Testing and Experimentation Facility for Manufacturing
Summary
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Programme Name
Programme Description
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Call
Detailed Call Description
The manufacturing TEF will provide physical and virtual access to real-life manufacturing resources that can be used for testing and experimenting with AI solutions. Examples of such manufacturing resources are model factories that combine different technologies such as additive manufacturing, machine tools, intelligent conveyor systems, automated warehousing, trusted and secured access to data, IoT infrastructure and more, covering multiple industrial processes.
The manufacturing TEF will address the manufacturing sector’s needs for Industrial AI, taking into account domain-specific requirements in terms of time criticality, safety, security and effective interaction and collaboration between robots, AI solutions, and humans who are in control, as well as resource efficiency and environmental performance. The TEF site will offer support and best practices in AI solution implementation, testing and training of algorithms including: full integration, industrial validation and demonstration up to pilot manufacturing in dedicated assembly lines and production cells. The TEF needs to support testing and experimentation of main AI-related services, which cover areas of machine learning, robotics, planning and scheduling, optimisation, self-configuration, computer vision, formal methods, natural language processing, automated reasoning, game theory, multi-agent systems, complex systems, system verification, bioinformatics and others.
The manufacturing TEF will address the following key areas in an agile setup:
- Factory-level optimization (flexible production in high-throughput and high variety environments, rapid prototyping); testing and assessment of AI technology for autonomous decision making within the real world, i.e. interaction with and decision for humans and other machines; supporting e.g. to rearrange the manufacturing process dynamically (incl. choice of manufacturing techniques and logistics);
- Collaborative robotics (mobile, intelligent AI-powered robots enabling safe human-robot collaboration, also in teams; also in sectors like textiles, tourism or construction);
- Circular economy: minimise resource consumption, optimize supply chains in uncertain environments, use of substitute material, collection, sorting and treatment of products that have become waste (making available secondary raw materials and maximum extraction of value), reverse logistics, remanufacturing.
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
After grant signature, you will normally receive a prefinancing to start working on the project (float of normally 50% of the maximum grant amount; exceptionally less or no prefinancing). The prefinancing will be paid 30 days from entry into force/10 days before starting date/financial guarantee (if required) – whichever is the latest.
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries
- countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (Further details in the call document)
Programme Category
EU Competitive ProgrammesTotal Budget
€ 30,000,000,00Thematic Categories
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Large Enterprises
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Call Opening Date
22/02/2022Call Closing Date
17/05/2022National Contact Point(s)
Eleana Gabriel
Directorate of Research and Innovation
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
Telephone: +357 22 691918
Email: egabriel@dmrid.gov.cy
(Publish Date: 23/02/2022-for internal use only)
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