RIM Plus - Advanced Manufacturing Case Studies - Thematic Paper

2 October 2015
Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Thematic Paper 2 – Advanced Manufacturing Case Studies
To the European Commission
DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Directorate F – Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing
www.technopolis-group.com
Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015
Advanced Manufacturing Case Studies
Jacek Walendowski Dr. Henning Kroll

Dr. Andrea Zenker
Dr. Mirja Meyborg
Disclaimer
This project has been commissioned by DG Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs
© European Communities, 2015.
The contents and views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the
opinions or policies of the Regions, Member States or the European Commission.
Copyright of the document belongs to the European Commission. Neither the
European Commission, nor any person acting on its behalf, may be held responsible
for the use to which information contained in this document may be put, or for any
errors which, despite careful preparation and checking, may appear.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. RIM Plus Survey 2

2.1 Overview of responses and geographical coverage 2
2.2 Relevant areas and challenges 2
2.3 Differentiation of findings by type of regions 3
2.4 Summary assessment 4
3. Industry 4.0 and Smart Systems 6
3.1 National Industry 4.0 initiative of the German Federal Government 6
4. Advanced materials 15
4.1 Cluster of Excellence MERGE - Merge Technologies for Multifunctional
Lightweight Structures, Chemnitz University of Technology, Saxony (DE) 15
4.2 Aerospace Technology District, Puglia (IT) 19
5. Production related biotechnology 25
5.1 Chemelot and Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Limburg (NL) 25
5.2 CHEM-STER Cluster of Specialized Chemistry, Opole (PL) 33
6. De- and re-manufacturing 38
6.1 Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, Lombardy (IT) 38
7. Printed Electronics 43
7.1 Printed Electronics Arena, Östergötland (SE) 43
8. Developing Skills for Advanced Manufacturing 51
8.1 Polymer Technology Centre, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Upper Austria 51
8.2 Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy, Pays de la Loire (FR) 58
9. Conclusions 64
Appendix A List of Interviews 65
Table of Figures
Figure 1 RIM Plus Survey Results .................................................................................... 3
Figure 2 RIM Plus Survey Results Differentiated by Member States ............................. 5
Figure 3 Industry 4.0 Platform, Germany ....................................................................... 9
Figure 4 Cluster of Excellence MERGE – System of Demonstrators ............................. 17
Figure 5 Alenia Aermacchi, Grottaglie ........................................................................... 20
Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 i

Figure 6 Key Information About the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Chemelot
Industrial Park ................................................................................................................ 26
Figure 7 Chemelot Community ...................................................................................... 28
Figure 8 CHEM-STER Cluster Structure and Organisation ......................................... 34
Figure 9 Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, Lombardy ...................... 38
Figure 10 Figure Mechanical Pre-Treatment Facility, Lombardy ................................. 40
Figure 11 Printed Electronics Products and Prototypes ................................................ 49
Figure 12 Development of First-Year Students, 2009-14, the JKU Linz ...................... 52
Figure 13 New Academic Programme, the JKU Linz .................................................... 54
Figure 14 Interdisciplinarity and Synergy Effects, the JKU Linz .................................. 56
Figure 15 Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy ................................................ 59
Figure 16 Technology Platforms in Pays de la Loire ...................................................... 61
ii Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

1. Introduction
Building upon the findings of quantitative analysis presented in the first thematic
paper1, which resulted in mapping out advanced manufacturing networks across the
EU and a preliminary identification of areas that could lend to be the focus areas of the
Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015-2016 activities, this second thematic paper
will provide more qualitative assessment of the selected regional initiatives and
actions implemented at the regional level in the main areas related to Advanced
Manufacturing, each with a clearly defined thematic focus.
This thematic paper has been jointly prepared by core team members from
Technopolis Group and Fraunhofer ISI on the basis of interviews carried out during
the period from May until July 2015. It has served as an input to structure the debate
and prepare the second RIM Plus workshop, which took place on 8 July 2015 in
Brussels. Its main objective was to further focus the thematic discussions on various
fields of advanced manufacturing with the view to define the exact thematic focus of
new RIM Plus. The workshop has brought together practitioners from various regions
and provided an opportunity to exchange views and liaise with potential co-operation
partners.
In a first chapter, the thematic paper will present the results of a brief survey that was
conducted among the regional authorities and relevant stakeholders. Our findings
illustrate which topics under the broad heading of Advanced Manufacturing are
considered most important by regional stakeholders at the moment and document in
which fields political and support activities would be deemed helpful in the future.
Beyond a mere ranking of the thematic domains, the survey explored in which general
areas, e.g. science-industry collaboration or education and training, future support
measures could prove most effective.
Having established that general framework, the report’s following chapters will in
more detail present individual regional initiatives and actions implemented at the
regional level in different fields of Advanced Manufacturing that give the reader a
concrete understanding of how a transformation of regional manufacturing can be
achieved, new industries be nurtured on their way to the market and, thus, a
difference be made for the local economy.
Overall, a series of concrete examples will be elaborated in detail on the basis of a case
study approach from the fields of ‘industry 4.0 and smart systems’2, ‘advanced
materials’, the ‘production related biotechnology’, ‘de- and re-manufacturing’, ‘printed
electronics’, as well as more generally the development of skills for Advanced
Manufacturing”
Intentionally, the thematic paper thus follows a broad-based approach that
encompasses as many fields and potential approaches to Advanced Manufacturing as
possible, from lead topics such as industry 4.0 or sustainable manufacturing to more
specific new technologies and products which are currently entering the market, like
de- and re-manufacturing or printed electronics. It is also important to note that the
area of skills for Advanced Manufacturing is considered prominently under an own
sub-heading as it was mentioned as central in next to any interview that we conducted.
1 See: RIM Plus Thematic Paper 1 “Mapping advanced manufacturing networks and exploring new business
opportunities”.
2 ‘Industry 4.0’ is a commonly used, collective term for novel technologies and concepts of value chain
organisation. It conceives a fourth industrial revolution through smart factories, based on cyber-
physical systems, the Internet of Things and the Internet of Services. In smart factories, cyber-physical
systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copies of them and make decentralised decisions.
Over the Internet of Things, they communicate with each other and humans in real time. Via the Internet
of Services, internal and cross-organisational services are offered and utilised along the value chain.
(Kagermann, H., W. Wahlster and J. Helbig, eds., 2013: Recommendations for implementing the strategic
initiative Industrie 4.0: Final report of the Industrie 4.0 Working Group.)
Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 1

2. RIM Plus Survey
2.1 Overview of responses and geographical coverage
To better understand the relevance of specific areas of Advanced Manufacturing in
European regions, the RIM Plus conducted a short survey among the regional and
local policy makers and practitioners and the general public using the online RIM Plus
platform.
The survey was offered both upon invitation (for the two former groups) and
accessible through an open link on the RIM Plus website between early June and mid
July 2015. On average, 65 respondents gave relevant answers with slight variations
between the individual questions. Predominantly, the survey was answered by those
who were directly invited and confirmed relevant expertise.
In detail, 17 answers were provided from Central Europe, 17 from Southern Europe, 16
from Eastern Europe, eight from Northern Europe and seven from the British Isles.
Likewise, there was a close to balanced representation between former Convergence
(28) and former Competitiveness and Employment Regions (25).
Hence, the geographical coverage in terms of Member States and economic
backgrounds can be considered representative and reached beyond the standard
regions usually considered in the context of Advanced Manufacturing. Nonetheless,
there was a clear positive selection in the sense that 84% of all respondents stated that
manufacturing was very important locally, 82% reported positive developments with
respect to turnover and still 68% with respect to employment. Thus, the survey’s
results reflect assessments of those regions, in which manufacturing plays a dynamic
role.
Notably, however, this positive assessment is not only shared by internationally
leading manufacturing hubs as only 6% of the respondents consider regional
capacities globally leading and a further 47% above EU28 average. At the same time,
34% of the respondents reported below EU28 average capabilities and 13% even
considered them substantially lagging.
2.2 Relevant areas and challenges

As Figure 1 illustrates, the most commonly mentioned areas of regional strength (or
current relevance) among all field of Advanced Manufacturing remain industry 4.0
and smart systems, followed by new materials and nanotechnology, industrial
biotechnology, photonics/3-D printing as well as lightweight design/polymer
technology. Other, more specialist, aspects such as wood derived materials, printed
electronics or de-manufacturing are apparently of less direct relevance to many
European regions.
When asked in which areas additional policy or consulting support will be needed in
the future, most respondents replied in a similar manner, resulting in a next to
identical ranking. The sole exception is that photonics/3-D printing was mentioned
somewhat more often as an area in need of political or other support than it was as an
area of existing strength – potentially reflecting the pre-competitive nature of that
area when compared to e.g. industrial biotechnology.
With a view to the most important and pressing challenges, most respondents
mentioned a need for better collaboration between science and industry, the skills
dimension within advanced manufacturing and the need to defend Europe’s leading
position and world-class capacities.
When asked in which areas the regions saw the most pressing needs for policy and
other support, the number one preoccupation was the availability of skills for
Advanced Manufacturing followed by an improvement of science industry
collaboration. Developing factories of the future and building capacities were
somewhat less commonly mentioned.
2 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Figure 1 RIM Plus Survey Results
Areas of Regional Strength or Relevance
Industry 4.0 and Smart systems
New materials and nanotechnology
Production related biotechnology
Photonics, Laser and 3-‐D Printing
Lightweight design and Polymer technology
Wood derived materials
Printed electronics, smart fabrics and textiles
other
De-‐manufacturing
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Most Important Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing
Improve collaboration between science and

industry
Create suitable skills for advanced
manufacturing
Maintain and expand world-‐class capacities
Upgrade regional firms technological

capacities to EU28 standards
Integrate multinational subsidiaries with
regional economy
Avoid a relocation of value chains outside of
the region
Prevent job losses due to increased
automation
other
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Most Pressing Need for Policy (and other) Support
Developing skills for advanced manufacturing

industry
Accompanying actions for companies in
transition towards factories of the future
Upgrade regional firms technological
capacities to EU28 standards
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Source: Own survey.
2.3 Differentiation of findings by type of regions

As outlined at the beginning of this section, the survey covers regions that attach
positive expectations to the development of their local industrial sector but can differ
strongly with respect to the economic and governance-related framework conditions

that they are facing otherwise. Hence, a differentiated analysis of the identified
priorities appears relevant.
Somewhat surprisingly, the overall emphasis placed on different areas does not differ
substantially. Former Regional Competitiveness and Employment (RCE) regions tend
to be more interested in photonics/3-D printing, industrial biotechnology and de-
manufacturing, while former Convergence regions tend to display a greater interest in
material technologies and nanotechnology as well as wood derived materials. Overall,
however, these differences are fairly limited in a range of +/- 5 percentage points and
the absolute numbers for at least de-manufacturing and wood derived materials may
be too low to confirm it with certainty.
Likewise, the different topics’ relevance as such is not perceived too differently across
various Member State groups. However, some of the ‘hot topics’ like industry 4.0 and
smart systems, photonics/3-D printing or lightweight design/polymers see a clear
gradient of importance between Central & Northern and Southern & Eastern Europe.
For new materials and nanotechnology, production related biotechnology or printed
electronics the differentiation is less clear. In general, differences are a bit larger in
terms of percentage point which, however, may be due to the lower absolute numbers
in the individual Member State groups.
More importantly, however, challenges are perceived differently according to a
region’s specific starting conditions (cf. Figure 2). As to be expected, less developed
regions place a greater emphasis on upgrading while more developed regions place a
greater emphasis on maintaining world-class capacities. As such this finding is not
surprising and was predicted based on the last thematic paper’s analysis. More
importantly, however, the survey illustrates that collaboration between science and
industry and the availability of suitable skills are not only important for the leading
regions, but even more so for those trying to catch up. Even if respective approaches
will have to differ, this is an important policy message.
A more detailed analysis by Member State group reveals that – as a tendency – lagging
regions in Southern and Eastern Europe see a particular need to improve the
collaboration between science and industry which appears to be less obvious in
Central and Northern Europe. With regard to skills for Advanced Manufacturing,
there is a similar picture only that this time regions from the UK join the group of
those feeling that urgent action is needed. Furthermore, the results illustrate that
comparatively few regions in Southern Europe (~40%) and, more so, Eastern Europe
(~20%) feel that they dispose of world-class capacities and consider efforts to defend
those as crucial. To the contrary, upgrading is the core theme in these countries
(~50%/~70%) while it is rather irrelevant in Central and Northern Europe (below
10%). Interestingly, however, many UK regions see a pressing need for upgrading as
well (~55%). Finally, the integration of multinational companies in the regional
economy and any localised development process with a view to advanced
manufacturing appears to be crucial for UK, Eastern European and in part Northern
European regions while most Central European regions do not face such challenges –
as they are home to the multinationals’ headquarters themselves.
2.4 Summary assessment

In summary, the survey underlined industry 4.0 and advanced materials as the two
main topics in the field of Advanced Manufacturing that are considered as areas of
concern and opportunity in many European regions. Also, it underlines the crucial
importance of improved science-industry collaboration and the development of
appropriate skills for advanced manufacturing. Finally, it once more highlights that
different types of regions face different challenges requiring not only differently
oriented actions, but also adapted actions to the same overall end (e.g. skills).

Figure 2 RIM Plus Survey Results Differentiated by Member States
Most Important Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing (by 07-13 Support Category)

industry
Create suitable skills for advanced manufacturing

Upgrade regional firms technological capacities to
EU28 standards
Integrate multinational subsidiaries with regional
economy
Avoid a relocation of value chains outside of the
region
Prevent job losses due to increased automation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Convergence Regional Comp Employ
Most Important Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing (by Member State Group)

industry
Create suitable skills for advanced manufacturing
Upgrade regional firms technological capacities to

EU28 standards
Integrate multinational subsidiaries with regional
economy
Avoid a relocation of value chains outside of the
region
Prevent job losses due to increased automation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Central Europe British Isles Northern Europe Southern Europe Eastern Europe
Most Pressing Need for Policy (and other) Support (by Member State Group)
Developing skills for advanced manufacturing

industry
Accompanying actions for companies in

transition towards factories of the future
Upgrade regional firms technological capacities

to EU28 standards
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Central Europe British Isles Northern Europe Southern Europe Eastern Europe
Source: Own survey.

3. Industry 4.0 and Smart Systems
3.1 National Industry 4.0 initiative of the German Federal Government
3.1.1 Origins
In Germany, the main national innovation strategy document is the High-Tech
Strategy. This was first launched in 2006 and the current New High-Tech Strategy
(published in 2014) features six priority areas, one of which is ‘The digital economy
and society’. This key task encompasses various fields of action, among them “Industry
4.0”. Already in the last legislative period (2009-2013), Industry 4.0 was one of ten
forward-looking projects. In 2013, a Research Agenda and Recommendations for
Implementing Industry 4.0 were published.
Industry 4.0 is also a key area of the German government’s Digital Agenda 2014-20173
that targets the active promotion of the transition into the digital era. The Agenda was
launched in 2014 and is the joint responsibility of the Federal Ministry for
Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Transport and
Digital Infrastructure. In this context, Industry 4.0 or networked production is
assumed to have significant impacts through its potential to reform and/or to redesign
value chains and its influence on Germany’s manufacturing sector. The German
government’s innovation policy and support focuses both on the digital economy itself,
and on implementing new digital technologies in companies, particularly small and
medium-sized enterprises, to enhance their innovation capacity. Research and
innovation in Industry 4.0 are supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs
and Energy’s funding programmes “Autonomics for Industry 4.0” and “Smart Service
World” (about €100m).
In its strategy towards Industry 4.0, the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research focuses on the following four fields: (1) The segment of small and medium-
sized enterprises, where, in order to “bring Industry 4.0 to the shop floor”, the
Ministry launched the initiative “Industrie 4.0 – Forschung auf den betrieblichen
Hallenboden”. Nine application-oriented research projects serve as examples of
implementing Industry 4.0 solutions; (2) Standards and IT architectures concerns the
definition of technical standards as reference architectures (see below – Platform
Industry 4.0); (3) IT security refers to the development of a reference systems (see also
programme IT Security); and (4) Qualification (cf. also programme ‘Innovation for
tomorrow’s production, service and work’). So far, the Federal Ministry of Education
and Research has published seven calls for proposals in order to support the
implementation of Industry 4.0. In total, the Ministry has approved about €120m
funds for research in the field of Industry 4.0 until now.
In order to further boost these activities and support Germany’s business sector in the
transition to the digital economy and digital workplaces, the New Platform
Industry 4.04 has recently been launched; its kick-off took place at the Hannover
Messe in April 2015. The new platform broadens the previous platform of BITKOM
(Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New
Media), the German engineering association VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen-
und Anlagenbau e.V.), and the German electrical and electronic manufacturers’
association ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie) into an
alliance of members of the federal government, business associations (besides
BITKOM, VDMA and ZVEI, BDI (Federation of German Industries), VDA (German
Association of the Automotive Industry) and BDEW (Federal Association of the
Energy and Water Industry) are involved), trade unions (IG Metall; Industrial Union
of Metalworkers) and science (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft). The platform operates under
the leadership of the German Ministers of Economic Affairs and of Research and is
3 See: http://www.digitale-agenda.de/Webs/DA/DE/Home/home_node.html
4 See: http://www.plattform-i40.de/

characterised by a unique interplay between research, industry, government and trade
unions.
3.1.2 Facts and Figures

