On 1 April 2021, DIH² will launch the second Open Call to find 15 new Technology Transfer Experiments in the field of agile robotics.
Open Call for up to €248,000 in equity-free funding
The DIH² project actively supports innovative solutions and fresh ideas that enhance manufacturing in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through the use of robotics. Throughout the last year, DIH² has already funded 11 qualifying Transfer Technology Experiments. This year, a new process to find 15 additional consortia of at least one SME and one Technology Solution Provider will launch on 1 April 2021.
What does it take to qualify?
The Open Call funding process is open to Manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and slightly bigger companies with up to 500 employees and a maximum of €100 million in turnover. In addition to that, systems integrator and technology providers specialised in technology transfer or integration to end-users (this includes research and technology organisations, competence centres, Mid-Caps or start-ups) are also eligible. Initially, SMEs and Technology Solution Providers are invited to apply individually. After a selection process, they form a consortium consisting of at least one SME and one Technology Solution Provider and then apply for funding of a project that could advance the use of robotics in manufacturing.
DIH² has already funded 11 successful Open Call consortia in 2020
The first 11 winners were drawn from a range of sectors including food processing, clothing manufacturing, electronics, medical devices, and stone processing. A short case on each appears below and provides a good idea of what it takes to qualify.
Each of the following consortia showed that they offer the right robotic solution when it comes to innovation in SME manufacturing and they will each receive up to €248,000 in equity-free funding. Discover what made them successful.
HWFlexCell – High Flexible Welding Cell consortia consisted of Lithuanian technology providers from Factobotics and will be tested at LT Technologies. Read more about this project here.
About DIH²: DIH² is a network of 26 European Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs). Our objective is to grow this network to over 170 DIHs by 2022. Led by Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy, the network has a total of 37 European partners.
The ultimate goal of DIH² is to establish a sustainable network of robotics DIHs, endowed with tools and procedures, to facilitate the commercialisation and broad uptake of Agile Production by manufacturing SMEs/Mid-Caps. DIH² offers a number of benefits:
• A Common Open Platform Reference Architecture for Agile Production which can be instantiated to serve the needs of any Manufacturing SME by means of selecting and integrating a set of Robotic-based Open Standard Enablers [ROSE-AP].
• A Technology Transfer Program bringing support to the best-in-class Technology Transfer Experiments.
• A marketplace as one-stop-shop for SMEs with access to premier-class technical and non-technical services. A Corporate Sponsorship Program to support DIHs in liaising with component and robot suppliers, and system integrators.
Lithuanian Robotics Association (LRA) is a coordinator of a Digital Innovation Hub and a core partner of the DIH² consortium. LRA seeks to become a “one-stop-shop” for everything robotics-related in Lithuania and is building an ecosystem around major robotic solution providers and competence centres in Lithuania.
