News – English

t2i SUPPORTS THE COMPANIES OF THE RIR IMPROVENET TO DEVELOP DIGITAL AND 4.0 TECHNOLOGIES IN A SUSTAINABLE OPTICS

Posted on March 30, 2022March 30, 2022 by wp_8524777

t2i – Technological Transfer and Innovation is a consortium that supports companies to make innovation a continuous process, helping the creation of innovative companies, supporting research and innovation projects in digital and 4.0 technologies.

Why joining IMPROVENET?

For t2i the collaboration between companies, universities and research organizations is the key to the competitiveness of the economic system in Veneto.

Collaborating in a network allows each one to focus on its strengths, and not to waste energy on activities that would have little added value, because perhaps they are not part of the core business. This is particularly true today, as products and processes become more and more complex, requiring more and more heterogeneous skills, which in many cases would not make sense to develop internally, since their use is concentrated only in specific moments of product or process development.

In addition, global competition “forces” us to market excellent products for the specific target audience we are addressing. For example, taking B2C as a reference, we can see how the vision of the “best product” in physical stores has changed, replaced by the global “best product”, which must stand up to comparison with all the products on sale online on a global scale (see Amazon).

Thus, it is no longer enough to develop skills, but the skills developed must be of the highest level, and companies can only be competitive if they collaborate together, focusing on what everyone is good at.

RIRs like IMPROVENET can play a very important role in fostering these collaborations, and the topic of Industry 4.0 is one of the main challenges where we need to adopt this paradigm.

For these reasons, t2i’s adhesion to the IMPROVENET network was natural.

What will the company realize during the VIR2EM Project?

t2i has a role that we can define as transversal in the VIR2EM project, providing the project with its experience in the following areas: usability and user experience; enhancement of intellectual property; analysis of business processes.

In particular, t2i participates in the realization of the task dedicated to the audit of the usability of the technologies developed, in particular AR and VR, for which there are not yet consolidated paradigms in terms of human-computer interaction, and the task dedicated to the analysis of patents and business impact of new technologies.

In fact, all new technologies must also be examined in terms of analysis of the reorganization of processes and human resources.

With which other RIR partners will the project be carried out?

The involvement of t2i is quite transversal, and collaborations are foreseen with all partners (in particular with regard to the Intellectual Property aspect).

Among these, the most directly involved partners are Zamperla, Electrolux, Uquido and XTeam, regarding tasks dedicated to the usability of the technologies developed.

How does the company see itself at the end of the project?

t2i has always been strongly committed to the theme of digital and 4.0 technologies, especially with a view to the sustainable development of new products and services.

t2i has already developed in the past many projects dedicated to this area, such as the Interreg SensorBIM project focused on the construction sector, or the Erasmus+ Edu4Future project, aimed at implementing the requirements of Industry 4.0 in the various European education and vocational training systems.

These projects are always aimed at testing innovative methodologies and services, with which t2i can then support companies.

VIR2EM allows to develop a further piece in this logic, in particular on the theme of virtualization of processes, systems and resources and remote operations.

Marco Galanti

Head of Research and Innovation Area of t2i

EUROPEAN INNOVATION COUNCIL EVENT

Posted on March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 by wp_8524777

The Politecnico di Torino organizes this event on April 4th, 2022 at 14.30 in English, to discuss and reflect on the opportunities offered by the important European program that aims to support cutting-edge technologies at the frontier of innovation, with the participation of Jean-David Malo, director of the EIC, Francesco Profumo, member of the Board of the EIC, Raffaele Liberali, advisor to the MUR and other national and international speakers.

The event will take place at the Sala Consiglio di Facoltà – Politecnico di Torino – corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 and Online.

It is addressed to: Universities, Research Centers, Enterprises, Start-ups, interested in accessing European funding in line with the EIC program.

Compulsory registration (specifying if you participate online or in presence) at the following link

For more info: europoli@polito.it and at this link

SHAPING EUROPEAN AI LEADERSHIP

Posted on March 9, 2022March 25, 2022 by wp_8524777

Artificial Intelligence represents a major technological challenge given its rapid development and numerous applications.

“Shaping European AI leadership” is the conference that will take place on March 10, 2022 focusing on reliable industrial AI applications, standardization and innovation.

During the meeting there will be an opportunity to exchange views with representatives of standardization bodies, public authorities and companies that will produce the future standard, and participate in the development of reliable AI.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, March 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

To participate in the event please follow this link.