Industry 4.0 is defined as the integration of cyber-physical systems in production and
distribution. As briefly outlined above, its implementation is backed by Germany’s
research and innovation strategy, the New High-Tech Strategy, the Digital
Agenda 2014-2017, as well as by research and technology programmes and by
the Platform Industry 4.0 that brings together and fosters dialogue processes
between the relevant actors from business, science, unions and politics. In total, up to
€200m are earmarked for Industry 4.0 in the financial plans of the ministries
involved.
Relevant research and technology programmes are:
“Autonomics for Industry 4.0 (Internet of Things)”:
• Funding body: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
• Budget: max. €50m
• Focus: Merging information and communication technologies with industrial
production in order to speed up innovation processes
• Beneficiaries: 14 academia-industry collaborations, based on a competition
approach
• Objective: Supporting the implementation of Industry 4.0 as one of Germany’s
projects for the future
• The programme is composed of four phases: (1) Conception and submission of
project outlines, 10/2012-2/2013, (2) Assessment of outlines by an independent
jury, 2/2013-4/2013, (3) Development of proposals (winners of first phase;
4/2013-7/2013), (4) Start of approved projects (10/2013)
“Smart Service World”:
• Funding body: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
• Budget: max. €50m (about 50% co-funding)
• Focus: merging different fields of application such as smart production value
chains and diverse sectors (logistics, commerce, energy supply, healthcare, media,
etc., as well as daily services such as living, shopping, travelling, education, etc.)
through interfaces, platforms, etc.
• The programme is composed of four phases: (1) Conception and submission of
project outlines, 11/2014-4/2015, (2) Assessment of outlines by an independent
jury, 5/2015-7/2015, (3) Synergy workshop with winners of the competition,
advice for application, development of proposals, 8/2015-10/2015), (4) Approval
and project implementation (11/2015-3/2016)
“Industry 4.0 – Research on industry’s shopfloor”
• Funding body: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• Budget: about €25m
• Focus: Supporting research findings that enable companies to develop and
implement Industry 4.0 solutions. Research by and in collaboration with SMEs is
particularly supported. Programme targets cyber-physical production systems and
their introduction into the German SME segment
• The programme is designed in two phases: (1) Development of project outlines
(until 9/2014), (2) Project proposals

“Research for tomorrow’s production; thematic area intelligent
networking in production – A contribution to the forward-looking
project Industry 4.0”
• Funding body: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• Budget: about €1bn (by 2020; total programme)
• Focus: Collaborative research to strengthen manufacturing production in
Germany, specifically supporting manufacturing companies in developing and
introducing cyber-physical production systems
• The programme supports collaborative projects with interdisciplinary research
approaches and holistic solutions
• The programme is designed in two phases: (1) Development of project outlines
(until 9/2014), (2) Project proposals
The New Platform Industry 4.0 brings together government officials, business
associations, trade unions and researchers and is thus the key actor in Germany’s
activities for Industry 4.0. While Germany’s Digital Agenda targets the broad field of
digitisation, the new Platform and its activities focus specifically on Industry 4.0,
understood as digitally networked production. The core topics in this respect are
addressed by the new Platform’s Working Groups that focus on reference architecture
and standardisation, research and innovation, the security of networked systems, legal
framework, as well as labour and training. Further topics will be dealt with should the
need arise.
The new Platform is chaired by the Federal Ministers for Economic Affairs, and of
Education and Research. The Platform’s Strategy Group comprises representatives
from the Federal Ministries, the Federal Chancellery, the steering body, the federal
states, business associations, trade unions, and science. It is responsible for agenda
setting and political steering. Expertise and decision-making is the responsibility of
the Steering body and the new Platform’s Working Groups. The Steering Body brings
together business representatives, the chairs of the five working groups and other
guests for joint strategy development, decision-making, coordination and
implementation. The two Ministries chairing the Platform also participate in the
Steering Body.
As outlined above, the Working Groups tackle crucial topics related to Industry 4.0
and its implementation and their members contribute their specific expertise. Besides
the Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and of Education and Research, the
Federal Ministries of the Interior, of Justice and of Labour are also involved. A Board
of Academic Advisers gives advice on the topics addressed. The new Platform’s
activities are coordinated by a Secretariat. Its main responsibilities are network
coordination, organisational issues, project management and supporting working
procedures, as well as communication, both internal and external (cf.Figure 3).

Figure 3 Industry 4.0 Platform, Germany
Source:
http://www.bmwi.de/EN/Topics/Economy/Industrial-policy/industrie-4-0,did=708234.html
3.1.3 Mission Statement

On a strategic level, the federal government’s aim in supporting the Fourth Industrial
Revolution is to strengthen Germany’s position as an innovative economy by
encouraging German businesses to actively shape and contribute to the uptake of
digitisation and the related design of value chains and production processes. The
aforementioned research and technology programmes promote this development and
offer financial support for research, innovation and technology development in
different areas related to this topic.
Referring to the specific challenges of Industry 4.0 (as part of the broader processes of
digitisation), the New Platform Industry 4.0 develops visions for Industry 4.0, and
focuses on opportunities for German industry and the economy. This refers to
Germany’s key position as a lead supplier in embedded systems, flexible production
modes, individualised production, innovative business models and new working
modes. The report “Recommendations for implementing the forward-looking project
Industry 4.0” (Forschungsunion/ acatech, April 2013) presents examples and
scenarios of how Industry 4.0 can be implemented in practice. These include, among
others, transparent logistics chains, new forms of client-supplier interactions in supply
chains, up-cycling, networked production and so forth.
3.1.4 Objectives
The German federal government’s pivotal goal is to support sustainable growth,
employment and welfare in Germany. Stable macroeconomic framework conditions,
sustainable and future-oriented policies are considered crucial in this context.
Important aspects include education, research and innovation. The High-Tech
Strategy bundles interdepartmental research and innovation activities, following a
holistic approach that combines target support with a focus on framework conditions.

Concerning Industry 4.0, the project’s main goals are defined in technological,
economic, and societal perspectives. Further goals are to strengthen competitiveness,
foster employment and future-oriented services, interlink economic and societal
development, provide infrastructure and open standards, and enhance skilled
manpower and young professionals. An action plan was developed to implement
Industry 4.0, and a budget of up to €200m was earmarked for this initiative for the
period 2012-15 (from a total of €8.4bn).
The New High-Tech Strategy focuses on Industry 4.0 as one of several action fields in
the future-oriented task ‘Digital Economy and Society’, in order to exploit the
underlying potentials for Germany’s economy and employment. Particularly, large
opportunities are seen for small and medium-sized enterprises. Innovation in future-
oriented fields is supported by:
• Intensified science-industry networks;
• Support SME and technology-oriented start-ups;
• Improved framework conditions for training and recruiting skilled staff; and
• Strengthening the dialogue between policy and society.
The main objective of the New Platform Industry 4.0 is to define and discuss the most
crucial topics related to Industry 4.0, as well as to develop targeted measures for
research and industry in order to support Germany’s lead position in this field. The
main focus is on digital connectivity and linking various actors in real time. The
involvement of government, industry, research and trade unions in the New Platform’s
work means that quick and consolidated decision-making is possible, based on direct
exchanges and flows of information and expertise.
3.1.5 Partners
Various actors are involved on the strategic, political, research, consulting and
implementation levels.
Between 2006 and 2013, the Industry-Science Research Alliance was the central
advisory board that accompanied and supported the implementation and further
development of the High-Tech Strategy 2020. It comprised 28 high-level experts from
the science and business sectors. The Alliance published various position papers and
recommendations. It outlined the next steps and conditions to realise core projects,
and the need to:
• scientifically support the process of transformation into a digital economy and
society and emphasize IT as a generic technology for all high-priority areas;
• encourage and support the use of digital technologies in production, and diffuse
the results of Industry 4.0’s Working Group throughout the relevant industry
sectors (Working Group established in 2012); and
• use Internet-based services for industry as a platform for new business models
(Industry-Science Research Alliance Prospect Study 2013, page 10).
In October 2012, the Working Group Industry 4.0 published its recommendations
on how to implement the forward-looking project Industry 4.0. Its final report was
published in April 2013 as a co-publication of the Research Alliance and Acatech and
is available at the platform Industry 4.0. The report identifies eight key areas in which
action is considered necessary: Standardisation and reference architecture, managing
complex systems, comprehensive broadband infrastructure for industry, safety and
security, work organization and design, training and continuing professional
development, regulatory framework, and resource efficiency.
Acatech, the National Academy of Science and Engineering, represents the German
scientific and technological communities and supports policy-makers and society by
providing evaluations and recommendations.

Other important actors include large industrial associations that were involved in the
Platform Industry 4.0. The Platform was established in the federal government’s
forward-looking project “Industry 4.0”, which was initiated in the context of the High-
Tech Strategy action plan. The main actors were the Federal Association for
Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media BITKOM, the German
engineering association VDMA and the German electrical and electronic
manufacturers’ association ZVEI. The results of the Platform’s work were discussed at
the Hannover Messe in April 2015 and the new and broadened Platform was presented
here (its structure and key characteristics are described above). The New Platform
Industry 4.0 and its participating partners can be considered the core actors in
Germany who are specifically targeting Industry 4.0 in the genuine understanding of
digitally-networked production. These actors are stakeholders from government (the
German Federal Ministries of Education and Research and for Economic Affairs and
Energy being the core actors), industry (represented by the business associations
VDMA, ZVEI, BITKOM, BDI, VDA, BDEW), research (the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft),
and the trade union IG Metall.
Other key actors can be found on a regional level. In addition to Industry 4.0
initiatives on the federal level, the German Bundesländer (Federal States) organize
and support activities in their regions. To give an example: Baden-Württemberg has
established the “Alliance Industry 4.0 BW” in cooperation with stakeholders from
business, research, associations and trade unions. The state supports a Project Office
that is associated to the regional association of VDMA. In total, Baden-Württemberg
provides €14.5m for promoting collaborative research projects, transfer and other
activities. The main goal is to promote Industry 4.0 applications in small and medium-
sized manufacturing enterprises, and to bundle competences in production
technology, automotive and information and communication technologies. Regional
and national activities are coordinated in the Platform Industry 4.0.
Other important actors are experts in the fields that deliver data, studies and analyses.
Industry 4.0 is implemented in different types of German companies that are active in
diverse sectors and technologies. The German Mittelstand (SMEs) is specifically
addressed by supporting measures to introduce Industry 4.0 to the segment of small
and medium-sized enterprises.
3.1.6 Scope of Activities

The following key activities are addressed by the New Platform Industry 4.0:
• Defining Industry 4.0 and developing a strategic approach;
• Coordinating research and industry and supporting exchanges; and
• Public communication and supporting discussions both in the public sphere and
in industry (including aspects like security, employment, etc., as well as impacts
for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises in terms of
business models, organisational changes, etc.).
These aspects were addressed by the Platform Industry 4.0 in its White Paper (2014,
2015) that includes a definition of the strategic goal, the opportunities offered by
Industry 4.0 as well as the need for research and innovation both from a scientific and
an industrial perspective. These aspects will be continuously further developed. The
White Paper is also conceived as a contribution to future supporting measures of the
Federal Ministries of Education and Research and for Economic Affairs and Energy,
both with respect to R&D support and also concerning transfer activities.
Under the heading “Industry 4.0 by Design”, the White Paper develops five thematic
areas: (1) Horizontal integration across value added networks, (2) Integrated
engineering in complete life cycles, (3) Vertical integration and networked production
systems, (4) New social infrastructures at workplaces, and (5) Interdisciplinary
technologies for Industry 4.0.

The basic hypothesis of Industry 4.0 is that the postulated increasing complexity of
production (holistic resource efficiency and effectiveness, enhanced flexibility
including client-specific production) will be mastered in intelligent factories. These are
characterised by smart machines, highly-skilled and flexible employees who operate
automated, self-organised and optimised processes (cyber-physical systems, CPS).
These systems have a self-contained mode of action, and organise and optimise
themselves. The underlying requirements are business models, processes, methods,
tools and functions that enable actors from diverse fields (e.g. mechatronics,
electronics, electrical engineering, and software) to design and implement such
systems. In this context, Industry 4.0 develops quality criteria in order to ensure the
interoperability of the supplied CPS.
With a time horizon of 2035, this general vision is realised through the above-
mentioned thematic areas. The first area, horizontal integration across value added
networks, targets the integration of different IT systems for supporting diverse value
added processes such as production, logistics, marketing, engineering, and services.
Research and innovation are foreseen in new business models (including the
assessment of benefits and risks, legal aspects, payment and accounting models, etc.),
framework value added networks (including for instance flexible linkages of value
added networks in production, CPS platforms and their economic role, forms of value
added networks organisations, etc.), and the automation of value added networks
(including aspects such as pervasive information flows, modelling, simulation and
optimization methods, integrating process steps, shaping man-machine interfaces,
etc.).
The second thematic area - integrated engineering in complete life cycles – is planned
to be realised by (i) integrating real and virtual worlds, and (ii) systems engineering.
While the first aspect targets the co-modelling of real and virtual worlds and their
interfaces (aiming at models to create complex systems for transferring activities
between both worlds, etc.), systems engineering focuses on developing complex
technical systems in Industry 4.0. This includes inter-coordinated tools, chains of
tools and development environments, reference models for developing intelligent
technical systems, etc.
Vertical integration and networked production systems, the third area, will be realised
through research and innovation in sensor networks, on the one hand, and through
intelligence, flexibility and mutability, on the other hand. Sensor networks target the
detailed comprehension of production processes through the descriptive analysis of
processes, as well as predictive analytics, which forms the base for improving process
control. The second aspect of intelligence, flexibility and mutability is based on the
characteristics of production systems in an Industry 4.0 environment, particularly
their adaptability, the flexible interplay of men, machines, production systems and
value added networks, and process conversion.
The Industry 4.0 production mode is assumed to have impacts on working conditions
and the social infrastructures of work. Important aspects addressed in the White Paper
are multimodal assistance systems with user-friendly interfaces, learning technologies
to support employees, shaping the man-machine-interface and also new forms of
collaborative work. Further aspects include working modes, which enable lifelong
learning, creativity and the autonomy of employees. In total, measures aim at
enhancing the attractiveness of production work and at counteracting the shortage of
skilled manpower.
3.1.7 Novelty
The genuine novelty of Industry 4.0 – understood as digital connectivity which leads
to the evolution of value added chains into value added networks – is the real-time
interlinkage of multiple actors that are closely related and jointly work on one product.
Referring to the New Platform Industry 4.0, the novelty refers to the involvement of
policy-makers, trade unions - whose core interest concerns questions related to work
conditions - as well as the external communication by the Platform that is based on the
joint internal definition of objectives and a joint understanding of Industry 4.0

processes and activities. An important condition for a coherent vision of Industry 4.0
is the broad involvement of actors and a broad base in society. In this respect, the New
Platform organises exchange processes among all societal actors in the pre-
competitive phase.
The Working Groups form the core of the Platform’s activities. They develop
recommendations for both policy-makers and for the business sector. Further, they
collect and present examples of application, i.e. specific demonstrator cases related to
Industry 4.0 activities. These are not only good practices, but showcases for Industry
4.0 designs, ideas and activities that are already implemented and in place (“use
cases”). This concept aims to bring Industry 4.0 to the actors, mainly to companies
and to demonstrate opportunities and options. In addition, these cases have an
important communication function.
3.1.8 Organisational Structure and Implementation

On a policy level, Industry 4.0 is strategically embedded in the New High-Tech
Strategy and the Digital Agenda 2014-2017. Topics that are specifically related to
Industry 4.0 and its implementation are targeted by the New Platform Industry 4.0,
which has close ties to industry due to the involvement of prominent business
associations. The New Platform develops strategic approaches and creates pre-
competitive conditions for the economic implementation of the Industry 4.0 vision. Its
participants develop concepts for technologies, standards, business and organisation
modes in a cross-sectoral way. In parallel, different research, innovation and
technology programmes provide financial support for research and industrial actors in
order to boost the introduction and implementation of Industry 4.0 in industrial
companies backed by research findings.
3.1.9 Results and Impacts

Basically, the evolution towards Industry 4.0 is still in its preliminary stage. The
results achieved so far are on the strategic level as well as in relation to the core topics
developed by the New Platform Industry 4.0’s Working Groups. Thus, the main results
are in the area of action plans and recommendations for implementation. The first
Industry 4.0 concepts and projects will be presented in the autumn.
While the initiative is per se initiated at the national level the impact of any policies
that will eventually be launched under its heading will eventually be highly regional –
as was the case with earlier thematic policies. As several regions in Germany are
already well positioned with regard to Advanced Manufacturing while others are not
the former will profit more and earlier from funding opportunities offered or at least
from different ones. In the coming years, industries in all German Länder will be
challenged to profit from the envisaged new federal funding opportunities and
leverage them at the regional level.
Furthermore, federal processes of strategy definition have in the past in no small
number of cases prompted or at least informed parallel processes of strategy definition
at the regional level. Already today, some German Länder are starting to develop their
own strategies to address issues of Advanced Manufacturing and, more specifically,
Industry 4.0. Likewise, many regional innovation strategies that were submitted in the
context of the RIS3 process reflect the topic in one way or the other. In the coming
years, this process of mutual, strategic exchange will continue.
3.1.10 Potential Market

As far as German industry is concerned, Industry 4.0 is intended to initiate a
significant push and/or leverage for manufacturing sectors. It is important to be aware
that these developments are already taking place, and will most probably be take
centre stage in the immediate future. Private businesses and entire sectors will be
subject to change, and it is essential to closely coordinate the actors and activities
involved. On the other side of the spectrum, user acceptance is another important

aspect and a goal to be achieved. This includes questions like the limits of digitisation
that will impact the way we will be living and working in the future.
In terms of industrial sectors, Industry 4.0 is very important for mechanical
engineering and for transportation. It also has high impacts on the agricultural sector
(for instance the digital remote control of harvesting). The chemical and
pharmaceutical sectors are other major actors in Industry 4.0.
3.1.11 Main Lessons Learnt

Lessons learnt so far lead to the conclusion that Industry 4.0 implies dramatic changes
in the way products are made, in business models, products, and our working world,
etc. These changes can be shaped and this enables to decide how to progress under
these general conditions. This can be understood as a great opportunity in various
fields: in industrial production processes, in value chains and networks, business
models, etc. as well as in communication and the organisation of work.
One important lesson learnt so far refers to the integration of a wide range of relevant
actors in the New Platform. Bringing together representatives of the most relevant
concerned parties creates a pivotal societal base able to integrate the interests of the
majority of stakeholders and to introduce and implement Industry 4.0.
3.1.12 Transferability and Sustainability

The New Platform as the core actor for Industry 4.0 activities in Germany can be
considered a unique institution, which brings together key stakeholders from
government, industry, research, and trade unions under the thematic roof of Industry
4.0. These activities have attracted interest at both European and supra-European
level. Exchanges are taking place with initiatives from other countries, and plans are
being drawn up for future cooperative activities. The transfer of such a structure, its
tasks and activities to other regions and nations is considered helpful to organising the
transition to Industry 4.0 in Europe and on an international scale.
Actors in other countries are very interested in both Industry 4.0 as such and the
Platform and its activities and in transferring parts of the underlying models and
concepts to other contexts, both within Europe and beyond. Industry 4.0
developments and the Platform’s structure, organisation and mission are
transferrable, but should be adapted to the respective context. Industry has its own
specific focal areas and specific characteristics in each context; specificities also exist
at the level of political organisation and institutions.
It is conceivable that coordinated approaches such as the German Industry 4.0
initiative could be transferred to other European regions and Member States that have
structures comparable to Germany such as Austria, France, Sweden or Italy. Other
regions and/or countries currently engaged in re-industrialisation might also be
suitable for such coordinated approaches, depending on the individual context and
development strategy.
Concerning sustainability, Industry 4.0 is supposed to provide a significant impetus
for research and industry over the coming years, i.e. in a medium- and long-term
perspective. It is evident that the cited evolutions are taking place, and it is important
to remain aware of new and future developments and to react to them appropriately.
Accordingly, substantial modifications are expected both on the micro level of
individual companies and on the level of sector and industries. Research can provide
the basis for these developments of digital connectivity, and for modified working
conditions including a possible overhaul of our understanding of ‘work’ and of the
concept of time devoted to work. Other crucial topics include the integration of users
as well as aspects of acceptance and awareness-raising.
To sum up, significant changes can be expected in the near future. These changes can
be shaped and their implementation be influenced which gives many opportunities to
benefit from them.

