorkEnv 

4,813,250.00 

#WorkEnv 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-05-2016 

Support  for  the  further  development  of  Additive  Manufacturing 
technologies in Europe 

Domain 1 

AM-motion 

01/11/2016 

31/12/2018 

CSA 

26 

13 

993,052.50 

#Policy, #AM 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-06-2017 

New product functionalities through advanced surface manufacturing 
processes for mass production 

Domain 1 

ESSIAL 

01/11/2017 

30/04/2022 

RIA 

Himalaia 

15/09/2017 

14/03/2021 

RIA 

LASER4SURF 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

RIA 

MouldTex 

01/11/2017 

30/04/2021 

RIA 

ProSurf 

01/01/2018 

30/06/2021 

RIA 

SHARK 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

RIA 

54 

42 

42 

42 

42 

42 

17 

12 

13 

10 

16 

11 

4,999,350.00 

#SurfText 

4,679,771.25 

#SurfText, #Process 

4,077,750.00 

#SurfText 

5,133,871.25 

#SurfText 

4,995,727.00 

#SurfText 

4,434,352.50 

#SurfText 

H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-07-2017 

Integration  of  unconventional 
processing into manufacturing systems 

technologies 

for  multi-material 

Domain 1 

LAY2FORM 

01/10/2017 

30/09/2021 

RIA 

RECOTRANS 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

RIA 

48 

42 

15 

15 

4,931,294.75 

#MultiMat 

4,525,683.75 

#MultiMat 

H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-08-2017 

In-line  measurement  and  control  for  micro-/nano-enabled  high-
volume manufacturing for enhanced reliability 

Domain 1 

CITCOM 

01/10/2017 

31/12/2020 

SmartLine 

01/09/2017 

30/11/2020 

IA 

IA 

39 

39 

12 

8 

4,763,035.64 

#OptoElec, #ZDM 

4,262,637.50 

#OptoElec, #ZDM 

H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-09-2017 

Novel design and predictive maintenance technologies for increased 
operating life of production systems 

Domain 3 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PreCoM 

01/11/2017 

28/02/2021 

PROGRAMS 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

PROPHESY 

01/10/2017 

30/09/2020 

SERENA 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

UPTIME 

01/09/2017 

28/02/2021 

Z-BRE4K 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

40 

42 

36 

42 

42 

42 

17 

15 

15 

14 

12 

18 

6,146,402.50 

#PredMain 

4,847,697.50 

#PredMain 

5,528,318.51 

#PredMain 

5,506,493.00 

#PredMain 

4,847,836.25 

#PredMain 

5,992,495.25 

#PredMain 

H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-10-2017 

New  technologies  and  life  cycle  management  for  reconfigurable  and 
reusable customised products 

Domain 6 

FreeWheel 

01/10/2017 

31/12/2020 

Repro-light 

01/10/2017 

30/09/2020 

IA 

IA 

39 

36 

12 

10 

5,778,656.25 

#ReManu, #Custom 

4,345,418.25 

#ReManu, #Custom 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2018 

DT-FOF-01-
2018 

Skills needed for new Manufacturing jobs (CSA) 

Domain 5 

FIT4FoF 

01/10/2018 

30/09/2021 

CSA 

36 

9 

1,641,533.75 

#Policy,#WorkEnv,#AM 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2018 

DT-FOF-02-
2018 

Effective Industrial Human-Robot Collaboration (RIA) 

Domain 2 

CoLLaboratE 

01/10/2018 

30/09/2021 

RIA 

HR-Recycler 

01/12/2018 

30/11/2022 

RIA 

ROSSINI 

01/10/2018 

31/03/2022 

RIA 

36 

48 

42 

17 

14 

14 

6,864,600.00 

#Robotics 

6,986,573.75 

#Robotics 

7,978,176.25 

#Robotics 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SHAREWORK 

01/11/2018 

31/10/2022 

RIA 

SHERLOCK 

01/10/2018 

30/09/2022 

RIA 

48 

48 

15 

16 

7,351,467.50 

#Robotics 

7,939,022.50 

#Robotics 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2018 

DT-FOF-03-
2018 

Innovative manufacturing of opto-electrical parts (RIA) 

Domain 2 

FLOIM 

01/09/2018 

28/02/2022 

RIA 

IQONIC 

01/10/2018 

31/03/2022 

RIA 

OLEDSOLAR 

01/10/2018 

30/09/2021 

RIA 

42 

42 

36 

13 

19 

18 

6,742,238.75 

#OptoElec, #Process 

7,997,968.75 

#OptoElec 

7,872,870.00 

#OptoElec 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2018 

DT-FOF-04-
2018 

Pilot lines for metal Additive Manufacturing (IA 50%) 