XTEAM SOFTWARE PARTICIPATES TO THE VIR2EM PROJECT WITH AUGMENTED REALITY SOLUTIONS

Posted on February 22, 2022February 22, 2022 by wp_8524777

XTeam Software was founded in 1999 as a video game development company. The company has a long experience in game development to produce cutting-edge video games on a variety of platforms (desktop, mobile, XBox One, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4), game engines (Unity3D and Unreal) and technologies (VR, AR, holographic projection and AI).

XTeam Software has also dedicated several research and innovation activities in other fields, developing for example V/R systems in post stroke rehabilitation, specializing in Artificial Intelligence in neural networks since early 2000 and also developing gamification and user experience techniques in the industrial field. This commitment for research and innovation projects has led the company to participate in 8 Horizon2020 projects, collaborating with research centers and universities of excellence both in Italy and abroad.

Why joining the RIR Improvenet?

XTeam Software started to collaborate with Zamperla before Improvenet and therefore there was the will to join the RIR to develop a joint research project. Currently, the two companies are collaborating together within the VIR2EM project to develop an augmented reality system capable of displaying data collected by Zamperla’s machines in real time and remotely, with the possibility of immediate intervention and interaction between different operators located in different places.

How does the company see itself in the future?

The Research XTeam Software is already participating, thanks to VIR2EM, to two Horizon Europe consortia on extended reality and with Zamperla they think to realize a commercial product able to transmit data in real time.

The idea is to create solutions that are closer to Industry 5.0, able to exploit the data collected to achieve greater energy savings, to implement predictive maintenance and improve efficiency not only in terms of working time, but also machine time. Also, from the circular economy point of view, they want to create solutions able to save the use of materials, optimize the work of machinery in relation to the energy spent, apply artificial intelligence to help machines become smarter.

Stefano Tamascelli is a senior developer, with twenty years of experience in the development of innovative projects funded by the European program Horizon 2020, mainly in research and development of artificial intelligence algorithms.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AI IN WORK, INNOVATION, PRODUCTIVITY AND SKILLS

Posted on February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 by wp_8524777

The International Conference on AI in Work, Innovation, Productivity and Skills, organized by the OECD, will be held February 21-25, 2022 to promote a multidisciplinary, evidence-based policy debate to drive AI adoption in the world of work that is reliable, responsible, effective, beneficial and human-centered.

The AI-WIPS project will also be presented at the conference: opportunities and risks of different types of AI systems, characteristics of AI adopters and impact on productivity, and skills needed to adapt to the rapidly changing world of work.

For more information click here.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FROM EUROPE FOR THE INNOVATION FACTORY

Posted on February 10, 2022February 10, 2022 by wp_8524777

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Digital) has launched the “Innovation Factory 2022” programme to support pan-European business teams from educational, research and commercial organisations, to launch or empower DeepTech digital enterprises. Proposals must demonstrate how the EIT’s digital ecosystem supports business growth.

The areas of interest, defined by the EIT Digital Strategic Innovation Agenda 2022-2024, are five and the organizations that will submit the proposals must be part of or become partners of EIT Digital:

• Digital Tech

• Digital industry

• Digital cities

• Digital well-being

• Digital Finance.

Proposals may be submitted at any time with the following deadlines:

• 1 March 2022

• 1 June 2022

• 15 November 2022

The maximum amount for the business plan that will last 6 months is 250,000 euros, of which 50% should be allocated to the enterprise. The co-financing required from the partners of the activity must cover at least 60%.

Click here to have more info.

ELECTROLUX: GENESI THE NEW FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

Posted on January 26, 2022January 27, 2022 by wp_8524777

Electrolux Italia S.p.A. is part of the Electrolux Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of household appliances with more than 48 thousand employees and sales of 60 million products in 120 countries. It has its headquarters in Porcia (PN), where the main management and administrative functions are located, as well as some important research centres that operate globally for the entire Group.

For the purposes of the IMPROVENET, Electrolux Italia operates with the headquarters in Susegana (TV), where it operates an important production site for the production of refrigerators and freezers, in addition to the presence of several mixed research groups that develop technologies and products in the service of food storage.

Why did the company join the IMPROVENET Network?

Electrolux has been a member of IMPROVENET since its foundation, thanks to the historic collaboration with the University of Padua on various research topics, including those dealt with by the Network. The company is historically very rooted in the Veneto region and has already shown to believe in its scientific network and its business excellence.