4. Advanced materials
4.1 Cluster of Excellence MERGE - Merge Technologies for Multifunctional
Lightweight Structures, Chemnitz University of Technology, Saxony (DE)
4.1.1 Origins
Implemented since 2006 by the DFG (German Research Foundation) and the German
Council of Science and Humanities, the Programme “Excellence Initiative” aims at
consolidating Germany’s position as a science location, enhance its international
competitiveness and promote top-level research at universities.
Following a successful first phase 2005-2012 of the programme, the Federal and State
Governments decided to extend the Excellence Initiative from 2012 until the end of
2017. In total, the funding provided by the Federal and State Governments accounted
for some €4.6bn during the period 2006-2017.
As a young professor, Lothar Kroll (whose alma mater is the Opole University of
Technology located in Poland) had taken up a challenging task of establishing a large
consortium and coordinating the preparation of proposal that was submitted in
response to the call launched during the second phase of the Excellence Initiative.
Out of more than 100 proposals, 43 projects (i.e. 31 extensions and 12 new projects)
were selected for funding. Led by the Technische Universität Chemnitz (TUC), the
Cluster of Excellence MERGE (Merge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight
Structures) was among the successful bids. MERGE has become Germany‘s first and
only Federal Cluster of Excellence in the field of lightweight structures.
The Government of the Free State of Saxony took a decision back in March 2013 to
invest additional €30m to build a new research centre. The cumulative investment
taking into account the funding obtained in the framework of the Excellence Initiative
and provided by the Free State of Saxony accounts for some €80m.

• Funding period: 1 November 2012 – 31 October 2017
• More than 20 institutes, 25 principal investigators and 13 participating
researchers
• Promoted are more than 100 scientists, technical and administrative staff
• MERGE-Demonstrators (new manufacturing technologies and materials, systems
integration and intelligent parts)
• MTC Lightweight Structures e. V. for industrial partners
• New international master‘s programme “MERGE Technologies for Resource
Efficiency”, PhD-programme

The mission statement of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE is defined as follows:
“The need to conserve raw materials and energy renders the resource efficiency of
manufacturing processes and products a central competitive factor. Combined
technologies offer promising approaches to improving resource and energy efficiency
by merging discrete manufacturing methods in the production of weight-optimised
multifunctional structures.
Compared to classic assembly-oriented manufacturing, a technological fusion of
metal-, plastic- and textile-processing techniques can reduce heat, friction and
mechanical energy. Furthermore, low-consumption methods of construction are
inherent in lightweight structures, which results in saving additional resources.

The vision of the Cluster of Excellence is to tap into the joint resource potential of
merged technologies and lightweight structures by adopting an integrated approach.
Thus, the Chemnitz Cluster MERGE is pursuing a long-term strategy of bivalent
resource efficiency, also known as the BRE strategy”.
4.1.4 Objectives
The main objective of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE is to remove the existing
barriers between various scientific domains and improve the resource efficiency of
manufacturing processes and products by combining different technologies suitable
for mass production, comprising plastic, metal, textile and smart systems.
4.1.5 Partners
The Technische Universität Chemnitz is a leader of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE
and more than 100 scientists, technical and administrative staff from 6 interacting
research domains are involved in this undertaking.
The participating institutes include 14 Institutes of TUC, 3 Institutes of Technische
Universität Dresden and 7 Faculties, in addition to three affiliated Institutes of
TUC(i.e. Cetex, STFI and KVB) 2 Fraunhofer Institutes – IWU and ENAS and Leibniz
Institute for Solid State and Materials Research – IFW.

The activities carried out in the framework of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE are
organised in six interacting research domains.
The four vertical research domains include:
• Semi-finished products and preform technologies;
• Metal-intensive technologies;
• Textile-/plastics-based technologies; and
• Micro- and nanosystems integration.
In addition, there are two other cross-cutting themes:

• Interface technologies
• Modelling, integrative simulation and optimisation.
The focus of the research domain ‘Semi-finished products and preform

technologies’ is on the combination of textile, plastic and metal predestined for
large-scale roll-to-roll production. One of the projects aims at upgrading the fibre-foil-
tape unit (FFTU) for production of metal/plastic and metal/fibre-reinforced plastic
multilayer composite preforms, which will allow the integration of the process of
consolidation of various materials and manufacturing of high-strength, high-stiffness
hybrid material composites.
The scope of other projects is to apply a new orbital wrapping (COW) technology for
continuous production of multilayer polymer matrix composite parts with variable
cross-sections, develop technological approaches for production of thermo-
mechanically compatible hybrid structures based on bionic-inspired reinforced
structures and deploy monitoring systems of the conditions of the lightweight
components.
Within the research domain ‘Metal-intensive technologies’ the focus is placed on
basic metallic structures such as metal sheets and profiles, metal foams, fibres and
conductors. Particularly, activities are focused on resource-efficient aspects and the
combination of properties of different materials in production processes and products.

The implemented projects within this domain concern the development of new
process of metal forming and injection moulding in one die and one process. The
activities of the other two projects involve the development of planning methods and
tools to ensure reliable process chains in production of hybrid components as well as
development of adaptive composites that are capable of modifying their mechanical
properties.
The activities undertaken with the third research domain ‘Textile-/plastics-based
technologies’ are focused on the development of textile-reinforced plastic
composites.
The large-scale production of hybrid demonstrator components with high-density of
performance and functionality and the development of a new conveyor chain which
are being used increasingly for the internal transport of general cargo are the main
objectives of the implemented projects. The other projects aim at the development of
process chain for the integration of active modules in hybrid metal/polymer
composites, natural fibre-reinforced thermoplastic bio-composites process and
guaranteeing the requirements of comfort and safety in a lightweight construction
using a new multi-material concept.
The emphasis of the fourth research domain ‘Micro- and nanosystems
integration’ is placed on the integration of microelectronic components into hybrid
structures with the view to ensure further improvement of the performance and
functional density of hybrid components.
One of the projects undertaken in the scope of this domain aims at combining and
integrating sensors and actuators into composite components. By doing so it will be
possible to adapt structures optimally to their applications and achieve a reduction in
weight. The development of new approaches for monitoring of lightweight structures
by integration of large-area, foil-based sensors during the production process, wireless
sensor system (an antenna too be used for data communication) and the integration of
miniaturised silicon sensor systems into devices to monitor structural health of
materials.
To validate the new manufacturing technologies, materials and systems integration,
the Cluster of Excellence MERGE foresees three system demonstrators, notably
Chemnitz- Car-Concept (CCC), Car Conveyor Complex (CCX) and Preform Wind
Energy Rotor Blade (WERB), as outlined in the following Figure 4.
Figure 4 Cluster of Excellence MERGE – System of Demonstrators
Source: Cluster of Excellence MERGE.

Apart from research activities, the “MERGE-Technology” International Master’s
course and PhD programme are designed to ensure graduates pool for the companies.
It is also important to mention International MERGE Technologies Conference
(IMTC), which bring together experts from academia and industry with know-how on
lightweight structures, and the corresponding manufacturing technologies. The second
conference is planned to take place in Chemnitz on 1-2 October 2015.

4.1.7 Novelty
Primarily, the novelty of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE lies in:
• Interdisciplinary thinking and the networking of multiple actors in the areas of
material, manufacturing technology, microelectronics and system integration,
design, calculation, simulation, and quality assurance.
• Combination of various technologies suitable for mass-production, such as plastic,
metal, textile and smart systems for the development of resource-efficient
products and production processes.
• The system demonstrators, comprising of the Chemnitz-Car-Concept (CCC), Car
Conveyor Complex (CCX) and Preform Wind Energy Rotor Blade (WERB).

The organisational structure of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE has clearly defined
roles and functions but what stands out is an important role played by the Industrial
Advisory Board (IAB).
The IAB comprises of some 40 members representing the private sector from Saxony
and other German regions but also from other countries like Austria, France, the
Netherlands, Poland and even Mexico.
Other models used elsewhere which overly emphasise the importance of large
companies in such undertakings are viewed as less effective for boosting innovation
activities. The management of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE believes strongly in
and pursues actively the idea of creating interacting platform involving multiple
actors.

The Cluster set out a target for improving energy efficiency by 50%. To this end, it has
developed a long-term Strategy of Bivalent Resource Efficiency, also known as
the BRE strategy. In this context, bivalent means that the energy efficiency can be
achieved not only during the production phase but also during the actual exploitation.
So far, 30% of energy efficiency target has been achieved.
The Cluster of Excellence MERGE has also attracted a lot of interest among the
representatives of the private sector which can be considered as a direct result of this
initiative.
According to the interview undertaken in the framework of the RIM Plus, there are
some 300 projects which are carried out by the research teams from the TU Chemnitz.
Many of the implemented projects involve the cooperation of 10-20 companies. One of
the concrete examples of a lightweight product was the development of a battery
carrier adapter for an electric car. The lightweight hybrid battery carrier was
manufactured under large batch conditions at the Technische Universität Chemnitz
and tested on a component test facility belonging to the Audi AG. The Cluster of
Excellence MERGE has also collaborated with VW AG and managed to reduce the
production time of trunk-integrated lid antenna for VW Eos model from 120 to
15 minutes.
Among other further examples of projects are those relating to the development of
innovative composite structures for the car seats (VW Up demonstrator), basalt
fibres for application in the automotive industry (a network of some 25
companies cooperating together including companies from Russia) and cooperation
with the research teams from Wolfsburg which is known as the location of
Volkswagen AG's headquarters.
At the beginning of June 2015, the Cluster of Excellence MERGE was selected out of
some 112 proposals submitted in response to the call “Internationalisation of leading-
edge Clusters (known also as ‘Spitzenclustern’) future projects and similar networks”
launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). It is also

worthwhile mentioning that it is the only successful cluster from 43 clusters that had
received the financial support in the previous rounds of the Programme “Excellence
Initiative”.

The activities relating to mobility are characterised by a relatively higher profitability
than other areas. The available data also suggests that achieving 10% decrease of the
weight of broadly defined area of mobility (i.e. cars, trucks, transport and machinery)
would contribute to some 100m tons of CO2 reduction in Germany alone and about
3bn tons worldwide.
To give an indication about the market potential, a case of Daimler was mentioned. It
is using advanced welding techniques and systems, which combines hydroforming (a
cost-effective way of shaping metals into lightweight, structurally stiff and strong
pieces) and injection moulding. It is considered as a concrete example of dynamically
developing and profitable market. The current activities undertaken by the Cluster of
Excellence MERGE are focused to advance the research on hydroforming and the use
of other composite materials.

There are a number of lessons to be drawn from the design and implementation of the
Cluster of Excellence MERGE. Primarily, the challenge lies in building a modern
creative team with complementary knowledge and skills. Secondly, it is necessary to
have a clearly defined strategic focus. As it was pointed out during our interview, it is
important to have an idea that is both viable from the economic point of view and
addresses the societal challenges but also is aligned with the regional structures and
potential. Thirdly, it was noted that conditions are conducive to innovation if the
participation of large companies, SMEs and representatives of the science sector is
ensured. Fourthly, it is important that the focus on applied research activities is
introduced as soon as possible with the view to establishing long-term cooperation
with the industry.

During the interview it was also pointed out that the Chemnitz Cluster MERGE
practice was not only replicable but should be used in other regions. Given that
lightweight construction is a key technology of the future, the association, known also
as ‘MTC Lightweight Structures’ was established in order to ensure the
sustainability of the activities of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE in the future. The
MTC Lightweight Structures e. V. can be considered as a cooperation platform for
participating companies. The core activities of this association include the
establishment and maintenance of an international network integrating industry and
science, initiation of new projects with national and international partners within the
cluster platform, and cooperation in all technical issues surrounding the key
technologies used for the resource-efficient manufacturing of lightweight structure,
etc.
4.2 Aerospace Technology District, Puglia (IT)
4.2.1 Origins
Established in July 2009, the Aerospace Technology District (DTA) is an operational
body of the Apulian Aerospace Cluster. The DTA is a non-profit consortium
represented by the main enterprises in the aerospace field, the universities, as well as
the public and private research centres from Apulia. It is recognised by the Ministry of
Education, University and Research (MIUR, the Italian acronym) as technological
district and operates both in the national, international context to increase the
competitiveness of the regional productive system.

The lead on the establishment of the DTA was taken by Dr. Joseph Acierno, the
current President of the DTA. Previously, he was employed at the Technological Park
and in 2004 started to work on the topic relating to improving the competitiveness of
the Apulian aerospace industry. At that time, he noted that something interesting was
happening in this specific field and one of the observable trends was the intensification
of SMEs cooperation.
As background information, it is important to mention that in the past the Apulia
region was characterised by the presence of large industries, which were supported by
the public investment during the 1970s and 1980s. The activities undertaken by Airbus
and Boeing had clearly a positive influence on the development of Apulian companies.
Around that period there was also an important technological achievement made,
notably the development and introduction of new advanced materials.
Figure 5 Alenia Aermacchi, Grottaglie
Source: Aerospace Technology District (DTA).

The DTA was established as a result of bottom-up mobilisation of various actors with a
clearly defined objective of reinforcing and developing high-value production
activities. Subsequently, the DTA received financial support from various programmes
and initiatives, including the funding linked to the status of ‘Technology District’.

• During a three-year period (2010-2013) the DTA accounted for the highest growth
in the aerospace at the national level in terms of the increase in the number of
employees, the birth of new enterprises, the increase in the number of researchers
and research labs as well as the rise in the private and public investments.
• During the 2012-2014 period, the DTA was involved in several research and
training projects funded by 7th Framework Programme, by national Ministry of
Research and by Apulia Region. The total funding accounted for more than
€100m.
• 15 industrial research projects
• The involvement of 28 enterprises (small, medium-sized and large) and 350
researchers from the Universities and the public and private Research Centres
• 123 beneficiaries of the training projects (graduates and holders of a diploma)
• 32 missions and projects of international cooperation

• 13 advanced training projects
• 52 company training courses
• The provision of 16.500 lifelong training hours and involvement of 436 employees
in the training programmes
• 264 Educational training projects aimed at hiring young graduates
• 314 Stable employment as a result of the carried out projects
• 200 Schools involved in the orientation initiatives and over 10.000 pupils who
have taken part in the orientation initiatives
• 96% Percentage of young people who have found stable employment thanks to the
participation in the training projects

The DTA is based on trust and cooperation. It is considered as a modern development
tool for design, planning and implementing strategies and policies related to a variety
of actors such as small, medium and large enterprises, universities and research
centres, local and regional institutions, trade unions and national associations in the
field of aerospace and defence. Overall mission is to boost the competitiveness of the
Apulian aerospace industry and increase the visibility of research activities and
potential at the national and international level.
4.2.4 Objectives
The main objective of the DTA is to reinforce and consolidate the competitiveness of
regional aerospace industry. Among the specific objectives, which the DTA aims to
achieve through various activities are: increasing competitiveness and innovation of
SMEs, fostering internationalisation, reinforcing research and vocational training, and
contributing to the growth of aerospace sector.
4.2.5 Partners
The regional authorities and municipalities are actively involved in the definition of
the DTA Strategy. Several other actors play an important role, including trade unions,
and major aerospace and defence associations.
The Polytechnic of Bari, the University of Salento (Lecce), and the University of Bari,
together with Enea, CNR, and the consortia Cetma and Optel represent aero- spatial
research potential in the region.
It is important also to mention strong industry involvement. Shareholders of DTA are
four large-sized enterprises (ALENIA AERMACCHI, AGUSTA WESTLAND, GE AVIO,
DEMA) eight SMEs (CMD, SALVER, IAS, BLACKSHAPE, PLANETEK, ENGINSOFT,
SITAEL, GSE), in addition to the above-mentioned universities, national and private
research centres.