Domain 1 

INTEGRADDE 

01/10/2018 

31/03/2023 

MANUELA 

01/10/2018 

30/09/2022 

IA 

IA 

54 

48 

29 

25 

12,716,173.51 

#AM 

12,448,116.26 

#AM 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2019 

DT-FOF-05-
2019 

Open Innovation for collaborative production engineering (IA) 

Domain 4,6 

DIY4U 

INEDIT 

01/11/2019 

31/10/2022 

01/10/2019 

30/09/2022 

iPRODUCE 

01/01/2020 

31/12/2022 

OPEN_NEXT 

01/09/2019 

31/08/2022 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

13 

16 

25 

21 

5,986,274.50 

#Custom, #DigitalPlatform 

6,039,000.00 

#Custom 

5,983,662.50 

#Custom 

5,888,173.75 

#Custom 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-

DT-FOF-06-

Refurbishment  and  re-manufacturing  of  large  industrial  equipment Domain 1 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019 

2019 

(IA) 

LEVEL-UP 

01/10/2019 

30/09/2023 

RECLAIM 

01/10/2019 

31/03/2023 

IA 

IA 

48 

42 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2019 

DT-FOF-08-
2019 

Pilot lines for modular factories (IA 50%) 

AVANGARD 

15/10/2019 

14/10/2022 

DIMOFAC 

01/10/2019 

30/09/2023 

IA 

IA 

36 

48 

40 

26 

22 

36 

14,027,950.27 

#ReManu 

12,750,199.50 

#ReManu 

Domain 2 

14,027,312.50 

#ZDM 

14,163,497.63 

#ZDM, #MI 

H2020-NMBP-FOF-
2019 

DT-FOF-12-
2019 

Handling systems for flexible materials (RIA) 

Domain 2 

APRIL 

01/04/2020 

31/07/2023 

RIA 

MERGING 

01/11/2019 

30/04/2023 

RIA 

REMODEL 

01/11/2019 

31/10/2023 

RIA 

SOFTMANBOT 

01/10/2019 

31/03/2023 

RIA 

40 

42 

48 

42 

H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-
2020-singlestage 

DT-FOF-07-
2020 

Assembly of micro parts (RIA) 

Mesomorph 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2023 

RIA 

TINKER 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2023 

RIA 

36 

36 

7,926,391.25 

#Robotics 

7,926,712.50 

#Robotics 

5,920,412.50 

#Robotics 

7,558,651.25 

#Robotics 

Domain 1 

9,867,707.50 

#OptoElec 

10,241,526.25 

#AM 

15 

13 

12 

12 

13 

16 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-
2020-singlestage 

DT-FOF-09-
2020 

Energy-efficient manufacturing system management (IA) 

Domain 1 

DENiM 

01/11/2020 

31/10/2024 

E2COMATION 

01/11/2020 

30/04/2024 

ECOFACT 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2024 

EnerMan 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

48 

42 

48 

36 

21 

21 

21 

22 

9,685,107.99 

#EnerEff 

8,105,775.00 

#EnerEff 

9,893,318.13 

#EnerEff 

9,758,587.50 

#EnerEff 

H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-
2020-singlestage 

DT-FOF-10-
2020 

Pilot lines for large-part high-precision manufacturing (IA 50%) 

Domain 2 

PENELOPE 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2024 

IA 

48 

38 

14,738,506.00 

#ZDM, #Robotics 

H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-
2020-singlestage 

DT-FOF-11-2020 Quality control in smart manufacturing (IA) 

Domain 2 

DAT4.ZERO 

01/10/2020 

31/03/2024 

i4Q 

InterQ 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

01/11/2020 

31/10/2023 

OPTIMAI 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

42 

36 

36 

36 

22 

25 

25 

16 

9,886,512.63 

#ZDM, #MI 

9,997,485.88 

#ZDM, #MI 

8,988,750.00 

#ZDM, #MI 

8,359,087.50 

#ZDM, #MI 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 1d – FoF projects / topics under LEIT-ICT 

Project Call Id 

Topic Code 

Topic description 

Roadmap domain 

Acronym 

Start Date 

End Date 

Type  Duration 

Partners 

EU funding [€] 