The initiatives of the Network give in fact the possibility to the management of Electrolux, to extend own technological network and to come in contact with potential new partner, often little known regarding the traditional suppliers. However, they show that they possess high technical knowledge able to integrate and support, with their innovative ideas, the specificities of business projects that concern the Digital and Smart Manufacturing.

In addition, the closeness, even physical, with these partners is often valuable and was even more so during the most critical period of the pandemic because it has also allowed to continue to operate in synergy and safety in the various projects

What will the company achieve during the VIR2EM Project?

At the end of 2021, in Susegana, Electrolux inaugurated a new factory for the production of built-in refrigerators for the Premium market, called Genesi, with an investment of over 130 million euros. Within the Electrolux Group, Genesi is by far the most automated factory in the world, with 116 robots installed and an automation level of 49.

The production lines have been developed with the most modern logic of Industry 4.0, where evolved automation, digitalization and innovation merge. However, some areas and plants of the new factory can benefit from further technological developments thanks to the availability of increasingly advanced digital tools and millions of data that every day come from automation and production systems.

In the VIR2EM project, in particular, the project team is working on two precise directions, namely the development and use of tools based on Mixed Reality (MR) to make more smart, precise and digitalized the activities of operators dedicated to the quality control of new refrigerators as well as the application of Artificial Intelligence solutions and techniques for more efficient diagnostic and prognostic control even remotely.

With which other RIR partners will the VIR2EM project be carried out?

Uqido for the development and application part of solutions based on MR concepts and tools, but also for the use of machine learning techniques related to the functional verification process of refrigerators.

M3E for the part of anomaly detection and condition-based monitoring of the foaming process

University of Padua, as general support in the technological aspects and supervision of activities.

How do you see the company at the end of the project?

The VIR2EM project is part of the company’s roadmap that aims to accelerate digital transformation in the Group’s Italian factories and in particular in that of Susegana, already well developed with the Genesis project.

The intention is to get in touch and continuously adopt new technical solutions to increase the quality of control and verification of their products and processes.

This approach will make possible the prevention of possible anomalies and defects in real time, obtaining the concept of “Zero defect” and offering the market reliable products and qualitatively meeting its best expectations.

Enrico Bincoletto

Manufacturing Quality Manager Food Preservation Europe

FIRST CALL FOR INNOVATION FOR MANUFACTURING FROM THE CLUSTER “INTELLIGENT FACTORIES” AND SKIPSOLABS

Posted on January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 by wp_8524777

The Cluster “Intelligent Factories” and Skipsolabs launch the Call for Innovation to identify startups with which to start new strategic partnerships. The Call is open to Italian start-ups and SMEs that develop solutions based on sustainable and original business models in line with the strategy of CFI and its associates.

The Goal

To give the opportunity to all members of the Cluster to get in touch with the innovation ecosystem to forge partnerships and foster high-tech Proof of Concepts (Pocs) collaborations and developments.

Call manufacturing Cluster Intelligent Factories

Themes of development

Projects should cover the following areas:

• Improvement of interaction between systems and operators, in the new perspective of Human Centrality;

• Sustainability of manufacturing processes, to propose a more sustainable factory of the future through the implementation of new technologies;

• Evolution of supply chain cooperation, through the cooperation between different sectors and the introduction of digital technologies to share data.

Each startup will be evaluated for the match-making phase and the most relevant ones for at least one of the companies or partners of the Cluster will be put directly in contact with the company.

Applications must be received by January 30th.

Click here for more info.

CALL TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CARRIED OUT BY CLUSTERS OF COMPANIES

Posted on January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 by wp_8524777

The Call finances industrial research and experimental development projects implemented by Clusters of companies in synergy with research bodies, in line with the thematic areas and development trajectories of the Regional Intelligent Specialisation Strategy (RIS3 Veneto).

Call for innovative and collaborative projects

Who can participate?

Following the Regional Law no. 13 of 30 May 2014, the Clusters of Companies consists of at least 3 enterprises. In addition, the participation of at least one research organisation is required.

Which projects can be submitted?

The projects must also be in line with the Regional Intelligent Specialisation Strategy (RIS3 Veneto), therefore oriented on the development trajectories provided by the four areas of specialization: Smart Agrifood, Sustainable Living, Smart Manufacturing and Creative Industries.

How much funding is possible to achieve?