The R&D projects undertaken by the DTA are characterised by their practical
orientation towards the productive and economic spin-offs, and are the results of the
integration of competences of their participants.
The focus of activities is placed on several areas and involves planning, construction,
integration and support to aircraft and helicopter complex systems to the
transformation and overhaul of aircrafts, propelling for civil and military aeronautics
and space, planning, development, and marketing of advanced software systems and
real time for aerospace, civil, and military application.
The thematic focus of activities that are undertaken by the members of the DTA is the
following:

• Composite materials for the integration of production, especially through process
innovation;
• Virtual reality, integrated with radiofrequency identification devices, and robotic
and mechatronic systems;
• Integrated sensor microsystems;
• Cellular materials (foams);
• Ceramic materials for propellers;
• Nano-materials (i.e. nanometrics, like nano-wires, nano-fibres, nano-laminae);
and
• Special software.
Another important area of activity concerns the skills development especially

promoting vocational training as well as mobility of staff between enterprises,
universities, and scientific research institutions.
It is also important to cite a number of cooperation agreements which the DTA
has singed. Among the most recent cooperation agreements are those with
Aeromontreal (2010), Aerospace Valley (2014), Hellenic Space Technologies and
Applications Cluster (2014) and Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH (2015).
4.2.7 Novelty
The infrastructure for research, experimentation, training and integration of air and
ground systems are integrated into the Test Bed "Airport Marcello Arlotta of
Grottaglie" for the new aerospace solution (i.e. autonomous vehicle) which together
with the activities undertaken by the DTA member organisations represent a novel
approach in improving the competitiveness of the Apulian aerospace industry.

The structure of the DTA is very lean and flexible. The President, who accountable to
the shareholders, is assisted by a Board of Directors which currently consists of 12
members. The President leads the divisions "administration", "secretary and general
affairs" and "technology transfer and training", the latter supported by the activities of
the division "training tutoring ".
The Board of Auditors, a body composed of three members, is responsible for verifying
legality and accountancy. Four advisors are responsible for monitoring and promoting
actively the projects, in addition to five external consultants for provision of specific
support (e.g. activities related to accounting, reporting, legal affairs and employment
contracts).
The Shareholders' Meetings happen at least once every year (for the approval of the
annual financial statement) and the Board of Directors meets on a monthly basis or
when it is necessary.
With regard to the purely technical and scientific aspects, the DTA is supported by the
experts proposed by the academic and the industrial associates.

The DTA has contributed to the biggest growth in the aerospace at the national level in
terms of the increase in the number of employees, sales, exports, the birth of new
enterprises, the increase in the number of researchers and research labs as well as the
rise in the private and public investments.
During the 2007-2013 period, the Apulian aerospace employment grew by almost 70%
and turnover of aerospace industry exceeded €1bn. The average export growth
accounted for almost 30%. With regard to skills development and research activities,

the Apulian universities launched two different degrees in aerospace and established
public-private foundation for vocational training. During the same period, six new
laboratories operating in the field of aerospace were also launched.
With regard to the impact of the economic and financial crisis, it is important to note
that in 2013 the DTA was recognised as one out of the five Italian clusters resilient to
the financial and economic crisis.
The undertaken activities by the DTA have substantially contributed to the
development of the network of relations of the Apulian aerospace system. According to
the study conducted for a doctoral thesis research on 5 Technological Clusters by
Giuseppe Calignano, including the DTA, it emerges an important result regarding the
consolidation and development of cooperation among the companies and key actors in
the area of aerospace.
The Apulia region is the Italian Region in which there is the highest concentration of
composites production and the only region with a unique test bed. To the end, the
Grottaglie Airport has been selected by the national authorities for the development,
testing and evaluation of RPAS – Remotely Pilot Aircraft System.

According to available data more than 50 companies are generating sales worth about
€1bn and employing over 5,000 people. Particularly, the following areas represent
market opportunities with the highest potential:
• New solutions of composite parts for the aerospace;
• New engine solutions for reducing CO2 emissions;
• Services and technological platforms for the testing of manned and unmanned
aircrafts;
• Innovative services for the territories (by satellite and/or aircrafts piloted by
remote) such monitoring and environmental prevention, fire prevention,
innovative services for agriculture, citizen security, coastal monitoring, etc.; and
• Microsatellites and new launchers.
It was also mentioned during the interview that General Electric Company (GE)
completed back in 2013 the acquisition of the aviation business of Avio, a leading
Italy-based provider of civil and military aviation components and systems. This
concrete example illustrates a recent trend that is taking place in the aerospace
industry.

One of the main lessons learnt is the need to develop an ability to anticipate the future
market developments and this is precisely what is happening in the case of DTA. The
related challenge is to ensure that different companies and key stakeholders are co-
working as a group towards achieving a common objective.
Secondly, the integration between demand and supply is ultimately guaranteed by the
new cluster organisational model, which through its composition brings together
businesses, universities, research centres, associations, trade unions and public
bodies. As a result, the concept of the productive cluster offers concrete solutions and
generates a virtuous circle, which increases the level of competitiveness of the Apulia
system by directly linking the players in the various industries.

The model is not only transferable to other regions but it is highly recommended to
use the approach adopted by the DTA as an inspiration for similar initiatives in other
regions.

Apulia has a well-established university system that is evenly distributed across the
territory, able to create a level of expertise which is at the forefront in meeting the
needs of the various territorial areas.
In recent years, a model of networking has taken shape in which universities, public
and private research centres and other institutions collaborate in trying out new
products and processes and promote the transfer of technologies.
The training provision is also completed by numerous specialised activities, offered
both by the universities and by training centres and business schools which, in close
contact with employers, respond quickly to the professional requirements of
businesses.
In parallel, seven Industrial Liaison Offices, whose offices are located in Universities
and Public research centres, support the regional actors in technology transfer
activities.
With regard to the sustainability, the DTA is an example of bottom-up initiative, which
has subsequently managed to secure funding from the EU, national and regional
programmes.

5. Production related biotechnology
5.1 Chemelot and Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Limburg (NL)
5.1.1 Origins
The foundation for the Chemelot chemicals cluster, now home to more than 160
companies and 6,400 jobs, was laid with the introduction of the ‘brand name’ in 2002.
Earlier, the area now known as Chemelot was the site of the Maurits coal mine (1926-
1967) and, until much later, Dutch State Mines’ chemicals and polymer divisions
(1930-2000). By the end of 2000, however, DSM launched the strategy “Vision 2005”
that led the company away from bulk chemicals and polymers in the direction of
specialty products in performance materials, health and nutrition, combining this
approach with further internationalisation. For the DSM’s Geleen site, this implied the
sale of DSM’s petrochemical divisions, which made up about half of its local activities,
to the Saudi-Arabian company SABIC in 2002. This divestment created a new
situation with now two major players on one industrial estate.
At the same time, it gave DSM the means to raise investments in life sciences and new
materials. In this situation, the name Chemelot was first introduced in 2002. After the
petrochemical activities had been taken over by SABIC, the remaining DSM units were
drastically reorganised in the ‘Copernicus project’ from 2002-2004. Research
activities were decentralised and activities of a more general nature, such as analysis,
were delegated to departments presenting themselves under own names, such as DSM
Resolve.
In 2005, DSM concluded an agreement with Sittard-Geleen, the province of Limburg
and the trade unions (concerned about the future of the site), with the aim to
transform Chemelot site into an open industrial estate for chemical production,
research and development. At the same time, a first master plan for a campus area in
addition to the industrial estate was presented and finalied in 2008. Hence, the year
2005 can be considered the starting point for Chemelot as it exists today.
In parallel, DSM continued to its remaining bulk production activities based at the
Chemelot site and concentrated more strongly on the development of nutrition and
health products and performance materials. In 2011, DSM’s synthetic rubber activities
were sold to LANXESS. Recently, in 2015, DSM sold its last remaining production
activities at the Chemelot site that does not fit in their new strategy for the future. At
this moment only 5% of the production at Chemelot is DSM. In the course of this
ongoing divestments, DSM’s supporting services (DMC) were transferred to a new
entity, Sitech Services, in 2009 the shares of which are held by the companies now
owning the main plants operating in the Industrial Park (DSM, OCI Nitrogen, SABIC
and LANXESS). Today, Sitech supports individual plants with services, such as
maintenance, and provides services to the whole site, in particular the company fire
brigade, the security department, the overall infrastructure and waste water
purification. The creation of Sitech Services prevented fragmentation of expertise and
ensured competitive costs.
After a process of four years of negotiations and shaping in 2012 DSM, the province of
Limburg and Maastricht University Medical Center+ founded the Chemelot Campus, a
separate initiative to bring together research, innovation, education and pilot and
miniplant production, in the field of performance materials, biobased materials and
biomedical materials, at one site that was at the same time close to large scale
production in the industrial park. The main goal of the province of Limburg is
economic growth. That of DSM is creating an excellent environment for researchers
and talent and for the Maastricht University is broadening education from alpha to
beta studies and being close to businesses.
While legally distinct from the industrial park, the Campus is located directly adjacent
to it and there are various interactions between them. In 2014 Chemelot Campus
became the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. Brightlands is the brand of the four
campuses in the province of Limburg. The Brightlands Chemelot Campus with its 40

employees in 2015 is a development organisation. Besides managing the investment
and development of real estate and infrastructure as the site it also has a large
business development group with nine staff. It provides regular if not daily support to
many young enterprises at the Campus and, not uncommonly, takes shares in start-up
companies in return. Besides that the campus has an investment fund that invests in
research institutes (applied research) and research infrastructure.
The province of Limburg is the main investor in infrastructure. Their share in the
development of the real estate is 80%.
In addition to the Campus activities, the overall Chemelot Industrial Park remains the
location of two naphtha crackers and SABIC’s polymerization plants. OCI Nitrogen is
present with two ammonia plants, three nitric acid plants, a fertilizer plant and a
melamine plant. DSM operates a caprolactam plant, an acrylonitrile plant and a plant
for performance plastics (Stanyl) in the Industrial Park. LANXESS has a synthetic
rubber plant there and Sekisui S-Lec a relatively new resins plant. DEXPlastomers,
INEOS ChlorVinyls, Polyscope Polymers and Carbolim complete the list of large-scale
chemical production facilities at the site.

At the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, scientists from Maastricht University, the
RWTH Aachen University, the Technical University of Eindhoven and TNO perform
joint research in several institutes on the themes biobased materials, performance
materials and biomedical materials in collaboration with companies such as SABIC,
DSM and LANXESS collaborate on developing and marketing new products. Overall,
53 companies with a total of 1,560 employees as well as 300 students could performed
research and development activities on the Chemelot Campus in 2015 – up from four
companies with 900 researchers in 2005 (then mostly DSM and SABIC).
Figure 6 Key Information About the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Chemelot
Industrial Park
Source: Brightlands Chemelot Campus.
At the end of 2013, the Chemelot campus saw the set-up of the Aachen-Maastricht
Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), a research institute of Maastricht
University (UM) and the RWTH Aachen University (RWTH). Since January 2014 the
Brightlands Chemelot Campus community is situated in “Building 24”, a former
factory now used as a central facility for more than a thousand researchers,
entrepreneurs and students on campus. In September 2016 the campus will open the
new “Centre Court” building that will host the Chemelot Innovation and
Learning Labs (CHILL), the Maastricht Science Programme Maastricht University,

the DSM Innovation Center and various general facilities the Chemelot Campus,
including the offices of Brightlands Chemelot Campus. Recently CHILL opened a
centre for 3D printing at the campus. In 2015-2016 six pilot production for (bio-based)
materials are completed including the expansion of the materials biomedcial
cleanroom facilities.
Furthermore, millions of Euros will be spent in the coming years to offset the
industrial look of the Chemelot area with greenery, the construction of bike lanes,
footpaths and bus stops to reduce the use of cars as well as on the creation of parks,
green spaces and sports fields. In 2015, a “Northern Park” was built next to the DSM
materials centre and a “Southern Park” will be completed this year. The final “Central
Park” will only be realised in 2016 , after the completion of the “Centre Court”.

According to official communication, “Chemelot is more than just an industrial park”.
It seeks to become a chemical and materials community that accelerates business
growth through the open exchange of ideas. It was conceived around one central idea:
to bring together the knowledge and skills normally only found in major organisations,
and to apply these within a flexible community of small and large chemical businesses,
to develop new, radically innovative perspectives in and on the biochemical industry.
While world-renowned corporations create a chemical and materials community that
is visible worldwide, the Chemelot environment allows like-minded companies of any
age and size to benefit from shared knowledge, short distances, excellent facilities and
open innovation to accelerate the development of new products and product.
Chemelot claims “not to be for everyone” but as inviting all interested parties to
“relocate their thinking” to Chemelot.
Overall, the Chemelot Community has set itself the objective to “provide a free-
thinking environment that stimulates innovation and is characterised by a culture of
opportunities of which each company is a part [and] all essential resources are
immediately to hand [, and business grows] through the open exchange of ideas”
and to change “chemical companies’ approach to innovation through an open working
environment and sharing of knowledge”.
5.1.4 Objectives
As a world-leading innovation location and home to a vibrant and fast-growing open
community of companies and knowledge institutes Brightlands Chemelot Campus’
ambition is to offer state of the art R&D and manufacturing infrastructures, on-
campus education, science-oriented business support, venture capital, and business
development services. Beyond effecting the relocation of companies to the site, it seeks
to create an ecosystem of start-ups, established corporations, public research
institutes, talented students, and visionary investors at the interface of performance
materials, biobased materials and biomedical technologies. It aims to provide smart
infrastructure and services including world- laboratories and research facilities, cost-
effective analysis and development services and all-round expertise – providing a basis
for the sharing of knowledge in a broad range of fields, and across different stages of
innovation processes and product life cycle.
From a regional development perspective, the province of Limburg is supporting the
attraction of further firms and the creation of jobs through the Brightlands Chemelot
Campus and its community. In line with this, the Campus’ current strategy envisages
that the number firms will rise to about 100, that of R&D employees to about 2,900
and that of students to about 1,000 by 2023. In early 2011, the Brainport 2020
programme was launched with the aim to convert the southeastern region of the
Netherlands into a major economic engine for the entire country. In this programme,
the Brightlands Chemelot Campus was one of two focal points of investment and
development, together with the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. For executing the
Brainport 2020 agenda in South Limburg, a specific entity, Limburg Economic
Development, has been established.

5.1.5 Partners
Today, many different types of companies and various industries are located at the
Chemelot site, ranging from base chemicals to fine chemicals, companies producing
raw materials to companies developing new products and start-ups to multinationals.
Up to today, the large corporations DSM, SABIC and LANXESS play a constitutive role
in the parks’ development – as do the regional partners Sittard-Geleen and the
province of Limburg. While the composition of partners is thus quite heterogeneous,
all of them commit to become part of the Chemelot community and to the idea of
continuous, open innovation in chemical technology, products, applications,
production processes, business models, and organisational forms.
Figure 7 Chemelot Community
Source: Brightlands Chemelot Campus.

As a result of DSM’s long series of divestments, the Chemelot site has changed from a
DSM dominated environment into a Community that is home to a diverse set of both
large and small companies that are global leaders in their markets in the material
sciences and life sciences sectors. At the very latest since the 2011 divestment, the
Chemelot project is no longer predominantly shaped by DSM’s decisions. Since the
project’s inception 2005, over seventy new companies have established themselves at
the Chemelot site and remain present today: about 50 companies on Chemelot
Campus and more than 20 companies in the Chemelot Industrial Park. Overall, the
Chemelot site hosts a diverse range of 17 firms with a focus on research and
development, 15 with actual production activities, 6 start-ups, and 99 service
providers. Non-surprisingly, most of them have their own, specific reasons to locate at
the Chemelot site be it the open innovation culture, good services and facilities or a
specialist knowledge pool. Among them, the Chemelot Community differentiates
between three different categories of company referring to the phase of lifecycle that
they are in and the corresponding needs that can be expected on their part.
Some notable examples of newly attracted or expanding companies include:
• Terreco, Kriya Materials and Basic Pharma that opened their doors at the
Chemelot Campus between 2005 to 2007, Terreco being a DSM spin-off.
• The Belgian company Cymaco that set up a unit for inspection and maintenance of
acetylene gas cylinders on the Chemelot Campus in 2008.
• The Japanese chemical producer Sekisui S-Lec that a second polyvinyl butyral
resin plant, doubling its on-site production capacity in 2010.
• The relocation of Nitric Acid Plant 6 from IJmuiden to Chemelot that was
completed by OCI Nitrogen, also completed in 2010.
• Nano4Imaging, Q Chip and Yparex, relocated to the Chemelot Campus in 2011.
• Jacobs Engineering and Wagenborg Nedlift, relocated to Chemelot in 2012.
• The location of the LANXESS Elastomers HQ to the Chemelot Campus in 2013.

During the past decade, the Brightlands Chemelot Campus’ facilities have been
regularly expanded through large scale investments.
According to the Chemelot Campus Master Plan implemented from 2007 to 2008 a
number of wings of the former DSM Central Laboratory were drastically renovated
(for DSM Resolve) and a new office building was realised for SABIC’s research
department. At the end of 2008, further implementation of the Master Plan was
suspended due to the financial crisis. In 2012, the construction activities were
resumed with the construction of the new head office for LANXESS Elastomers which
had taken over DSM’s synthetic rubber activities (Keltan) a year before.
Likewise in early 2012, the province of Limburg, Maastricht University/Maastricht
University Medical Centre+ and DSM announced to invest over €180m of additional
funds in research facilities, a venture capital fund for companies (€40m), an education
program and real estate for the accelerated development of Chemelot Campus and
Maastricht Health Campus. As mentioned above, the Chemelot Campus was
established later that year, with the Triple Helix partners as shareholders, and put in
charge for the further expansion of Chemelot Campus.
The three core tasks of the Brightlands Chemelot Campus are:
• To acquire companies, research institutes and education, to search for, invest in
and grow start-ups and to convert innovations into concrete business
opportunities (valorisation) within four primary sectors: performance materials,
bio-based materials, biomedical materials and analytical R&D support.
• To invest in applied research and state of the art research infrastructure to attract
parties form outside the campus and to stimulate the growth of the research
institutes at the campus.
• To provide supporting facilities and shared services (‘fitting’ real estate) for the
educational and research activities and the industry at the campus and to exploit
existing and future buildings on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus.
The Chemelot Community provides a wide range of facilities and services for
companies based at the site. While some basic utilities and services are obligatory,
such as the fire brigade and security services, most others, like IT and accommodation
facilities, are offers that companies joining the Chemelot Community are free to make
use of or not. If it sees fit, any Chemelot company can choose alternative suppliers.
These can be summarised as follows:
A. Facilities for Large Scale Production
The company fire brigade, the security department, the Swentibold co-generation
plant, steam plants, roads, railways, pipe ways, sewers and the waste water
purification plant all help to make the activities of the large scale production plants in
the Chemelot Industrial Park possible in the first place. Moreover, the Industrial Park
is an integrated site where (residual) flows are exchanged between plants. In late 2013,
work was completed on the Railterminal Chemelot, a consortium formed by
Meulenberg Transport, Ewals Intermodal and the Port of Antwerp. The new container
terminal contributes substantially to the modal shift from truck to train, reduces truck
traffic in the region, and is used especially by SABIC and DSM.
B. Virtual Service Boulevard

The Virtual Service Boulevard provides an online overview of service providers that
support the members of the Chemelot Community with the implementation of their
business processes. Through the website, companies have swift access to a wide range
of relevant business-to-business service providers on and close to the Chemelot site.