Classification 36 

H2020-FoF-2014 

FoF-01-2014 

Process optimisation of manufacturing assets 

Domain 4 

3,764,635.00 

#ZDM 

7,126,494.75 

#MI, #Cloud 

3,439,420.00 

#MI, #AM 

5,324,720.00 

#MI, #Cloud 

3,673,157.00 

#MI, #AM 

3,321,852.50 

#MI, #Process 

3,583,212.00 

#MI, #Process 

610,013.75 

#Policy, #MI 

ADALAM 

01/01/2015 

30/06/2018 

RIA 

C2NET 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

COMBILASER 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

CREMA 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

MAShES 

01/12/2014 

30/11/2017 

RIA 

PREVIEW 

01/01/2015 

31/12/2017 

RIA 

RADICLE 

01/02/2015 

31/10/2018 

RIA 

42 

36 

36 

36 

36 

36 

45 

sCorPiuS 

01/02/2015 

31/01/2017 

CSA 

24 

36 The classification is set out in Annex 1b 

19 

22 

13 

23 

12 

10 

12 

6 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-08-2015 

ICT-enabled modelling, simulation, analytics and forecasting technologies 

Domain 3 

CAxMan 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

IMPROVE 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

MAYA 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

MC-SUITE 

01/10/2015 

30/09/2018 

RIA 

MOTOR 

01/09/2015 

31/08/2018 

RIA 

OPTIMISED 

01/11/2015 

31/10/2018 

RIA 

SIMUTOOL 

01/09/2015 

31/07/2019 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

36 

36 

47 

16 

14 

11 

13 

11 

13 

11 

7,143,300.00 

#AM, #MI 

4,148,554.00 

#MI, #ModSim 

4,015,365.50 

#MI, #ModSim 

3,995,155.00 

#MI, #ZDM 

4,302,875.00 

#MI, #ModSim 

7,012,637.25 

#MI, #ModSim 

3,412,276.00 

#MI, #MultiMat 

H2020-FoF-2015 

FoF-09-2015 

ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) 

Domain 2 

BEinCPPS 

01/11/2015 

31/10/2018 

Fortissimo 2 

01/11/2015 

31/12/2018 

HORSE 

01/11/2015 

31/07/2020 

IA 

IA 

IA 

36 

38 

57 

I4MS-Growth 

01/09/2015 

28/02/2018 

CSA 

30 

ReconCell 

01/11/2015 

28/02/2019 

IA 

40 

XS2I4MS 

01/09/2015 

28/02/2018 

CSA 

30 

24 

40 

17 

4 

9 

5 

7,999,485.75 

#I4MS, #MI 

9,999,775.89 

#I4MS, #MI, #ModSim 

7,945,601.00 

#I4MS, #Robotics 

997,151.00 

#Policy, #I4MS 

5,561,569.00 

#I4MS, #Robotics 

969,586.25 

#Policy, #I4MS 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-11-2016 

Digital automation 

Domain 2 

63 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AUTOWARE 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

