Corina Pacher

Graz University of Technology | TU Graz · Life Long Learning

Over the last ten years many efforts have been made to transfer Industry 4.0 from research to practice. Recently, great progress has been made to introduce also SMEs to the use of Industry 4.0. The next big challenge for SMEs will be to implement the dual (or twin) transformation in sense of a digital transformation towards more intelligent manufacturing, while tackling and accelerating the sustainability transformation to enhance economically, socially and environmentally sustainable processes, factories and value chains. In this project we aim to take SMEs to this next level by developing a Strategic Roadmap for making them not only intelligent but also sustainable, resilient and human-centric. This next level of SMEs will be data and intelligence-driven, thus using available data to acquire new knowledge and to apply it for optimization purposes using artificial intelligence in a secure way. Further, a great attention is paid to how manufacturing and value chains in SMEs can become more circular, green and resilient by considering ethical, human and societal values for more socio-centred factories. In this next level of SME 5.0 factories the human will play a much more important, albeit changing, role. Besides identifying emerging future work profiles and competencies of SME employees, we will develop guidelines for rendering SME workplaces in industry more inclusive and diverse and for empowering them for increased wellbeing and attractiveness of SME jobs. The main outcome of the project is to develop and propose a Strategic Guideline and Roadmap that will facilitate SMEs in Europe and worldwide to achieve the above mentioned goals. To expand the impact and exploitation an SME 5.0 Stakeholder & Training Network will be build. The applicability of the results and guidelines is ensured through a close collaboration with non-academic partners, SMEs in the partner network and the aim to validate the results through demonstrators and case study research.

GREENOVET is an international Project, comprising 18 European Partners (from Austria, Finland, North Macedonia and Portugal), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The Project fosters the development of Vocational Education and Training (VET) Excellence in Green Innovation across Europe and through the establishment of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) that will enable an innovative, inclusive and sustainable economy.

Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution and technological evolution from embedded systems to cyber-physical systems (CPS) in production. The main objectives of Industry 4.0 can be summarized as the introduction of intelligent systems in production and logistics, the development of highly adaptable and modular manufacturing and logistics systems, the integration of sustainable and advanced manufacturing technologies as well as the promotion of automation technology and human-machine interaction. In the context of Industry 4.0 new ICT and web technologies act as booster or enabler of smart, autonomous and self-learning factories facing the challenges of even more individualized and customized product portfolio. A great challenge for the future lies in the transfer of Industry 4.0 expertise and technologies in small and medium sized enterprises (SME). SMEs represent the backbone of the economy and have an enormous importance in the development programs of the European Union for strengthening the competitiveness of European enterprises. Although the high potential of Industry 4.0 in SMEs, the main limit lies in a lack of concrete models for its implementation and application in small and medium enterprises. Thus, this research project titled “Industry 4.0 for SMEs - Smart Manufacturing and Logistics for SMEs in an X-to-order and Mass Customization Environment” aims to close and overcome this gap through the creation of an international and interdisciplinary research network. Identifying the needs and enablers for a smart and intelligent SMEFactory, creating adapted concepts and design solutions for production and logistics systems in SMEs and developing suitable organisation and business models will be the three main objectives of this research network. The applicability of the results is ensured through a close collaboration with a European small and medium sized enterprise (non-academic partner) from mass customization industry.