C. Core Technological Services
Furthermore, the firms of the Chemelot Community have broad-based technological
expertise in many fields and are in different ways committed to sharing these in an on-
site open innovation process. As many of the current companies’ research departments
have a joint legacy in DSM research facilities, personal contacts between the different
departments are good and open innovation is a practical reality.
In detail, specific core competences exist in the following:
• Polymers and networks
(Polymer chemistry and catalysis, Network chemistry, UV-setting resins, Design of
polymerization processes, Polymer processing methods (in particular extrusion,
film and sheet processes, Material properties, Application and design of products,
Molecular physics of polymers, Molecular characterization of materials)
• Advanced (bio)organic synthesis and process development
(Chemical route scouting, Biocatalysis (in particular enzymatic) and
biotransformation, Chiral technologies, Homogeneous catalysis, Oxidation
chemistry, Organic chemistry, High-throughput screening)
• Chemical engineering
(General chemical engineering, Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, High-
throughput experimentation, development of new, and optimisation of existing,
processes and technologies, NOx technology)
• Analytical expertise
(Diverse high-end analytical techniques, Molecular characterisation of materials,
Imaging techniques, Chemical analyses)
The good climate and culture of mutual exchange, collaboration and even co-creation
between the companies at the Chemelot Community allow each new company to
benefit from innovations that have already been tried and tested in other, yet related
environments. Additionally, new companies with fresh ideas can take advantage of
sophisticated processing methods they would not otherwise have access to yet need to
improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase profits.
D. Activities in the Field of Education
Around 2000, DSM had stopped all in-house training activities resulting in a shortage
of adequately trained personnel that increasingly presented problems so that, in 2010,
the Dutch government made funds available for educational investments. In 2012, this
resulted in Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs (CHILL), in which Zuyd
University, Arcus College, Leeuwenborgh Opleidingen and Maastricht University
cooperate, basing their centre at Chemelot Campus. Today, CHILL makes an
innovative learning, working and research environment available, where education
and business cooperate in the development of knowledge and new products.
In addition to the Chemelot related “Maastricht Science Programme”, two further
master programs have been set up by University Maastricht: one for Bio-based
Materials at the Chemelot Campus (since 2013) and one for System Biology at the
Maastricht Health Campus (since 2014). Furthermore, Maastricht University and
RWTH Aachen University are jointly setting up a research Institute for Biobased
Materials at Chemelot, connecting with CHILL. Even currently, there are many
dedicated teaching facilities on the campus and many Bachelor and Master students
spend the last years of their courses exclusively there – and in the companies’
laboratories. For the nearer future, it is foreseen that both Bachelor and Master
courses shall be taught at the Chemelot campus completely, from the beginning.

5.1.7 Novelty
According to Brightlands Chemelot Campus, the Chemelot environment is unique in
the chemical industry in being a joint endeavour based on serious, long-term
collaboration of all Triple Helix Partners together. Also, the combination of all the
specific thematic competences in the Chemelot environment seems unique from at
least a European perspective and had not in that form been tried elsewhere.
In particular, the Chemelot Campus is unique in terms of its applied research and
education-orientation, combined with the fact that the initiative was initiated by and
continues to be shaped by businesses rather than higher education. Thus, it is not only
one more business park but a new combination of innovative large scale production
with state-of-the-art research and development facilities.
Additionally, the Chemelot education programme that by today not only covers
standard Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. courses but also vocational training is unusually
comprehensive – even among similar initiatives.

Quite soon after Chemelot’s inception, a structure had been created to unify site
companies’ action with regard to important fields of governance and regulation.
For the Industrial Park, an innovative agreement was reached with the Province of
Limburg, the authority issuing environmental permits – a crucial issue in the
Chemical industry. Held by a specifically created legal entity, the Chemelot Site Permit
B.V. (CSP), a single umbrella permit was issued for the entire Chemelot site. Under
this umbrella, permit individual plants can obtain sub-permit in a simplified
procedure of which there are now about fifty. Additionally, a single desk was opened
for direct contact between CSP and the Province of Limburg as regulator in 2007.
In addition, a Policy Board was set up, consisting of the CSP management, to
determine the internal policy for companies based at Chemelot that is laid down in
documents such as the Site Regulations. The board is made up of representatives of
the main companies in the Industrial Park, DSM in its remaining function as real
estate owner, and the Chemelot Campus B.V.
As mentioned above, moreover, the Chemelot Campus is, since 2012, managed by
Brightlands Chemelot Campus with the primary role to attract new business, stimulate
cooperation between companies and research institutes and initiate contact with the
outside world. Furthermore, it is responsible for the management of the Chemelot
Community both through the strategic development of the existing community and the
recruitment of new companies that fit within the overall Chemelot philosophy. As the
management organisation, Brightlands Chemelot Campus also has a mandate to
facilitate all relevant activities of companies located on the campus. It has its own
management team chaired by the Director Chemelot.
Finally, the Brightlands Chemelot Campus has its own policy board made up of
representatives of major firms, one representative for all SMEs and one representative
of the University of Maastricht. In clear functional differentiation from Chemelot’s
overall policy board, it deals with those affairs that affect predominately the
Brightlands Chemelot Campus rather than the Chemelot site as a whole.

Due to its sheer scale, scope and time horizon, the Chemelot project transcends the
boundaries of classic evaluation studies. As is evident, the project has saved one of the
Netherlands’ key industrial sites from if not certain than at least possible decline.
With a conscious policy of attracting new and innovative firms and research
institutions while at the same time rejuvenating the existing mass production sites and
providing competitive infrastructure for them, the Chemelot site has solved challenges
of structural change in a traditional industry in an exemplary manner.
Taking into account that the Brainport region is responsible for about half of all Dutch
patent applications, more than 40% of the country’s private R&D investments and

more than 30% of Dutch exports it is not difficult to imagine that, had the chance for
this turnaround been missed, the negative impact on the Dutch economy and the
European biochemical sector, could have well been substantial. Taking a hypothetic,
counterfactual perspective, it seems thus hard to deny that the Chemelot project has
had a substantial and lasting socio-economic impact.
With a view to concrete facts and figures, the campus is home to more than 1,500 jobs
today and will soon exceed the level of 2,000. Chemelot as a whole is the home of
more than 6,500 direct jobs. Taken together, the population of more than a hundred
firms forms a unique cluster in its field, even in European terms which has had more
than ten years to growth and, in a positive sense, mature. Additionally, there have
been notable effects on regional capacities in the field of higher and intermediate
education. Currently, there are no indications that the dynamic growth of the
Chemelot site will come to a growth anytime soon.

The market for products developed and produced at the Chemelot site has in many
ways never been potential but real and current. Having been developed from a bulk
Chemistry production site, the Chemelot Industrial Park remains a large scale
production facility of in part rather “classic” chemical goods up to today. At the same
time, this continued role is no longer its defining or even dominant characteristic.
Instead, many of the Chemelot Campus’ companies are developing new products and
services in a multitude of fields that in many ways have an inherent potential to shape
the future of the biochemical industry in both a mid- and long-term perspective.
Currently, therefore, the Chemelot Campus is home to both spin-offs in their early
pre-competitive phases and to major chemical corporations with a decade-long
history. Part of the on-site activities are devoted to new, potentially transformative
solutions while others continue to be based production processes that have been
established and refined for decades and are likely to see mostly incremental, rather
than transformative improvements.

The case of Chemelot shows, that change in traditional industries can neither be
achieved overnight nor can lasting regional development in regions shaped by them
succeed without involving large, incumbent players – even if these are already
divesting and may eventually withdraw production completely. While activities have to
start early, when first divestments occur, they need to be sustained for many years
before a true change is achieved.
Above all, the Chemelot story is one of leveraging inevitable transformation and
adding momentum to it to the best extent possible. While accepting that specific
structures cannot be maintained, it is at the same time one of upheld belief in the
sector as such, as visible in various education programs investing in the future.
Moreover, it underlines that research and education and their integration with
development and production are constitutive for creating relevant and sustainable
industrial anchor sites for the future. Obviously, its deep-rooted Triple Helix approach
has been a substantial ingredient to Chemelot’s success.

On the one hand, it is evident that the Chemelot experience cannot be transferred
directly to many other locations, as, firstly, few regions are home to classic chemical
sites of comparable international relevance and, secondly, those there are to not often
come together with the multiple windows of opportunity that the Chemelot has
successfully made use of (quick societal agreement in parallel to DSM divestment,
investors standing ready to take over and renovate crucial facilities, active and relevant
higher education environment in close proximity, flexibility and good governance on
the part of the Province of Limburg, and, not least the availability of substantial public
investment in the late 2000s and early 2010s).

On the other hand, the Chemelot experience does indeed hold relevant lessons for
regions with a focus on traditional industries across Europe. Arguably, the main
lessons learnt are valid for many cases, not just the Southern Netherlands and not just
the (bio-)chemical industry. Many indications suggest that the general idea of
rejuvenating old capacities while creatively complementing them with new ones and
setting up complementary education facilities could be taken up in other regions and
diverse traditional industries. In that sense, the overall model could indeed be
transferred to other regions. Also, it could be a relevant reference point as to how
private and public efforts can be combined.
Overall, the Chemelot project can be considered as a lasting, long-term effort that has
taken more than ten years to fully unfold and is likely to evolve further for the decade
to come. Against the background of that success and sunk costs in the chemical
industry high as they are, investors are unlikely to turn away anytime soon.
5.2 CHEM-STER Cluster of Specialized Chemistry, Opole (PL)
5.2.1 Origins
Established in August 2013 with the financial support of the European Regional
Development Fund, the CHEM-STER Cluster has set out ambitious objectives of
becoming a chemical leader in Poland and turning Kędzierzyn-Koźle into an
innovative centre of chemical industry.
There had been some attempts made in the past to establish a cluster that proved to be
unsuccessful. This was due to the fact that the discussion was overly focused on the
financial aspects (notably the share of own funding) and not sufficient attention was
paid to setting out the core objectives and planning the activities to be undertaken by
the cluster members.
Taking into account this experience, the management of Institute of Heavy Organic
Synthesis "Blachownia" (ICSO) noticed a new opportunity for establishing a cluster
when a new call for proposals was launched. It is important to explain that the
objective of this new tender was to support the development of cluster initiatives and
only low level budget projects were eligible for funding. The adopted approach was
based on a completely different philosophy aimed at bringing together potential
members interested in cooperation and establishing a clear focus of activities to be
undertaken within the cluster.
This coincided with the fact that the newly appointed CEO of the Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Industrial Park (acronym in Polish KKPP) previously worked in the chemical sector.
Signing a contractual agreement has laid foundations and offered some stability for
building partnership among the companies from the chemical and other related
industries as well as key stakeholders from the science sector.

• Coordinator: The Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (ICSO)
• Title of the project: Establishing the organisational and technical foundations for
functioning of the CHEM-STER Cluster
• Funding source: Operational Programme Innovative Economy 2007-2013,
Measure 5.1 Support to the development of supra-regional cooperation networks
• Project’s duration: 1 November 2012 – 31 May 2013

The mission set out by the CHEM-STER Cluster is to contribute to establishing
conducive conditions for investment and development of chemical companies and
enterprises providing support for the chemical sector. Also ensuring specialised
services relating to chemical technology processes that can be used by other branches
of industry is at the heart of the activities undertaken by the CHEM-STER Cluster.

5.2.4 Objectives
The main objective of the CHEM-STER Cluster is to direct chemical companies to
modern technologies and products, facilitate and improve their development and
processes as well as create attitudes and behaviours favourable for increasing the
innovativeness and competitiveness of companies.
5.2.5 Partners
The KKPP has a role of the Cluster Coordinator, whereas the ICSO chairs the Cluster
Steering Committee. During the launch event, Grupa Azoty ZAK S.A. which is one of
the largest chemical manufacturers in Poland was appointed as the Cluster Leader and
currently continues to play this role.
Figure 8 CHEM-STER Cluster Structure and Organisation
FOUNDERS(
STEERING(COMMITEE(
LEADER(
CLUSTER(MEMBERS(
Source: Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (ICSO).
Altogether there are some 20 members of the cluster representing the main regional
scientific research institutions and chemical companies. The list of members is
presented below:
• Kędzierzyn-Koźle Industrial Park
• Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia
• Azoty Group ZAK S.A.
• University of Opole, Faculty of Chemistry
• BELMAR Ltd.
• SOLVECO S.A.
• EUROL Innovative Technology Solutions Ltd.
• SITPChem
• ALCOR Ltd.
• Petrochemia-Blachownia S.A.
• RUETGERS Poland Ltd.

• Research Laboratory BLACHOWNIA Ltd.
• Advantum Investments Ltd.
• Azoty Group PKCh Ltd.
• Mikołaj Rej School No. 3 in Kędzierzyn-Koźle
• Katowice Special Economic Zone S.A.
• Brenntag Poland Ltd.
• West Technology & Trading Polska Ltd.
• Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry
• Solidaris Ltd.
It is worthwhile noting the fact that five members (i.e. EUROL – Silesia. Advantum –
Mazovia, Azoty Group PKCh – Mazovia, Katowice Special Economic Zone – Silesia,
and Silesian University of Technology) represent other regions which joined forces
with the view of building a regional centre of competence in specialised chemistry. The
income of production and service companies accounts for 3.1bn PLN which according
to the current exchange rate in June 2015 is about €750.8m, while the number of
employees is more than 2,500.

Achieving the set out objectives is realised by undertaking the following activities:
• Development of the projects’ ideas database;
• Development of rules of cooperation of scientific units with companies for the
purposes of joint preparation and realisation of R&D projects;
• Development of an efficient system of knowledge and experience sharing between
science and industry, including increasing professional qualifications, professional
placements in scientific units and industrial companies (employees exchange);
• Organisation of information meetings about calls for proposals concerning R&D
projects; and
• Promotion of the brand of the Cluster and facilitating business contacts.
One of the main areas of activities is popularisation of chemistry and raising
awareness about opportunities for young persons in pursuing this profession. For
example, there is a concrete idea to establish the Education Centre - All Chemik.
This is inspired by the Copernicus Science Centre located in Warsaw and the main
objective is to attract people at all age groups interested in chemistry. There is even a
building that could be used for that purpose, however, the project has not been
launched yet because a significant investment is required. In the future, the support
for this investment could be provided by the European Structural and Investment
Funds. In the meantime, the Cluster has been actively involved in the popularisation
of chemistry in secondary schools by organising a series of visits and lectures.
Regarding plans for the future, strengthening vocational training in chemistry in
cooperation with the local authorities is recognised as a priority area. Currently, there
is only one class at the vocational school in Kędzierzyn-Koźle with the profile of
chemical technologies.
Another important area of activities of the CHEM-STER Cluster is relating to the
establishment of scientific research and industry consortia within the specific thematic
areas. One of the project ideas that is led by a local SME concerns the enrichment of
osier and finding new applications as a fertilizer. Currently, the osier is increasingly
being used in energy forestry.
For example, the members are highly interested in carrying out an analysis to
determine the level of benzene concentration in the agglomeration area and

subsequently ensure appropriate land management through new industrial
investments. According to the legislation, the companies have an obligation to bring
pollutions to the original level. This poses for instance a problem to companies which
are located at the site belonging to the ICSO, precisely because of a difficulty to make
such assessments and potential risks of financial penalties for not respecting the
norms. There are a number of new business project ideas for funding from the
national and EU instruments, notably the Operational Programme 2014-2020 ‘Smart
Development’ and Horizon 2020.
5.2.7 Novelty
The principle of the CHEM-STER Cluster is that each cluster member should be
treated on equal footing independently of its size and should receive adequate support
from other members of the cluster. This particular novelty is a distinctive feature from
other cluster organisations in which the agenda setting is to a large extent determined
by larger actors. Secondly, the cluster organisation is flexible and it is possible at any
time to exit the cluster if the member wishes to do so without providing with a
justification for such decision.

The CHEM-STER Cluster is characterised by a lean organisation structure and clear
division of responsibilities. The Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia"
(ICSO) and the Industrial Park (KKPP) are the founding members of the cluster. The
company Azoty Group ZAK S.A., which is one of the largest chemical companies in
Central Europe specialised in the construction plastics, as well as the raw materials for
their manufacturing and mineral fertilizers is plays a role of the cluster leader.
The Steering Committee is represented by the founding members and the cluster
leader, in addition to a number of companies like ALCOR, BELMAR, RUETGERS
Poland, and EUROL Innovative Technology Solutions, the University of Opole and the
Association of the Chemical Engineers and Technicians – SITPChem.

The activities carried out in the framework of the CHEM-STER Cluster have
contributed to the development of cooperation with other national and European
platforms and resulted in achieving a regular flow of information about new funding
opportunities and project business ideas between the members associated with the
cluster.
The development of new generation of plasticizers which used in processing of plastics
and in the industry of paints and varnishes has been one of the biggest achievements
of cooperation between the CHEM-STER Cluster and Azoty Group ZAK S.A. whose
one area of specialisation is the construction plastics, the raw materials for their
manufacturing and mineral fertilizers.