COMPOSITION 

01/09/2016 

31/08/2019 

RIA 

36 

36 

ConnectedFactories 

01/09/2016 

30/11/2019 

CSA 

39 

Daedalus 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

36 

DIGICOR 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

36 

DISRUPT 

01/09/2016 

31/08/2019 

RIA 

FAR-EDGE 

01/10/2016 

31/10/2019 

RIA 

NIMBLE 

01/10/2016 

31/03/2020 

RIA 

SAFIRE 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

ScalABLE4.0 

01/01/2017 

30/06/2020 

RIA 

vf-OS 

01/10/2016 

31/10/2019 

RIA 

36 

37 

42 

36 

42 

37 

16 

13 

18 

14 

14 

10 

13 

21 

7 

8 

15 

4,096,312.50 

#DigitalAutomation 

7,634,253.75 

#DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

1,919,391.25 

#Policy,  #DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

3,994,296.00 

7,993,818.75 

#DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

#DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

3,468,312.50 

#DigitalAutomation 

3,992,631.25 

#DigitalAutomation 

7,994,750.00 

#DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

3,137,076.25 

#DigitalAutomation 

3,999,050.00 

#DigitalAutomation 

7,758,580.00 

#DigitalAutomation, 
#DigitalPlatform 

H2020-FOF-2016 

FOF-13-2016 

Photonics Laser-based production 

Domain 1 

DREAM 

01/10/2016 

31/12/2019 

RIA 

39 

12 

3,242,435.00 

#AM 

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ENCOMPASS 

01/10/2016 

29/02/2020 

RIA 

HIPERLAM 

01/11/2016 

31/01/2020 

RIA 

HyproCell 

01/11/2016 

31/12/2019 

IA 

MAESTRO 

01/10/2016 

30/09/2019 

RIA 

ModuLase 

01/09/2016 

28/02/2021 

IA 

PARADDISE 

01/10/2016 

30/11/2020 

RIA 

PoLaRoll 

01/10/2016 

31/01/2020 

IA 

41 

39 

38 

36 

54 

50 

40 

11 

9 

16 

13 

8 

8 

7 

4,040,371.25 

3,756,256.00 

3,937,331.00 

3,995,905.00 

2,184,565.00 

3,761,402.25 

#AM 

#AM 

#AM 

#AM 

#AM 

#AM 

3,508,527.75 

#Process 

H2020-FOF-2017 

FOF-12-2017 

ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) 

Domain 2 

AMable 

01/09/2017 

31/08/2021 

CloudiFacturing 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

IA 

IA 

48 

42 

I4MS-Go 

01/09/2017 

29/02/2020 

CSA 

30 

L4MS 

MIDIH 

01/10/2017 

31/03/2021 

01/10/2017 

30/09/2020 

IA 

IA 

42 

36 

24 

34 

6 

21 

24 

8,001,358.75 

#I4MS, #AM 

8,712,521.27 

#I4MS 

992,283.75 

#Policy, #I4MS 

7,996,772.50 

#I4MS 

7,999,157.50 

#I4MS 

H2020-DT-2018-1 

DT-ICT-07-2018-
2019 

Digital Manufacturing Platforms for Connected Smart Factories 

Domain 4 

eFactory 

01/01/2019 

31/12/2022 

QU4LITY 

01/01/2019 

31/03/2022 

IA 

IA 

48 

39 

13,640,264.01 

#DigitalPlatform 

15,998,180.54 

#ZDM, #DigitalPlatform 

35 

61 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ZDMP 

01/01/2019 

31/12/2022 

IA 

48 

37 

16,204,368.66 

#ZDM, #DigitalPlatform 

H2020-DT-2019-1 

DT-ICT-07-2018-
2019 

Digital Manufacturing Platforms for Connected Smart Factories 

Domain 4 

ConnectedFactories 2  01/12/2019 

30/11/2022 

CSA 

36 

DigiPrime 

01/01/2020 

31/12/2023 

KYKLOS 4.0 

01/01/2020 

31/12/2023 

SHOP4CF 

01/01/2020 

31/12/2023 

IA 

IA 

IA 

48 

48 

48 

19 

40 

32 

22 

1,984,131.25 

#Policy, #DigitalPlatform 

15,963,173.50 

#DigitalPlatform 

15,984,875.00 

#DigitalPlatform 

15,008,467.00 

#DigitalPlatform 

H2020-ICT-2019-2 

ICT-08-2019 

Security and resilience for collaborative manufacturing environments 

Domain 4 

COLLABS 

01/01/2020 

31/12/2022 

RIA 

SeCoIIA 

01/12/2019 

31/05/2022 

RIA 

36 

30 

13 

12 

5,999,643.75 

#DigitalPlatform 

5,989,740.00 

#DigitalPlatform 

H2020-DT-2019-2 

DT-ICT-03-2020  I4MS (phase 4) - uptake of digital game changers 

Domain 2 

AI REGIO 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2023 

Better Factory 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2024 

Change2Twin 

01/06/2020 

31/05/2024 

DIGITbrain 

01/07/2020 

31/12/2023 

DIH-World 

01/07/2020 

30/06/2023 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

IA 

36 

48 

48 

42 

36 

I4MS4Ts 

01/06/2020 

30/11/2022 

CSA 

30 

7,999,207.00 

#I4MS, #AI 

8,000,000.63 

#I4MS 

7,998,718.63 

#I4MS, #ModSim 

8,340,511.48 

#I4MS, #ModSim 

7,999,366.63 

#I4MS 

999,387.50 

#Policy, #I4MS 

36 

29 

20 

37 

41 

4 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7,999,799.25 

#I4MS, #AI 

7,999,272.00 

#I4MS, #AM 

8,008,166.25 

#I4MS, #Robotics 

5,467,698.75 

5,997,106.25 

5,706,726.25 

Domain 3 

#AI 

#AI 

#AI 

498,770.00 

#Policy, #AI 

5,996,151.25 

#AI 

5,973,078.75 

#AI, #ZDM 

5,999,253.75 

#AI 

5,721,853.75 

#AI, #DigitalPlatform 

5,998,902.50 

#AI, #ZDM 

KITT4SME 

01/10/2020 

31/03/2024 

PULSATE 

01/09/2020 

31/08/2024 

VOJEXT 

01/07/2020 

31/12/2023 

IA 

IA 

IA 

42 

48 

42 

H2020-ICT-2020-1 

ICT-38-2020 

Artificial intelligence for manufacturing 

AI-PROFICIENT 

01/11/2020 

31/10/2023 

RIA 

ASSISTANT 

01/11/2020 

31/10/2023 

RIA 

COALA 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2023 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

