Since mid-August BIFOCAlps partners have worked on work package 2 activities, which aim to build a preliminary methodology for stimulating synergies among actors along manufacturing value chain.
Identification of good practices in manufacturing sector
For that purpose, each partner has identified, reached and interviewed various actors of its regional ecosystem (companies, universities, research centers, policy makers…) in order to define best practices and gain better knowledge on successful and sustainable implementation of 4.0 technologies towards Factory of the Future (FoF) paradigm. In total, 96 organizations were interviewed in the BIFOCAlps regional space (Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, and France).
Starting from these 96 case studies, Grenoble INP and ViaMeca have identified a set of 5 Critical Success Factors (CSF) which enable successful and sustainable implementation of practices towards FoF paradigm: strategy, technologies, innovation capacity, ecosystems support for innovation, and skills and change management. Guidelines have also been defined with examples from the interviews in order to spread, transfer and apply these best practices.
Pilot testing of innovation processes and evaluation in dedicated workshops
WP2 results (CSF and guidelines) have been shared, discussed and enriched with the target groups through two dedicated regional workshops. The integration of these discussions will allow to draft the preliminary methodology for innovation and knowledge transfer towards FoF.
BIFOCAlps second intermediate conference and PSG meeting
Finally, the second BIFOCAlps intermediate conference as well as a PSG meeting have been held in Munich on November 15th and 16th. The overall topic of the intermediate conference on November 15th was « How to Become a Factory of the Future » and addressed questions such as "How can a company best deal with the constant development of new technologies and which difficulties do companies have to face in the process?" and "Which technologies are promising and sustainable and which one are not?". On November 16th, the BIFOCAlps partners met in order to discuss about the project’s advancement and the forthcoming 2018 activities.