One of the recent trends is delocalisation of investment from Europe because of higher
costs of raw materials as well as expenses stemming from stricter environmental
standards in Europe. All this represents a risk for European economies of becoming
more dependent on non-European regions. It is also important to mention that until
2019 Azoty Group plans to build in Police the biggest and the most modern
installation for the production of propylene. The total cost of investment accounts for
PLN 1.7bn which according to the current exchange rate is about €411.7m.
The CHEM-STER Cluster is positioned in the area of specialised chemistry, which is a
niche area with the highest potential for development. The interview, which was
undertaken in the framework of this assignment, pointed to the increase in interest
among the representatives of chemical industries in establishing their own research
centres and ensuring the exclusivity of R&D results. This will represent a change from
the current practice of purchasing licensing agreements. The financial support for

establishing research centre that will be available during the 2014-2020 programming
period is estimated at €500m.

One of the main lessons learnt from the design and implementation of the CHEM-
STER Cluster is that the establishment of shared and common vision is of key
importance for developing long-term partnership and collaboration. The cluster
initiatives which are motivated only by the financial aspects without defining a clear
vision of the cluster either fail in a short period of time or their activities are
discontinued once the funding is not available. Secondly, the case of the CHEM-STER
Cluster illustrates the importance of exploring business opportunities by building
upon the existing regional potential. Thirdly, it is important to ensure that different
activities are not carried out in isolation but constitute a complementary set of
activities and are part of a comprehensive strategic plan.

The CHEM-STER Cluster approach can be transferred to other regions, especially to
those that have less experience in the design and implementation of cluster initiatives.
With regard to sustainability, it is considered as one the successes of the CHEM-STER
Cluster. According to the available information some 70% of supported clusters
through the EU funding in Poland discontinue their activities due to the lack of
external sources of funding.
It is also important to point the fact that the cost of activities undertaken within the
cluster and operational costs are covered by the membership fees which vary
according to the size of participating companies. This is not to say that the cluster aims
to become entirely self-financing organisation and the cluster members will try to
obtain support for the development of their activities from other sources than own
funding.

6. De- and re-manufacturing
6.1 Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, Lombardy (IT)
6.1.1 Origins
The decision to launch the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics was
taken by the management of the Institute of Industrial Technologies and Automation
(ITIA-CNR) back in 2012. The ITIA-CNR and Politecnico di Milano collaborated in the
definition and implementation of this strategic project by bringing together
complementary competences and directly involving researchers of Politecnico in the
design and management of the pilot plant.
The initial investment (of about €2m) was co-funded by the National Research Council
of Italy (CNR) to which the ITIA belongs and Lombardy Region. The inauguration of
the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics took place in June 2013 in the
presence of more than 200 stakeholders, including the national and regional
authorities, academia, industry and representatives of various relevant associations.
The ITIA-CNR has also secured additional funding for the improvement of the pilot
plant and for the related research activities thanks to successful participation in the
competitive-based tenders, notably the National Research Programme “Factory of
the Future” and in the framework of a new co-funding programme between the CNR
and Lombardy Region. Furthermore, the National Technology Cluster on Intelligent
Manufacturing (CFI, the Italian acronym) has also provided the funding for activities
related to sustainable manufacturing.
Altogether the overall investment accounts for the total amount of about €5m and on-
going project activities have a time horizon until 2016.
The Director of ITIA-CNR, Prof. Tullio Tolio, stimulated the researchers of ITIA-CNR
and Politecnico di Milano towards the strategic goal of realising a pilot infrastructure
coherent with distinctive competences of the two organisations to be included in the
Lombardy Smart Specialisation Strategy. A multidisciplinary team for the design,
implementation and management of the pilot plan was established and meets on
regular basis since its launch. The Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics is
thus the result of collective efforts of various people with different backgrounds and
competences.
Figure 9 Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, Lombardy
Source: ITIA-CNR.

• Inauguration of the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics in June
2013.
• Multi-disciplinary approach integrating various enabling technologies and
providing specific solutions to companies.
• Cumulative investment in de- and re-manufacturing accounts for some €5m,
including infrastructure cost, in addition to cost related to research and
innovation activities.
• Projects are characterised by strong industry participation.

The mission of the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics and
corresponding projects in this area is to make the process of de- and re-manufacturing
more attractive for companies by implementing a series of activities, which are aimed
at the integration of various technologies, the development of automated and
optimised systems, virtual reality, digital simulation as well as new business models.
Carrying out research and innovation activities, in addition to the development of
skills in the area of de- and re-manufacturing are the two other priority areas set out
by the pilot plant.
6.1.4 Objectives
The Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics and the corresponding projects
aim to achieve the three following objectives:
• to facilitate companies to acquire innovative technologies for de- and re-
manufacturing processes and automated solutions with the view of creating
economic value and addressing environmental concerns;
• to support research and innovation activities in the area of De-Manufacturing; and
• to support the development of advanced skills exploiting the paradigm of the
“teaching factory”.
6.1.5 Partners
The ITIA-CNR is the owner of the De-Manufacturing Pilot Plant and acts as the
coordinator of various projects in the area of de- and re-manufacturing. Politecnico di
Milano is the strategic partner which participated in the overall design of these
projects. It also plays a management function as one of the areas of the pilot plant is
under the scientific responsibility of Politecnico di Milano.
Around these two organisations, a wider community of research organisations and
companies participating in the various projects was created. Among the companies, we
can cite Magneti Marelli - specialised in the design and production of hi-tech systems
and components for the automotive sector; Candy Hoover - specialised in
manufacturing of white good products; Italtel - a leading company in Italy and many
countries worldwide providing products and solutions for networks and next-
generation communications services based on IP protocol. Also technology providers
of sensors and machinery technologies take an active role in the activities of on-going
projects.
Among research partners, there are other institutes of CNR such as “IMATI-Institute

for Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies” “IREA- Institute for
Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment”, “IENI- Institute for Energetics and
Interphases”, “IMCB-Institute for composite and biomedical materials”, “ITC-
Construction technologies institute”, “IEIIT- Institute of Electronics, Computer and
Telecommunication Engineering”, as well as other Italian universities such as
“University of Parma”, “University of Cagliari” and “University of L’Aquila”.

The activities of the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics are carried out
within the following research domains:
• Robot systems for disassembly and reassembly of mechatronics products;
• Micro elements disassembly and reassembly;
• Integrated flexible automation;
• Mechanical pre-treatments (automated shredding and materials separation);
• Virtual reality / simulation; and
• Business models.
The focus of activities that are undertaken in the scope of the research domain ‘Robot
systems’ is on the development of flexible automated disassembly systems
cooperating with humans suitable for mechatronic products, which are made of
mechanical and electronic components.
Within the next research domain ‘Micro elements disassembly and
reassembly’ activities are concentrated on the processing of single electronic
components for remanufacturing purpose or for separating single components that
present high concentration of valuable materials for selective shredding or trading in
the market. Due to the fact that products are different, activities involve the
development of specific micro disassembly technologies tailored at a concrete product
and/or a group of products.
The domain ‘Integrated flexible automation’ entails the development of
automation and control solutions able to optimize De-Manufacturing factory
processes, also from the energetic point of view, considering the entire process chain
(disassembly, remanufacturing and pre-treatments) as integrated and, at the same
time, the intrinsic variability and unpredictability of waste or defective input products.
Within the next research domain ‘Mechanical pre-treatment’, the activities relate
to technologies and automation for shredding and materials separation before the
phase of chemical treatment of transformed substances, which involves other
technologies and know-how external to ITIA-CNR.
Figure 10 Figure Mechanical Pre-Treatment Facility, Lombardy
Source: ITIA-CNR.
The activities on ‘Virtual reality and digital simulation’ allows companies to
gain competitive advantages by deploying improved manufacturing processes and
management solutions building and integrating virtual and real factory models.
Finally, the research domain ‘Business models’ aims at defining new product-
service business models and strategies that are economically viable while at the same
time environmentally and socially sustainable.

6.1.7 Novelty
Particularly, the novelty of the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics can
be noted with regard to the three following aspects:
• Multi-disciplinary approach to solve the fragmentation of current practices and
foster the uptake of de- and re-manufacturing technologies and solutions by
companies.
• Ensuring synergies between national/regional instruments and connecting
different funding mechanisms towards a clearly defined goal.
• Forward looking activities to promote de- and re-manufacturing activities across
European Regions.

With regard to the organisational structure, it is worthwhile mentioning two bodies,
which play an important role in advancing de- and re-manufacturing activities in the
Lombardy Region.
Within the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, the Strategic Group on
De-Manufacturing, which consists of the Director of ITIA-CNR and principal
researchers, plays a very important role. The members of this group meet on a regular
basis to set the strategy, review the progress and draw up concrete action plans for
activities to be undertaken in the framework of the Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing
of Mechatronics.
It is also important to mention the Association “Lombardy Cluster Intelligent Factory”
(AFIL, the Italian acronym) which is the Cluster on Advanced Manufacturing
promoted by Lombardy Region bringing together companies, universities and
research institutions. AFIL is managing regional thematic working groups developing
research and innovation topics of strategic importance for the Region. One of these
groups, proposed and promoted by the ITIA and its community, is on de- and re-
manufacturing.

The Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics has attracted a lot of interest
among the industry representatives. The launch event, which took place in June 2013,
showed a strong participation of companies among the group of some 200
participants.
Impacts can be assessed on the basis of the following dimensions.
Under the research dimension, the pilot plant has contributed to increasing the
knowledge and the state of the art about de- and re-manufacturing processes and
technologies for mechatronics. This has led to scientific publications and involved a
series of activities related to the dissemination of results. Under the education
dimension, the pilot plant has led the development of new curricula by supporting
doctoral researchers and students for the master degree. Under the industrial
dimension, private contracts have been concluded concerning the use of infrastructure
available at the pilot plant as well as the provision of related services to companies. It
was confirmed by the interview that companies often look for a preliminary idea about
the economic benefits of de- and re-manufacturing. The Pilot Plant for De-
Manufacturing of Mechatronics has demonstrated the ability to provide both the
professional expertise and services to companies. The activities that are undertaken
within this pilot plant are aimed at helping company managers to better understand
the potential of de- and re-manufacturing and help them to explore new business
opportunities.
Finally, under the policy dimension, this initiative has also contributed to raising
awareness about the importance and benefits of de- and re-manufacturing among the
regional policymakers. The Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics team
has already contributed to the definition of priorities of the strategic agenda of AFIL

and CFI, the Intelligent Factory National Cluster, at regional and national level. It has
also started promoting the De- and Re-manufacturing priority in the EU agenda, for
example by participating in the public EU consultations recently launched by the
European Commission and to the roadmapping activities of European Factories of the
Future Research Association (EFFRA).

Overall de- and re-manufacturing creates new business opportunities for many
European companies. By the most recent count, it is estimated that about 80% of the
$3.2 trillion material value is lost irrecoverably each year worldwide.
Based on the available information concerning the pilot concept idea on de- and re-
manufacturing by the participating regions in the framework of the Vanguard
Initiative (i.e. Lombardy, Tampere, Norte, Basque County, Saxony and Scotland) some
200 accesses to this pilot network could be expected within the period of 5 years
following this new envisaged European installation. Comparatively, the pay back of the
initial investment is planned after about 25 accesses. So far more than 50 private
companies (both SMEs and large companies) with a cumulative turnover of €40bn
and with some 200,000 employees have expressed their interest and declared their
intention to access this pilot initiative in the future.

The interview undertaken in the framework of the RIM Plus initiative pointed to a
number of lessons to be learnt. Primarily, it is considered indispensable to have a clear
strategic idea before launching any public intervention and especially this kind of
initiatives. Secondly, it is necessary to demonstrate the ability to connect different
funding mechanisms and set out a comprehensive strategic plan, in order to trigger
behavioural changes of companies and improve their innovation capacity. Thirdly, the
importance of ensuring the continuity of activities with a clearly defined focus was
pointed out. In practice, the long-term engagement proves to be challenging especially
for the private sector when no permanent funding is available. That is why it is
important to guarantee a stable funding mechanisms and this can be considered as
another lessons to be drawn from implementation of actions led by the Region of
Lombardy in support of de- and re-manufacturing.

The Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics can considered as an initiative
that can be transferred to other regions. The ambition of Lombardy Region, AFIL,
ITIA-CNR and relevant stakeholders, is to develop a European networked
infrastructure of pilots on De- and Re-manufacturing in partnership with other
European Regions. This is the project under development in the framework of the
Vanguard Initiative – New Growth Through Smart Specialisation, under the
coordination of AFIL, being ITIA-CNR the technical coordinator. The focus of
activities to be undertaken by actors from the Lombardy Region is placed on
sustainable de- and re-manufacturing processes for the recovery of key metals, rare
earths and composite materials from the electronics and white goods sector, the
automotive industry and textile industry.
Other regions will exploit complementary competences and build upon the existing
potential following a logic of Smart Specialisation. For example, Saxony will support
remanufacturing processes for automotive metal sheets, whereas Tampere will provide
laser-assisted remanufacturing applications for parts in large machinery industry. The
Basque Country will deal with the recycling of composites from the aeronautic and
wind energy systems sectors. The Norte Region will focus on the activities related to
the robotics handling systems of automotive parts, while Scotland will undertake
activities concerning mechanical remanufacturing and cleaning processes.

7. Printed Electronics
7.1 Printed Electronics Arena, Östergötland (SE)
7.1.1 Origins
Relevant research in printed electronics has been performed by Linköping University
since the early 1980s and with greater vigour and visibility since the 1990s. At LiU,
organic electronics originates in two different departments at the technological
faculty: the Department of Surface Physics and Chemistry and the Department of
Applied Physics. The departments often carry out combined research. LiU also has a
long tradition in the field of science of materials. All of these departments are engaged
in organic electronics in different and complementary ways.
A first initiative around this particular competence in the Östergötland region were
started with the PEALLA project (Paper Electronics at LiU and the Research
Institute Acreo). As at the time, the electronics industry was not interested and close
to giving up on the new field of research, the initiative prioritized the paper industry.
PEALLA, was a joint project financed by VINNOVA, and the private multinational
companies AGFA-Gevaert, MReal, ITAB, SCA, StoraEnso and Tetra Pak. Also there
was the COIN project, accepted by NRDF in 2000. Activities related that project
included among others a national conference, and approximately 50 company visits
for Acreo. COIN also coordinated applications for two major national grants with a
total of 15m SEK. Further projects included EC Paper, started in 2004 with a 3m SEK
volume from NRDF, VINNOVA, and Sparbankstiftelsen Alfa. In short, the PEA
initiative could already draw on a dense network of personal relations and history of
joint work when PEA Manufacturing was set up in its current form in 2008.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, however, most projects remained visionary and
oriented strongly towards basic research. This changed when the PEA Manufacturing
environment was set up in 2008 and Acreo started to work more consciously and pro-
actively with business partners of different types, including those from abroad. Even in
the 2011 mid-term review of the projects VINNVÄXT component, however, did the
reviewers feel that its overall orientation remained too research oriented and not
focused enough on the by then evident challenges of commercialisation. With a new
management and strategy in place since 2011, however, the past four years have seen a
substantial turnaround in precisely this regard.
Today, PEA-Manufacturing is Sweden’s leading test environment for the production of
printed electronics, competitive internationally, and joined actively by small and large
companies from various countries worldwide. Hence, the current VINNOVA project
supporting the PEA Manufacturing environment will be continued with a new support
phase starting in August 2015 after the first one ended early 2015.
Furthermore, the Printed Electronics Arena has been selected as a model for future
development of key enabling technologies in the European Union. The printed
electronics arena is one of only four “Pilot Line Demonstrator” projects Europe-wide
that have been selected for the European Commission pilot program starting in 2014.
Since that time, experiences and lessons learnt in the Printed Electronics Arena have
been presented in workshops and reports, increased its international visibility and
lead to additional opportunities of becoming involved in Horizon 2020.

The Printed Electronics Arena is a joint project of Acreo Swedish ICT, Linköping
University, and Norrköping Science Part with activities in two main lines:
• PEA Network & Innovation Environment (Triple Helix)
an exchange platform for companies, researchers and the public sector
• PEA Manufacturing
the actual demonstrator and test environment for small-scale production

Acreo is the lead partner with respect to legal representation vis-a-vis funding agencies
but the core VINNOVA funding project is organised as a consortium among equals.
Annually, the 2010-13 project received about 4m SEK of VINNOVA funding, 1m SEK
from the Municipality of Norrköping and 500.000 SEK from Östsam, Östergötland’s
Regional Development Council. Additionally, an unknown amount of funds was
invested from the European Regional Development Fund through Tillväxtverket
(Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth). The precise allocation of
funding for the new support period starting in late 2015 remains unknown but will not
substantially decrease. It will continue to include a mix of Vinnova, regional and
European funding. As such, the “Pilot Line Demonstrator” status does not come with
additional European funding.