EU-Japan.AI 

01/01/2021 

30/04/2022 

CSA 

16 

knowlEdge 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

RIA 

MAS4AI 

01/10/2020 

30/09/2023 

RIA 

STAR 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

RIA 

TEAMING.AI 

01/01/2021 

31/12/2023 

RIA 

XMANAI 

01/11/2020 

30/04/2024 

RIA 

36 

36 

36 

36 

42 

19 

12 

20 

12 

13 

16 

6 

14 

18 

19 

15 

16 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 2a – MiE topics 2021-24 by MiE Objective 

The Work Programme 2021-22 includes 12 topics, which have all been concluded (6 RIAs 
and 6 IAs), with a total indicative budget of 287M€: 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01: AI enhanced robotics systems for smart 
manufacturing (with the AI, Data and Robotics Partnership) (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-02: Zero-defect manufacturing towards zero-waste 
(IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-03: Laser-based technologies for green 
manufacturing (with the Photonics Partnership) (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-05: Manufacturing technologies for bio-based 
materials (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-07: Artificial Intelligence for sustainable, agile 
manufacturing (with the AI, Data and Robotics Partnership) (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-08: Data-driven Distributed Industrial 
Environments (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01: Rapid reconfigurable production process 
chains (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-02: Products with complex functional surfaces 
(RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-03: Excellence in distributed control and modular 
manufacturing (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-04: Intelligent work piece handling in a full 
production line (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-06: ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability 
in SMEs (I4MS2) (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-07: Digital tools to support the engineering of a 
Circular Economy (RIA) 

The Work Programme 2023-24 includes seven MiE topics and one closely related topic (4 
RIAs, 3 IAs and one CSA), with a total indicative budget of 225M€. The approach taken in 
that WP was a more systemic one, intended to bring technologies together and to address 
gaps in circular manufacturing and in connected factories. Topics were fewer than in 2021-
22, with larger budgets per topic: 

HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-02: High-precision OR complex product 
manufacturing – potentially including the use of photonics (with the Photonics Partnership) (IA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-04: Factory-level and value chain approaches for 
remanufacturing (IA) 

68 

 
 
HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-07: Achieving resiliency in value networks through 
modelling and Manufacturing as a Service (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-08: Foresight and technology transfer for 
Manufacturing as a Service (CSA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-03: Manufacturing as a Service: Technologies for 
customised, flexible, and decentralised production on demand (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-05: Technologies/solutions to support circularity 
for manufacturing (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01: Bio-intelligent manufacturing industries (RIA) 

HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-53: Localised and Urban Manufacturing, supporting creativity 
and the New European Bauhaus (RIA using FSTP) – topic closely related to MiE 

The following table shows the coverage of the MiE specific objectives by the topics in thw 
WPs 2021-22 and 2023-24. 

MiE Specific Objectives 

Topic codes 

1:  Efficient,  responsive,  and  smart 
factories and supply chains 

2021-TT-01-01, -02, -03, -07, -08; 

2022-TT-01-01, -02, -03, -04, -06, -07; 

2: Circular products and Climate-
neutral manufacturing 

2023-TT-01-02; 

2024-TT-01-01 

2021-TT-01-03, -05, -07, -08; 

2022-TT-01-07; 

2023-TT-01-04; 

2024-TT-01-05 

3: New integrated business, 
product-service and production 
approaches; new use models 

2023-TT-01-07, -08; 

2024-TT-01-03 

4: Human-centred and human-
driven manufacturing innovation 

2022-TT-01-01, -06; 

2023-HUMAN-01-5337 

37 This topic on localised and urban manufacturing is closely related to MiE 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table classifies the projects of 2021-23 according to their main technological 
domains (the projects of 2023 are subject to grant): 