The global funding is € 10,000,000 relating to the resources of the Development and Cohesion Fund (FSC), referred to in the CIPE Resolution (now CIPESS) n. 39/2020, and available as a result of the Agreement between the Veneto Region and the Minister for South and Territorial Cohesion of July 2020.

The funding will be granted in the form of a non-repayable grant to the Venetian companies grouped together and the research organisations participating in the project. The intensity of support varies according to the size and nature of the participant:

– 40% to Smes and research organisations;

– 20% to large companies.

The projects will have to be placed in a range of eligible expenditure ranging from € 150,000.00 to € 700,000.00, under which the expenditure falling into the following categories will be eligible for funding: “IPR and patents”, “Tools and equipment”, “Specialised consultancy and external scientific services”, “Staff”, “Expenditure on prototypes”, “Additional overheads and other operating costs”, “Expenditure on guarantees and the establishment of the Cluster”.

When can applications be submitted?

Applications may be submitted from 25 January 2022 and until 17.00 on 28 February 2022, through the Unified Information System of Unitary Programming (SIU) of the Region, whose dedicated page can be reached at the following link: http://www.regione.veneto.it/web/programmi-comunitari/siu

From the same page it is also possible to access the accreditation form for the request of the access credentials to the System.

See the Announcement page at this link

UNIVE HELPS COMPANIES OF THE RIR IMPROVENET TO DESIGN NEW SOLUTIONS

Posted on December 21, 2021January 3, 2022 by wp_8524777

The researchers of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (DAIS) of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice are involved in the Project VIR2EM, thanks to their experience in issues related to the collection, management and processing of data, tools for designing and verifying complex systems and cybersecurity issues.

Why did Ca’Foscari University join the Improvenet Network?

Being part of the RIR IMPROVENET is a consequence of the will of the University, and of the DAIS department specifically, to strengthen applied research activities in the field of industry 4.0, with particular attention to the digitization of production systems and to the problems of security and reliability of systems.

IMPROVENET is an ideal environment to get in touch with companies interested in developing projects with a high innovation content, taking advantage of new knowledge acquired at university level and providing new incentives for academic research. This is combined with the possibility of connecting our students (in particular those enrolled in Master’s degrees and Phd in ICT) with entrepreneurial realities engaged in the forefront of innovation projects.

The objective is therefore to strengthen the collaboration between research groups of Ca’ Foscari and the research and development units of the partner companies, in order to carry out joint projects with positive effects on both sides, academic and entrepreneurial.

What will the University accomplish during the VIR2EM Project?

The activity, conducted by Ca’ Foscari within the project VIR2EM, develops along two parallel lines of research, resulting also in two prototypes:

– the development of a cyber-security assessment tool specifically for ICS (Industrial Control Systems), which refers to the main industry standards (in particular ISO 62443) and recognised best practices.

– the development of organisational tools to support virtualization and process monitoring in particular:

the analysis of the reorganization, from the point of view of human resources management and processes, needed by the introduction of the remote activity and its impact on the organizational plan
the analysis of the impact of new technologies on the business, in terms of best practices, requirements and performance indicators (KPIs), also in view of the development of new business models
the creation of a data collection and a platform for the analysis of the impact of remote technologies on business models

In detail, these results will be achieved both through the analysis of relevant scientific literature, through working groups within the scientific departments, and through interviews with the companies involved, in order to understand the current impact on local companies and in the process of adopting remote technologies.

The platform for the collection and synthesis of data will be realized with the collaboration of some partner companies that will then contribute to its population.

With which other RIR partners will the project be carried out?

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice is collaborating with several project partners, in particular: Beantech, SIPA, T2I, Uqido, Zamperla, Xteam, Galdi and Qascom, in order to achieve the intended project goals.

How do you see the University at the end of the project?

At the end of the project, it is estimated that the knowledge of researchers involved in the impact of remote activity and virtualization on business models will be increased, also through comparison with the problems that arise from case studies offered by partner companies. In particular, the results obtained may be translated into a more general methodology also applicable to companies outside the project, both partners of the RIR and in general belonging to the University’s territory. The applicability of the methodology will also be facilitated by the prototyping platform.

Agostino Cortesi is a full professor of Computer Science at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. His main research interests concern software engineering and in particular static analysis techniques for verifying the reliability and security of software systems. He has published more than 150 articles in international journals and international conference proceedings. He currently coordinates the Phd in Computer Science and is responsible for the working group of Ca’ Foscari for the project VIR2EM.