The Printed Electronics Arena Manufacturing environment and demonstrator is a
green house for the development of prototypes and small scale production of printed
electronics. Its vision is to create sustainable, long-term growth within the Norrköping
region through commercialisation and exploitation of Printed Electronics and
Bioelectronics by developing a local network of clusters of Printed Electronics, where
participating companies have the opportunity to exchange experiences and take
advantage of existing R&D results. Also, it seeks to reach beyond mere technological
development into marketing activities, the organisation of workshops, and, more
generally, the promotion of what has been achieved. The initiative’s long-term vision is
to make the innovation environment surrounding the Printed Electronics Arena
internationally competitive in the course of the next ten years.
The vision of the overall “Pilot Line Demonstrator” initiative is to help to bridge the
gap between research in emerging technologies and the application of these
technologies in manufacturing, in an effort to stimulate innovation and growth in the
European Union. With its 2011 to 2015 shift from a research- to a commercialisation-
oriented support philosophy in a nascent industry, the Printed Electronics Arena is
seen as a prime example of a successful initiative in this regard.
7.1.4 Objectives
From a technological prospective, new materials such as electrical conductors and
semiconductors in the form of plastics (polymers), have made it possible to produce
electronic “ink” that can then be used to draw electronic components and circuits on to
paper or plastic. This key invention, made about 2-3 decade ago, remains the core of
all innovation in the field of Printed Electronics and the development of new
applications on their basis. Today, the process of drawing electronic circuits of various
kinds can be automated by using printers (e.g. inkjet printers) or printing presses, and
developed towards a process for mass production for various types of printed
electronic components that, formerly, had to be assembled in a traditional sense.
Today, the field is undergoing rapid development in research and commercialisation
and it is PEA’s prime objective to further promote it. Research and development in
Acreo Swedish ICT and Linköping University remains world leading and the Printed
Electronics Arena seeks to leverage this potential for the Östergötland region.
Beyond the PEA Manufacturing demonstrator, the Printed Electronics Arena therefore
aims to create a regional network with a view to various aspects of Printed Electronics
that provides participating companies with the opportunity to exchange experiences
and make use of existing research. At the same time, it seeks to inspire growth and
innovation based on joint activities in the cooperative PEA Manufacturing
environment which brings together researchers from firms with those of Acreo
Swedish ICT (that owns and the facility) and Linköping University, often in joint
offices under the same roof. Thus, it seeks to establish a Triple Helix partnership based
on scientific excellence, knowledge exchange and natural interactions between firms,
university and public research. Actual cooperation in joint teams or at least in close
vicinity to each other gives R&D activities in the PEA Manufacturing environment a

competitive advantage which produces tangible outcomes and stimulates businesses’
interest in further commitment.
7.1.5 Partners
As outlined above, the Printed Electronics Arena must on the one hand be seen as
larger than the PEA Manufacturing demonstrator and on the other as larger as the
project core supported by VINNOVA.
With a view to the core project, Linköping University, Acreo Swedish ICT and
Norrköping Science Parks are consortial partners on equal terms, receive similar
amounts of funding and jointly establish and maintain the organisational framework
of the Printed Electronics Arena. Additionally, much of the money contributed by
industrial partners is invested into specific, in part bilateral projects in which Acreo
typically takes a larger share than the other partners. Other than the above figures
suggest, Acreo thus states on their homepage that only one third of project activities
are financed by VINNOVA, two thirds come from Norrköping and Katrineholm
municipalities, Acreo, Linköping University and Norrköping Science Park.
In a broader sense, the PEA network was established for the market participants
within the municipality, university and private sector – as well as for international
firms in the printed electronics field. On the practical side, research conducted at
Linköping University and Acreo Swedish ICT is the driving force behind the
operations and further development of the PEA Manufacturing test environment, with
Norrköping Science Park taking a role as supportive host.
As an incubator PEA Manufacturing is open to anyone that would like to test printed
electronics in their products and processes; start-up companies as well as established
companies, universities and institutes in Sweden and the rest of the world alike.
Effectively, this opportunity is being used by larger firms from across the European
market as well as the United States. Even U.S. spin-offs have started to collaborate
with the PEA Manufacturing environment.

The PEA Manufacturing is a test environment, operated and maintained by Acreo
Swedish ICT, using own technical staff. Its main purpose is to serve as a demonstrator
for the development of small scale pilot productions for new printed electronics
products. All types of companies as well as non-profit or public organizations are
welcome to use the test environment to see if they can incorporate Printed Electronics
into their products, processes or other solutions. The PEA Manufacturing ‘greenhouse’
gives interested parties access to research equipment, various manufacturing and
printing equipment as well as different support functions.
Dependent on the nature and degree of confidentiality of the specific project,
companies can choose to work independently in a laboratory or in consultation with
Acreo’s or Linköping University’s trained scientists and operators assigned to the test
environment. Expertise is available in areas like graphic design, physics, chemistry,
machine operation and project management. If the latter option is chosen, any
resulting IPR will (in most cases) later be held by Acreo and licensed to the firms on
conditions previously agreed on. Acreo has transferred its complete manufacturing
process and facilities to the incubator so that companies working therein gain access
to a broad range of state-of-the-art equipment and materials.
Examples of equipment available includes flat screen printing, UV, IR and hot air
dryers, dry phase patterning equipment, inkjet printers, label printing press reel to
reel for screen and flexo, lamination as well as a fully equipped analytical laboratory.
While the availability of that equipment is important, the expertise from researchers
and operators from Acreo and to a lesser extent Linköping University it would be
difficult for interested to make use of the facilities.

In that sense, the PEA Manufacturing incubator is indeed the core and unique selling
point of the Printed Electronics Arena, even though the overall project’s activities and
ambitions extend beyond it.
With a view to the further, more network oriented aspects of the Printed Electronics
Arena (resembling that of “classic” cluster organisations), companies will be exposed
to R&D and production activities in the regions’ cluster through specific activities. For
example, the names of participating companies and their specific operations will be
presented on the PEA website in the for of a “competence register”. Furthermore,
network participants will be offered confidential dialogue opportunities with process
leaders relating to their own product and marketing development and, if required,
suitable expert advice. Also, participants will also receive early access to research and
development by Acreo and Linköping University in the printed electronics field, have
the opportunity of influencing the research direction of Printed Electronics, and be
invited to attend workshops arranged by PEA relating to interesting usage and
production aspects within Printed Electronics.
Furthermore, the partners have established a network of national researchers and
scientists in the field of Printed Electronics. It consists of scientists representing
different parts of the value chain of Printed Electronics in Sweden. The research
network has so far had two annual meetings and discussed common interests and
problems. The discussions have led to some complementary applications for financing
from VINNOVA and European Union Framework Programmes (now H2020). It is
planned that the network will later be divided into different groups dealing with
specific sub-fields and challenges.
Also, PEA Manufacturing supports product development outside of Östergötland at
Mittuniversitetet and their spin-off ‘Sensible Solutions’ and is active in some
international networks like the international Organic Electronic association (OE-a)
that was started in Germany and has become a global organisation with members
throughout Europe, United States and Asia. Another network, “Faraday Packaging”,
organizes international brand owners, an important part of the value chain to get the
technology to the market. Besides this participation in established networks Acreo and
Linköping University participate as invited speakers at conferences for printed
electronics around the world.
From a technological perspective, the activities of the Printed Electronics Arena focus
on product development and market adjustment in the following areas:
Smart packaging
Packaging that communicates with consumers. Smart packaging may incorporate
details such as date labelling, additional information regarding the product and
possibly in the future, sensors giving details and nature of the contents.
Sensors in building materials
Building materials will for example register moisture, temperature and in the near
future also mildew and other damage. This technology provides a higher material
standard as well as increased safety and security for the individual.
Printed solar cells on paper and plastic
This technology is lightweight, can be printed directly on to large areas and is also a
relatively inexpensive process (in comparison to current manufacture of solar cells),
and is revolutionizing the view on sourcing energy from the sun.
Authenticity Verification
There is an increasing need for verification in a number of areas such as in health care
where quality and age of medicinal products is vital. The technique is also tested on
various forms of security paper.

Current market analysis provides information regarding reasonable pricing of
different technologies using printed electronics:
• Displays - 0.50 eurocent/cm2;
• Conductors / Antennas - 0.02 to 0.15 eurocent/cm2; and
• Electronic ID - <0.02 eurocent/cm2.
7.1.7 Novelty
The field of printed electronics has moved quickly from research vision to concrete
products in the past two decades. Even today, the available technological platform
includes a multitude of components ranging from transistors, conductors, resistances,
displays and push buttons to batteries and antennas. All these components can and
will be printed on the next generations of packaging materials just as naturally as
standard printing is used today. Printed electronics adds intelligence to packaging and
products which goes beyond a traditional understanding of electronics. Applications
like hidden electronic codes indicating authenticity, transport loggers recording
product conditions on an individual basis, timer functions to guarantee freshness,
thermometers on chilled products, displays and/or interactive messages to increase
sales or provide important information about a product and medicine packaging that
provide information as to when it has been taken open entirely new avenues of for the
development of solutions for both everyday life and industrial applications.
Consequently, the range of topics that research and product development consortia
can address under the heading of printed electronics are by definition large. In the
case of PEA Manufacturing, Acreo has put together an offering in two of the most
advanced research areas in terms of maturity. PaperDisplay™ manufactures and
sells low cost displays printed on paper substrates for applications in smart labels,
smart packaging, etc., WebShape produces patterned laminated foils with a new,
patented production method. Overall, the design of the PEA Manufacturing
environment may thus not be organisationally unique worldwide, but according to its
management it constitutes the only place where the availability of this type of
environment is offered for specific topics in printed electronics.
Hence, the overall PEA project is conceptually “novel” and “distinctive” in a double
sense. On the one hand, historically, as it started to address an emerging topic before it
even became an emerging industry – putting itself in a pole position to accompany it
on its way of becoming one. On the other hand, thematically, as it has more recently
been successful in developing a clear profile and focus on specific areas of expertise
that other initiatives have not yet come to master to the same extent.

Members of the PEA Network include the Municipality, the University and the
business community, all working together towards the regional development of
operations which are based on Printed Electronics. Accordingly, the PEA Network has
a steering board with five members from university, industry, Acreo’s mother
organisation, the science park and the municipality.
The Network is constantly developing through workshops, new business relationships
and cluster meetings. The primary target group consists of regional stakeholders
which, in various ways, form part of the value chain. All organisations actively
interested in participating in the development of Printed Electronics and who wish to
see this region become a hub in this field will be granted free membership of this
Network. Nonetheless, its main and defining members remain Linköping University,
Acreo and Norrköping Science Park. The municipalities of Norrköping and
Katrineholm are also committed to the project. Beyond the PEA Manufacturing
environment, this collaboration focuses on the development of innovation and
entrepreneurship in a broader sense e.g. through Norrköping Science Park’s
connection to the business incubator LEAD, which encourages start-ups to establish in
the region and thus gain access to research, various production and printing methods.

With a view to the core project funded by VINNOVA and constituted as a consortium
of Acreo, Linköping University and Norrköping Science Park, 10-15 staff are working
on PEA related issues continuously. Technically, that staff remains assigned to
hierarchies within their respective organisations (Acreo, Linköping University,
Norrköping Science Park) with the one exception of Mr Höglund, the project manager,
who is paid entirely from the project and works exclusively for it.

According to an evaluation, most players in the regional innovation system agree that
printed electronics is a priority growth area for the region. The 2011 evaluations
reports reservations with a view to the projects lack of commercial orientation have
been overcome, as evident in the award of the “Pilot Line Demonstrator” status and
the already approved continuation of VINNOVA funding from late 2015 onwards.
Also, Norrköping Science Park has recently decided to invest in a small number of
priority focus areas of which printed electronics was one and Östsam Regional
Development Council has written the growth area of printed electronics into its action
plan and contributed to papers regarding this technological area in its supporting
documentation for the Structural Funds programme for East Central Sweden.
Apparently, the initiative thus remains a priority on the regional as much as on the
national and European political level.
To provide documentation of its positive and dynamic development, researchers at
Linköping University have started to monitor activities related to the PEA initiative.
Hence, the number of seminars, workshops and lectures held within the region and
outside it are already being monitored with indicators. Additionally, there are plans to
use questionnaires to monitor companies’ views on the participation in the initiative’s
different projects and workshops and ambitions to generate supporting data about the
printed electronics industry and its development.

Printed electronics is a field that has and still is going through a rapid transition from
research to development to final products. Forecasts indicate extremely large market
volumes for certain areas of operation, particularly in retail trade as well as mail and
distribution. Today, many printed electronics applications are already on the market
and new, more advanced products are developed in ever shorter intervals.
Products already available include:
• Display smart packaging, security information, date stamps etc.;
• Batteries for power supply;
• Antennas for wireless communication between, e.g., a label and a reader;
• Memory chips;
• Development of future products in other areas including:
• Wireless labels able to access networks, "Internet of things"
• Multi-colour displays with the ability to update at video speed
• Thin, flexible illumination with arbitrary shape
• Sensors for detection of, for instance, moisture, temperature or biological
substances ("smart plasters", quality control of fresh produce)
• Authenticity verification (for instance smart notes).

Figure 11 Printed Electronics Products and Prototypes
Source:
http://www.mkpl.eu/fileadmin/site/bestanden/final/1_Tommy Hîglund_Technology
validation in a common Pilot production.pdf
Today, basic components such as transistors, conductors, resistors, displays, push

buttons, batteries and antennas form a broad technological platform. Soon, it will be
possible to print all these components on the next generation of packaging. The
printing methods used are in principle well-known (such as screen printing,
flexography, offset, gravure and ink jet) but have to be adapted to the specific
requirements of conductive “ink”. The method can be either sheet printing or printing
on a continuous paper web (roll-to-reel, R2R). Compared with conventional
electronics manufacturing, this provides a wealth of new opportunities, such as cheap
mass production, electronics on flexible substrates, rapid prototyping in small
quantities, and lower investment costs. In addition, this technique has great potential
for eco-friendly production.
In sum, the potential market for printed electronics is huge, cutting across many
sectors and addressing different stages of the value chain. As mentioned before, it is
actually that big that the Printed Electronics Arena had to develop a distinct profile.

According to the VINNVÄXT midterm evaluation there have been a number of
important success elements:
Process Management and Organisation
The initial, deliberate recruitment process of management has been essential for the
later team work in Norrköping Science Park and Printed Electronics Arena. In order to
have a functioning process management the project needs to have a flexible working
approach and have the possibility to choose unconventional routes and the project has
been successful in hiring determined, successful and integrative process managers.
Working Approach and Development Logic
New application areas have to be methodically searched for and process management
must have the ability to facilitate commercialization, using development laboratories
to practically demonstrate the applications for potential customers. In doing so, the
initiative (or rather its post 2011 management) has been successful in changing in
transforming a ‘think tank’ mentality into a market-oriented mentality.

Overall, the example of the Printed Electronics Arena shows that, in emerging
industries, each new stage of development will need a specific, temporarily suitable
type of approach. At the same time, it demonstrates that results will in the long run
only materialise when needed transformative decisions are taken at the right point in
time, swiftly and with determination.

Certainly, the project is sustainable in its current form, arguable just having started on
a long-term track of development. Nonetheless, it remains dependent on a sizeable
share of public funding that – if it were to be withdrawn completely – would lead to
the demise of the initiative. This, however, needs to be understood against the
background of the initiative’s pre-competitive nature. In that sense, it is not
problematic that continuous public funding is part of the financing model. Instead, it
should be seen as putting public investment into solution oriented research to use in
the swiftest and most effective manner possible.
With a view to transferability, the project has been developed as the last stage of a long
regional path of development that is certainly in a way unique. Hence, it can hardly be
reproduced in other regions directly. Nonetheless, even the project management that
there are other European regions in which public research in printed electronics may
be similarly attractive for firms whose sectors will soon be affected. Even if the precise
profile of these regions’ research organisations is different, they could indeed benefit
from taking into account the Printed Electronics Arena’s main success factors past and
present. As these initiatives’ profiles differ from that of the Printed Electronics Arena
and thus not constitute direct competition, such mutual exchange may in addition
prepare a fertile ground for future cooperation.

8. Developing Skills for Advanced Manufacturing
8.1 Polymer Technology Centre, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Upper
Austria
8.1.1 Origins
In 2007, the set up of two pioneering institutes in the field of plastics technology laid
the foundations for what has become one of the largest and scientifically leading
research and training environments for polymer technology in Europe. Eights years
ago, the two institutes “Chemistry of Polymers” and “Polymer Sciences” were founded
at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz. Their set up formed the basis for the
development of the dedicated academic programme “Plastics Technology and Polymer
Chemistry“ and only two years later, in the winter term 2009, the first students started
to attend Bachelor courses in plastics technology.
As plastics technology can be considered a relevant material of the future, the decision
to establish a whole academic programme on its basis has been taken consciously with
the ambition to influence the strategic orientation of the Johannes Kepler University
(JKU Linz). It was backed up with significant support of the Austrian Federal
Government and the Federal State of Upper Austria (> €10 m), as well as supported
through strong contributions from local industry (> €7m).
In May 2013, the establishment of the JKU Polymer Technology Centre was another
milestone within the thematic field of polymer science: The JKU Polymer Technology
Centre offers several laboratories and technical facilities that are equipped with the
most modern plastics technology processing equipment, measuring instruments and
testing equipment. A total of €10m was invested in the equipment infrastructure.
Additionally, the university’s general infrastructure, such as offices, computer
workstations, seminar rooms and lecture halls, correspond to modern requirements.

The first academic programme “Plastics Technology” was established in late 2009
while the JKU Polymer Technology Centre (PTC) was completed in May 2013. The
four institutes of the JKU Linz that are responsible for the academic programme are
located in the JKU Science Park’s Buildings 2 und 3, close to the PTC facilities.
The current JKU Science Park was completed in three phases, with a second section
completed in 2011, and a final, third section completed in 2012. Since the programme
moved into the newest buildings of the Science Park, the conditions for teachers and
students have substantially improved. As outlined above, the facilities housed in that
third section of the building are equipped with up-to-date technical infrastructure for
research in plastics technology. Thus, the PTC puts an additional 3000 m² of space at
the disposal of the JKU’s researchers in this field.
As Figure 12 illustrates, 101 students started to study in the newly founded academic
programme (BSc Plastics Technology) in 2009, a figure that has since more than
doubled even if, most recently, it slightly declined. This slight decrease in recent years,
however, was more than compensated by the high popularity of the JKU’s three MSc
programmes for Polymer Technologies that have been highly popular since their
inception in 2010 and, in particular since 2012, attracted more and more students.

Figure 12 Development of First-Year Students, 2009-14, the JKU Linz
Source: 5 Jahre JKU-Kunststofftechnik – eine Erfolgsgeschichte, 2015.

Today, about 300 students study plastics technology and polymer science at the JKU.
Finally, a substantial number of students have graduated from both the BSc and the
MSc programme. Until 2015, a total of 90 degrees have been recorded, including 61
Bachelor degrees, 15 Master degrees and 14 Doctoral degrees.
Moreover, the Polymer Technology Centre has been the point of departure for
countless co-operations between science (JKU) and (local) industry. Through these
activities as well as through applications for excellence based funding, around €30m
could be raised in third-party funding for plastics technology research.