Classification by content/technology  

ZDM – zero defect manufacturing  
Robotics – robotics, automation  
AI – artificial intelligence  
SurfText – surface texturisation  
MI – manufacturing intelligence, ICT, software, 
data, visualisation  
ReManu – remanufacturing, refurbishment, 
reconfiguration, reuse  
WorkEnv – work environments, human-centred 
manufacturing 
Custom – customer-focused manufacturing 
Process – manufacturing processes 
DigitalPlatform – digital manufacturing platforms 
(for connected smart factories)  
I4MS – ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SME / 
digital innovation hubs (DIH)  
Mod – modular manufacturing 
BioTech – bio-technology, bio-based materials, 
bio-intelligent manufacturing  
Policy (CSA)  
TOTAL 

Non-
digital 
focus  
6  
4  
0  
5  
0 

6 

0  

4 
10 
0  

0  

7 
6  

0  
48 

Digital 
focus 

TOTAL 

0  
4  
3  
4  
0 

5 

0  

0  
0  
10 

4  

0 
0  

1 
31 

6  
8  
3  
9  
0 

11 

0  

4 
10 
10 

4  

7 
6  

1 
79 

70 

 
 
 
 
Annex 2b – MiE projects / topics 2021-22 (non-digital focus) 

Project Call Id 
Acronym 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
ENGINE 
FLASH-COMP 
OPENZDM 
Platform-ZERO 
TURBO 
ENGINE 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
AMBIANCE 
BIO-UPTAKE 
GREEN-LOOP 
NewWave 
VITAL 
Waste2BioComp 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
FLEX4RES 
R3GROUP 
RaRe2 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
BILASURF 
CLASCO 
FABulous 
SURE2COAT 
SYNTECS 

Topic Code 
Start Date 
2021-TT-01-02 

Topic description 
End Date 
Type  Duration 
Zero-defect manufacturing towards zero-waste 

Partners 

EU funding [€] 

MiE Objective 
Classification38 
Obj-1 

01/06/2022 
01/10/2022 
01/06/2022 
01/01/2023 
01/10/2022 
01/06/2022 
2021-TT-01-05 

01/06/2022 
01/12/2022 
01/09/2022 
01/04/2022 
01/06/2022 
01/06/2022 
2022-TT-01-01 

01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/12/2022 
2022-TT-01-02 

01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/02/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/12/2022 

31/05/2025 
31/03/2026 
30/11/2025 
31/12/2026 
31/03/2026 
31/05/2025 
Manufacturing technologies for bio-based materials 

36 
42 
42 
48 
42 
36 

17 
14 
20 
12 
12 
17 

IA 
IA 
IA 
IA 
IA 
IA 

31/05/2026 
31/05/2026 
31/08/2025 
31/03/2026 
31/05/2025 
31/05/2025 
Rapid reconfigurable production process chains 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

48 
42 
36 
48 
36 
36 

11 
13 
17 
11 
14 
13 

31/12/2025 
31/12/2026 
31/05/2026 
Products with complex functional surfaces 

36 
48 
42 

IA 
IA 
IA 

31/12/2025 
30/06/2026 
31/01/2027 
31/12/2025 
30/11/2025 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

36 
42 
48 
36 
36 

17 
25 
22 

10 
13 
11 
12 
14 

8,939,318.00 
5,612,470.00 
8,268,146.00 
9,131,043.00 
6,813,734.00 
8,939,318.00 

4,571,767.00 
5,994,886.00 
5,138,388.00 
5,057,580.00 
5,623,016.00 
5,861,763.00 

8,078,631.00 
9,124,528.50 
8,395,715.25 

#ZDM 
#ZDM  
#ZDM  
#ZDM  
#ZDM 
#ZDM  
Obj-2 

#Biotech 
#Biotech 
#Biotech 
#Biotech 
#Biotech 
#Biotech 
Obj-1,4 

#Mod 
#Mod 
#Mod  
Obj-1 

5,601,669.00 
4,829,772.50 
5,475,680.00 
5,905,508.25 
4,481,812.50 

#SurfText 
#SurfText 
#SurfText  
#SurfText  
#SurfText 

38 The classification is set out in Annex 1b 

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
MARS 
MODAPTO 
MODUL4R 
ONE4ALL 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
AGILEHAND 
HARTU 
MASTERLY 
SMARTHANDLE 

2022-TT-01-03 

Excellence in distributed control and modular manufacturing 

01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
2022-TT-01-04 

48 
31/12/2026 
36 
31/12/2025 
42 
30/06/2026 
31/12/2026 
48 
Intelligent work piece handling in a full production line 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

