The RIS Industry 4.0 Hubs (RIS I40H) Project is supported by EIT Manufacturing within the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme. This project has received funding from the European Union’s EIT Manufacturing programme, and provided also support to the industrial beneficiaries via an Open Call issued and executed under project RIS Industry 4.0 Hubs.

EIT Manufacturing is Europe’s leading manufacturing community, one of the newest (established in 2019) of eight innovation communities belonging to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The communities are public-private partnerships, partly financed by the European Union and partly financed by their partners, who include some of Europe’s leading enterprises and research organisations. 

The Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) is the EIT Community’s outreach scheme that helps boost innovation capacity in European countries that are considered ‘modest and moderate’ innovators. The RIS scheme enables the transfer of good practices and know-how from EIT’s unique approach to boosting innovation.

The project provides assistance to manufacturing SMEs and start-ups in their digital transformation in the post-crisis transition and in their engagement in networks for digitalised manufacturing as supply-chain partners. The aim is also to contribute to the development of local ecosystems in RIS countries, namely in PL, CZ, LT, SL, EE & GR.

The project aims to encourage SMEs to take advantage of digitalised technologies, develop technologies and improve their skills and competencies.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU body created by the European Union in 2008 to strengthen Europe’s ability to innovate. The EIT is an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.  

Innovation seminar

Activities

Seminars will be organised in six RIS countries and target the local SMEs. This will ensure an interactive format with hands-on presentations of state of the art solutions.
Individual coaching and expert consultations will be provided for selected companies. As a result, digitalization plans and mini-grants will be provided for the selected companies.

The project will help RIS participants to overcome challenges related to the post-crisis transition (economic slowdown caused by COVID-19). The project will increase the participant’s cooperation with existing high-technology infrastructures managed by the partners from RIS countries engaged in the project.

Expected outcomes and impacts for the economy and society

  • New business models supported by mini-grants
  • Digitalization plans delivered under the activity
  • Improving effectiveness through the development and implementation of new or improved processes by SMEs and start-ups based on Industry 4.0 technologies
  • Affecting the innovative capacity of EIT RIS countries in post-crisis transition by activities integrating the Knowledge Triangle
  • Distribution of novel methodology for developing, demonstrating and enhancing new innovative solutions based on Industry 4.0 technologies
  • Supporting SMEs and start-ups from EIT RIS countries to build capacity and improve skills and competences