13 
13 
19 
10 

5,142,377.50 
5,491,685.00 
5,999,941.25 
5,999,206.25 

Obj-1 

#Mod 
#Mod 
#Mod 
#Mod 
Obj-1 

01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 

31/12/2025 
31/12/2025 
30/06/2026 
31/12/2025 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

36 
36 
42 
36 

22 
14 
16 
14 

5,986,186.00 
5,926,987.50 
5,683,670.00 
5,995,176.25 

#Robotics 
#Robotics  
#Robotics  
#Robotics  

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 2c – MiE projects / topics 2021-22 (digital focus) 

Project Call Id 
Acronym 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
AI-PRISM 
COGNIMAN 
CONVERGING 
Fluently 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
InShaPe 
METAMORPHA 
OPeraTIC 
OPTIMAL 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
AIDEAS 
Circular TwAIn 
s-X-AIPI 
2021-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
5G-TIMBER 
RE4DY 
Zero-SWARM 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
AI REDGIO 5.0 
AIRISE 
WASABI 
CIRCULOOS 

Topic Code 
Start Date 
2021-TT-01-01 

01/10/2022 
01/01/2023 
01/09/2022 
01/06/2022 
2021-TT-01-03 

01/06/2022 
01/09/2022 
01/10/2022 
01/10/2022 
2021-TT-01-07 

01/10/2022 
01/07/2022 
01/05/2022 
2021-TT-01-08 

01/06/2022 
01/06/2022 
01/06/2022 
2022-TT-01-06 

Topic description 
End Date 
AI enhanced robotics systems for smart manufacturing 

Type  Duration 

Partners 

EU funding [€] 

30/09/2025 
31/12/2026 
31/08/2026 
31/05/2025 
Laser-based technologies for green manufacturing 

36 
48 
48 
36 

26 
16 
16 
22 

IA 
IA 
IA 
IA 

9,335,578.88 
9,484,631.00 
8,093,945.49 
9,176,043.50 

36 
31/05/2025 
48 
31/08/2026 
42 
31/03/2026 
30/09/2026 
48 
Artificial Intelligence for sustainable, agile manufacturing 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

10 
11 
17 
9 

6,771,801.25 
6,494,296.00 
6,113,210.00 
5,616,875.00 

30/09/2025 
30/06/2025 
30/04/2025 
Data-driven Distributed Industrial Environments 

17 
21 
15 

36 
36 
36 

IA 
IA 
IA 

5,999,694.00 
5,937,356.00 
5,351,440.00 

31/05/2025 
31/05/2025 
30/11/2024 
ICT Innovation for Manufacturing Sustainability in SMEs (I4MS2) 

7,984,101.00 
7,991,699.00 
8,052,023.00 

36 
36 
30 

16 
32 
28 

IA 
IA 
IA 

MiE Objective 
Classification39 
Obj-1 

#Robotics, #AI 
#Robotics, #AI  
#Robotics, #AI  
#Robotics, #AI  
Obj-1,2 

#SurfText 
#SurfText  
#SurfText  
#SurfText 
Obj-1,2 

#AI, #MI 
#AI, #MI  
#AI, #MI  
Obj-1,2 

#DigitalPlatform, #Cloud 
#DigitalPlatform, #Cloud 
#DigitalPlatform, #Cloud 
Obj-1,4 

01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/09/2023 

31/12/2025 
30/06/2026 
31/12/2026 
28/02/2027 

IA 
IA 
IA 
IA 

36 
42 
48 
42 

43 
14 
18 
18 

7,462,614.00 
7,738,776.25 
7,639,750.75 
7,949,363.00 

#I4MS 
#I4MS  
#I4MS  
#I4MS  

39 The classification is set out in Annex 1b 

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2022-TWIN-
TRANSITION 
ALICIA 
AUTO-TWIN 
CIRC-UITS 
DaCapo 
DiCiM 

2022-TT-01-07 

Digital tools to support the engineering of a Circular Economy 

Obj-1,2 

01/01/2023 
01/12/2022 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 
01/01/2023 

31/12/2025 
30/11/2025 
31/12/2025 
30/06/2026 
31/12/2026 

RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 
RIA 

36 
36 
36 
42 
48 

12 
13 
21 
17 
12 

5,859,525.50 
5,999,986.25 
5,994,992.10 
5,994,489.25 
5,991,891.25 

#ReManu, #MI 
#ReManu, #MI 
#ReManu, #MI 
#ReManu, #MI 
#ReManu, #MI 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 3 – Industrial demonstrators in FoF / MiE projects 

A  partial  analysis  of  demonstrators  and  pilots  has  been  carried  out  in  48  FoF  and  MiE 
projects (roughly a fifth of the total portfolio at the time of writing), comprising a total of 172 
demonstrators, and representing EUR 332 million in EU funding. 

The unique participants were analysed to merge branches of companies into single entities, 
which  yielded  1,461  participants;  these  participants  were  separated  into  1,123  industrial 
and  338  non-industrial  partners;  and  the  top  200  industrial  partners  were  classified  into 
manufacturing  sectors  based  on  the  NACE  methodology  (statistical  classification  of 
economic activities in the European Community). 

The results are shown in the figures below. 

FoF participation and EU funding by industrial sector (companies only) 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  overall  industry  participation  is  around  50%.  This  includes  all  industrial  participants, 
such  as  ICT  partners,  sensor  and  instrument  developers,  R&D  consultancies,  and 
dissemination and exploitation partners. For a discussion of manufacturing sectors, one has 
to focus on the manufacturing partners, which are found mainly in the demonstrators. This 
is shown in the figures below.  

FoF/MiE manufacturing demonstrators participation and EU funding by industrial sector 

The  four  largest  sectors  by  prevalence  are  machinery,  automotive,  electronics  and 
aerospace.  Machinery  includes  all  kinds  of  manufacturing  or  development  of  machines.  It 
also includes cases that would not fit into another discrete manufacturing category, such as 
construction, waste recycling (WEEE) and food packaging, some very common applications 
of robotics/automation.  

The proportion of the EU funding dedicated to the demonstrators in those projects is around 
18%. This apparently low proportion can be explained by a number factors: First, industrial 
partners in innovation actions receive a contribution of only 70% of their costs (and in some 
cases 60% or 50%). Second, these demonstrators and the corresponding user partners are 
in  the  project  mainly  to  demonstrate  the  newly  developed  technologies,  and  get  more 
strongly  involved  in  the  final  stages  of  the  projects.  Third,  some  demonstrators  have  not 
received an EU contribution or have not involved industrial partners. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FoF/MiE manufacturing demonstrators per country 

The distribution of demonstrators per country in the figure above shows that almost half of 
the demonstrators are in only two countries (Spain and Italy); and only nine demonstrators 
are  in  EU-13  countries  (Slovenia,  Poland,  Slovakia,  Hungary,  Romania).  A  comparison  to 
the Eurostat industrial production in the EU (Germany 27%, Italy 16%, France 11%, Spain 
8%, Poland 6%) shows that Germany and France are underrepresented, possibly because 
of strong national funding. 

77 

 
 
 
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU

In person
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct centres. You can find the address of the 
centre nearest you online (european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en).

On the phone or in writing
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. 
You can contact this service: 

– by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 
– at the following standard number: +32 22999696,  
– via the following form: european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en.

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU

Online
Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa 
website (european-union.europa.eu).

EU Publications
You can view or order EU publications at op.europa.eu/en/publications.  
Multiple copies of free publications can be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local documentation 
centre (european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en).

EU law and related documents
For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1951 in all the official language 
versions, go to EUR-Lex (eur-lex.europa.eu).

EU open data
The portal data.europa.eu provides access to open datasets from the EU institutions, bodies and agencies. 
These can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. The portal 
also provides access to a wealth of datasets from European countries.

The  manufacturing  industry  plays  a  key  role  in  the  green  and  digital 
transitions and is a major employer in the Union. This report looks at the 
rich  portfolio  of  EU  projects  supporting  advanced  manufacturing,  mostly 
under the Factories of the Future and Made in Europe partnerships.

The  projects  are  developing  a  diverse  array  of  advanced  manufacturing 
technologies, integrating them in the service of the manufacturing industry 
of  the  future.  The  report  concludes  with  an  analysis  of  the  trends  in 
manufacturing industry and the stakeholders’ vision.

Future  needs  include  a  systematic  approach  to  circularity;  distributed 
manufacturing;  digitalisation  and  AI,  in  a  human-centred  manufacturing 
industry;  and  breakthrough  technologies.  Efforts  beyond  R&I  are  needed 
to  take  advantage  of  the  technologies,  including  crucially  the  need  to 
disseminate the technologies to companies, most importantly SMEs; and to 
foster the skilled workers that companies need to adopt the technologies.

Studies and reports