In the region of Upper Austria two thirds of economic potential is generated in the
plastics industry (manufacturing of polymer materials, NACE 24 & 25). The Upper
Austrian plastics sector is made up of more than 200 businesses with around 35,000
employees and manufactures about half of all plastics produced in Austria. Hence, the
industry is highly interested in an excellent academic program for plastics
technologies to improve the local availability of high-qualified graduates.
Technologically, Upper Austria belongs to the leading regions of plastics processing
and plastics engineering in Europe, a position that can in the long run only be
maintained through continuous innovation based on close cooperation between
science, research and industry. The fields of study at the JKU Linz and the
establishment of the Polymer Technology Centre are an essential contribution to
keeping this position. Research performed in the Polymer Technology Centre is often
the starting point for product development, which, in turn, provides new market
opportunities for Upper Austrian businesses.
According to the President of the JKU Linz, the mission of the JKU Polymer
Technology Centre is to establish one of the world’s best academic polymer
programmes, where high-quality education as well as cooperation between science and
industry is indispensable.
8.1.4 Objectives
With the increased focus on plastics engineering that the JKU Linz has developed
based on the activities of the Polymer Technology Centre, it has further expanded its
profile as a technically-oriented university which in turn contributes to strengthening
Upper Austria as a research location. The increasing involvement of the economy and
the rising student numbers in the new study programme illustrate that the newly
conceived offers correspond to a local demand.
In the Polymer Technology Centre, young students receive training of the highest
quality in technology areas that are in high demand today and will likely be more so
during the next decade. Beyond high quality courses, the centre’s strong network of
collaborations between science and industry has been decisive in making the academic

program a unique proposition for students who, within the PTC facilities have access
to business partners and can gain in-depth insights into current industrial practice.
Ultimately, the centre’s activities intend to support the development of Upper Austria
as a leading region and vivid business ecosystem in the field of polymer technology.
Essentially, therefore, the JKU’s Polymer Technology Centre aims to educate and train
a highly-qualified workforce of the future that will provide the basis for a unique local
skills pool that puts forward the region as a prime business location.
8.1.5 Partners
Today the JKU Polymer Technology Centre plays the central role in the organisation of
the academic programme “Plastics Technology” and in developing Upper Austria as a
leading business location in the field of plastics technology.
In detail, the academic program is anchored in the activities of four institutes of the
JKU Linz that have conceived and invested into the JKU Polymer Technology Centre
and use its facilities jointly for teaching and research:
• Institute of Polymeric Materials and Testing (ipmt)
• Institute of Polymer Product Engineering (ippe)
• Institute of Polymer Injection and Moulding and Process Automation (ipim)
• Institute of Polymer Extrusion and Compounding (ipec)
In total, 17 professors at 13 institutes are regularly involved in polymer research and
training at the JKU. Beyond the four core polymer research institutes, therefore, the
following nine institutes make regular or occasional use of the PTC’s facilities.
• Institute of Chemistry of Polymers
• Institute of Catalysis
• Institute of Analytical Chemistry
• Institute of Physical Chemistry - LIOS
• Institute of Chemical Technology of Organic Materials
• Institute of Polymer Sciences
• Institute of Soft Matter Physics
• Institute of Surface and Nanoanalytics - ZONA
• Institute of Constructional Lightweight Design
As outlined above, moreover, industrial partners have played a determining role in the
establishment of both the academic programme as such and, later, the JKU Polymer
Technology Centre. Since the introduction of plastics technology as a main area of
emphasis, the JKU Linz has cooperated intensively with the regional plastics industry,
in particular with the companies OMV, Greiner Holding and Engel Holding.
In the framework of the JKU Polymer Technology Centre many of these companies
cooperate regularly with students and researchers alike, be it through external
teaching courses or through joint research and development projects.

In general terms, the scope of the JKU Polymer Technology Centre is reflected in the
orientation and objectives of the academic programmes for plastics technology and
polymer science implemented by the four core polymer research institutes and vice
versa. As outlined in Figure 13, the three year Bachelor Course is of a cross-cutting
nature while there are three different types of two year Master Courses: Polymer
Technologies and Science, Management in Polymer Technology and Polymer

Technology. With this large variety of courses, the JKU Linz offers the probably widest
academic program in the field of plastics technology worldwide.
Moreover, it offers potential students a variety of combinations of not only different
technological but also management aspects related to the polymer industry and opens
up great flexibility for individual specialization. In doing so, it avoids the common
fallacy of training students in new developments in technology without preparing
them for the changes in business models and working environments that will
inevitably result as a consequence of those.
Figure 13 New Academic Programme, the JKU Linz
Undergraduate
Plastics Technologies (six semesters)
Studies (BSc)
Postgraduate I* II* III*

Master Studies Polymer Tech- Management in
(MSc) nologies and Science Polymer Technology Polymer Chemistry
*ea ch w it h fou r sem est er s
Doctoral Studies Technical Sciences (subject-specific)

In general terms, the four core polymer research institutes are engaged in different,
yet complementary research areas and contribute to the PTC accordingly.
The ipmt covers the fields of physics, material science, testing and applications of
polymeric materials. The institute’s research profile is directed towards a contribution
to some of the key technologies associated with the concept of Sustainable
Development. It comprises research activities on the development of polymeric
materials and the utilization of polymer technologies in the following fields:
• water supply, management and disposal;
• renewable energy technologies;
• light-weight electric vehicles; and
• 'biogenic' plastics based on renewable resources.
Issues related to general improvements in energy and material efficiency by polymer
applications including aspects of performance-oriented life cycle analysis as well as
fossil fuel raw material availability (i.e., peak oil) are treated as cross-sectoral topics.
Moreover, the ipmt acts as an initiator and coordinator of large multi-partner
cooperative research programs with other research and industrial partners.
The ippe focuses primarily on the field of designing and utilizing polymer materials
and polymer product engineering in close cooperation with other institutes of the
Polymer Programme and with the institutes of the Mechatronics Programme of the
JKU.
In general, the institute deals with various aspects of structural integrity assessment
for polymer materials and the design of parts and components from polymer materials
with additional mechatronics considerations. In addition to the application of
conventional structural polymer materials, specific emphasis is put on novel
multifunctional, smart polymer materials for advanced engineering applications.
In particular, ippe’s research focuses on the application of heterogeneous and hybrid
materials and composites of various length scales for the components, as well as on
comprehensive designs from a material micro to a component macro scale.
Furthermore, the influence of the processing and joining technology of materials, the

adhesion and debonding of interfaces on the component behaviour, is investigated and
considered in the component design.
The focus of the ipim is on highest-quality teaching and research activities tailored to
the needs of Upper Austria. In its teaching, the institute strives to provide students
with an excellent technical and theoretical basis in the field of plastics processing for
discontinuous process technologies. The research profile of the institute is mainly
based on the needs of the Upper Austrian and Austrian plastics industry in the field of
injection moulding technology and the automated production of plastic components.
Research activities focus on thermoplastic composites, polymer degradation in
plasticising systems, and injection moulding processes for solar heat components.
In detail, the institute’s research activities focus on:
• New methods for measuring the in-line monitoring during injection moulding;
• Optimization of single- plastication systems;
• Efficient thermal design of injection moulding tools;
• Economical processing methods for the production of pharmaceuticals;
• Automated processes for high volume production of lightweight components;
• Optimization methods for the production-oriented component design;
• Analyse and development of in-situ polymerization of PA 6;
• Functional integration;
• Simulation of blending, filling and heating processes; and
• Optical component measurement.
Partners in these research and development areas include large multinational
companies like Audi, Borealis, ENGEL, Greiner and MAN.
Finally, the ipec focuses on research in process-, product- as well as material
technology with the intention to increase the efficiency in production and savings of
resources. Its mission is the translation of new materials into innovative products by
using modern process technologies.
In detail, the institute’s activities in basic and applied research focus on:
• Research and optimisation of screw plasticating units;
• Pipe-, profile and film/sheet extrusion;
• Compounding and recycling: processing and material development;
• Lightweight design with thermoplastics: thermoplastic-pultrusion;
• Generative production engineering: 3D-FFF-printing/extrusion free forming;
• Modelling of transport phenomena in polymer processing technologies;
• Material characterisation and applied rheology;
• Sensor and measurement techniques for optimising of material; and
• Self-optimising complex extrusion line concepts and soft sensors.
8.1.7 Novelty
The core novelty of the JKU PTC’s academic programme is the unique possibility to
specialise on the subject of plastics/polymer technology from an undergraduate level
(BSc course with specific degree). At most other universities, plastics technology is just
one area of specialisation within broader engineering degrees.

This, however, is not to say that the activities of the four core polymer research
institutes in the context of the Polymer Technology Centre were not embedded in a
broader environment at the JKU (as already evidenced by the involvement of nine
further institutes as mentioned above). As Figure 14 shows, the academic programmes
and research activities in the field of polymer technologies are, at the JKU Linz,
embedded in a dynamic environment in which a considerable synergies arises from
their positioning between capabilities in mechatronics on the one hand and chemistry
and chemical engineering on the other. Also, the JKU provides generic capabilities in
e.g. the natural or the social sciences that can be of relevance for specific projects.
Figure 14 Interdisciplinarity and Synergy Effects, the JKU Linz

Hence, the academic programme “Plastics Technology” and the three polymer master
studies are well-embedded in a much broader overall range of academic programmes
currently offered at the JKU Linz. At the same time, they offer the broadest range of
differentiated Master courses in polymer science worldwide, which allow a high degree
of flexibility to expand knowledge and specialization.

The new academic programme started in 2009 and consists of the undergraduate
course in “Plastics Technology” and Master and Doctoral courses in “Polymer Science”
that are organised and taught jointly by the four core polymer science institutes (ipmt,
ipim, ippe, ipec) that, since 2013, perform joint research under the framework of the
JKU Polymer Technology Centre. Besides, close co-operations exist with the
Departments of Chemistry and Mechatronics at the Faculty of Engineering and the
large “Austrian Centre of Competence in Mechatronics (ACCM)” as do deep and long
standing relations with the local plastics industry that regularly contributes to the
curriculum through external teaching, internships and other formats.
In 2015, the JKU further strengthens its leading position in technological innovation
with the Linz Institute of Technology (LIT). The LIT is based on an alliance between
the university, the federal state of Upper Austria, the city of Linz and Upper Austria
Industry. As an internationally-oriented centre for technological education and
research, LIT is going to focus on specific innovation areas (Special Semester) the first
two being Intelligent Production Processes (“Industry 4.0”) and medicine technology.
In each Special Semester, internationally leading scientists are invited as visiting
professors. Thus, LIT will take a leading role in research and development in Upper
Austria. In addition, it will be the central platform for engineering studies at JKU.

In doing so, this larger initiative draws comprehensively on the JKU’s competences in
the areas of mechatronics, polymer technology, information technology and various
others, thus integrating the polymer research institutes and the Polymer Technology
Centre in a yet firmer strategic association.

In terms of numbers, 90 students of the new academic program plastics technology
have successfully concluded their studies by now, while about 300 students are
registered. Furthermore, more than €30m of third-party funds could be raised for
plastics technology research since 2010. Besides, cooperation with the local industry
could be strengthened and intensified. With a view to international visibility and
recognition, both the academic programmes and the PTC research and teaching
environment have come to enjoy high international reputation in both the academic
and industrial sector – even after a comparatively short period of implementation.
By the centre’s management, recent years positive developments’ are considered an
excellent basis to set equally ambitious targets for the coming years:
In the area of education, the centre will work towards a dynamic increase in the overall
number of students. Secondly, the share of female students (currently 20%) shall be
notably increased. Thirdly, an even stronger internationalization is to be achieved in
order to attract more students from abroad. To that end, further steps will be taken to
increase and broaden the international visibility of the Polymer Technology Centre e.g.
through a participation at the world's largest plastics trade fair “K216”.
As all courses in the Master programmes are taught exclusively in English since
2013/14, the JKU’s academic programmes in the field of polymer research have
become even more attractive for foreign students. Besides, the excellent quality and
variety of the education programme, the possibility to use the modern infrastructures
of the Polymer Technology Centre, and, not least, the opportunity to engage with
relevant businesses at an early stage, guarantee excellent job and career prospects for
the JKU’s future polymer science graduates.
In summary, the JKU’s activities in the field of polymer science have deepened its
already successful cooperation with the local economy in both research and teaching.
The expansion and further application orientation of the courses offered by the JKU is
an asset to both JKU and the Upper Austrian industry, as many graduates have been
found to stay on the Upper Austria region.

Polymers are robust plastics with almost unlimited industrial applications from very
basic (e.g. toothbrushes, toys, hoses) to highly complex industrial products and
resources across multiple sectors and technology fields. In addition to a broad
knowledge base in natural sciences, the field of plastics technology requires expert
knowledge in engineering as an academic discipline as well as the systematic and
creative power of the practicing engineer, in order to obtain technically new and
economically interesting solutions. Thus, excellence in polymer technology requires a
combination of engineering skills with knowledge in the field of materials science as
well as an understanding of processes to process and construct with plastics.
Against this background, the labour market for polymer science graduates that already
have substantial practical insights into industrial application of plastics technology
will remain high in the future both in Upper Austria and beyond.

Since the establishment of the new academic program in the areas of plastics
engineering and polymer technology, the JKU Linz has established itself as Austria’s
leading university in these fields. The integration and coordination of different
institutes’ activities towards a joint vision and objective can be regarded as exemplary.
On that basis, polymer research has in a quite limited timeframe been established as a

key field of excellence at the JKU that has become a central pillar of strategic
initiatives the Linz Institute of Technology (LIT).
Notably, the local industry has played an important role in achieving that outcome,
not only through substantial financial contributions but also through an active and
personal engagement in various projects. In particular, local firms have been strongly
involved to shape the academic programme’s applied orientation and the students’
continuous and close association with industrial R&D projects is of great importance
for the appeal of the Polymer Technology Centre.
Today, the Linz Study Guide for plastics engineering and polymer chemistry is one of
the world’s best and contributes significantly to the strengthening of the scientific and
business location of Upper Austria.

The success story of the Polymer Technology Centre is on the one hand specific to the
region of Upper Austria as it draws on a unique set of local capabilities in science and
industry. On the other hand, the specific form of collaboration between science and
industry that has led to the current programme’s shape and orientation could well be
regarded as guiding for similar efforts in other regions. In particular, the JKU’s PTC
has been successful not only in involving industrial actors in the performance of an
educational programme (e.g. through external courses and internships) but also in its
design phase, when the orientation of the different courses was developed according to
the specific needs of the local industry.
Given the programmes dynamic development, high visibility and increasing
recognition, there is little reason to assume that it should not be sustainable. Instead,
it seems likely that it will flourish for years, if not decades to come.
8.2 Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy, Pays de la Loire (FR)
8.2.1 Origins
The Technological Research Institute Jules Verne (French acronym, l’IRT) is an
industrial research centre, which brings together the private sector and scientific
research institutions with the view to improving the industrial competitiveness. It was
established in 2012 in response to the call for proposals launched in the framework of
the national programme “Investissements d’Avenir”.
The Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy is a complementary initiative inspired by the
work carried out by the Regional Industrial Competence Observatory of Pays de la
Loire (French acronym, ORCI) which was established at the beginning of 2012 and co-
piloted by the regional branch of Metallurgy Industry Association (French acronym,
l'UIMM), the Jules Verne Institute, Regional Authorities and the Prefecture of the
region.
The diagnosis of the situation points to difficulties encountered by the industrial
training providers finding the suitable candidates. Particularly, this is true for the
position of operators for which the rate of enrolment is below 50% and is also in the
case of engineers or PhD, precisely because graduates are more attracted by working
in the service and financial sector.
In summary, the following three specific issues have been identified:
• Industry has generally lost attractiveness among young people;
• While the aerospace sector continues to attract new employees especially by
leading large companies like AIRBUS, EUROCOPTER, the SME sector hardly
generates any new employment;
• The available trainings do not always seem appropriate to the industry needs
taking into account rapid evolution of modern technologies and some new
businesses do not match any training manual.

The Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy has received public support of €12.2m in the
framework of the national programme “Investissements d’Avenir”. Similarly to other
initiatives, the launch and establishment of Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley,
Academy is a result of collective work but it is important to note the leadership of
Stéphane Cassereau, the Director General of the IRT.
Figure 15 Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy
Source: L’IRT Jules Verne.

In total the investment accounts for €32m, including €22.5m for the construction of a
building with technological area and €10m for the industrial equipment required for
the trainings.

• The development of national network and the new joint site for industrial training
at the heart of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley in Bouguenais.
• The new building of 7700 m2 will include 4600 m2 of technological area and 1400
m2 of laboratory space. It will be equipped with equipment necessary for
industrial training, teaching classes and a FabLab for rapid prototyping.
• The total investment of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy accounts for
€32m.
• The new site will be ready early 2019, whereas the installation of equipment by the
IRT is foreseen in spring 2019.

The joint mission of the IRT and the competitiveness pole EMC2 is to develop a global
ecosystem focused on manufacturing which would one of the best performing in terms
of innovation and economic development. Therefore, a long-term vision is that Jules
Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy constitutes a motor of economic development
in Pays de la Loire and contributes to improving the competitiveness of French
industry.
The mission is based on three pillars, notably scientific research, in addition to
innovation activities (e.g. patenting and the creation of innovative enterprises)
improving skills for advanced manufacturing that is being achieved through the recent
Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy.
The area of advanced manufacturing is considered as a strategic cross-cutting domain
integrating various innovative technologies, which would allow the design, production

and assembly of parts, products, machinery, tools and production system. The
underlying objective is to contribute to the development of more sustainable, efficient,
attractive and competitive industries.
The main objective of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy is to respond the needs
of companies in terms of competences and skills for advanced manufacturing. The
project is structured in the two following pillars:
• Network of trainings on manufacturing (i.e. initial training, apprenticeships
in a company and continuous education with a broad spectrum of post-secondary
educational activities and programmes).
• Joint infrastructure dedicated to further education activities (i.e. 20
types of courses provided by 10 entities, in addition to modern infrastructure
necessary for the realisation of practical trainings).
In detail, the seven operational objectives of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy
are as follows:
1. Provide competences according to the current and future industry needs.
2. Increase the attractiveness of industrial profession, from operator to PhD
graduates, and contribute to the evolution of the perception about industrial
profession among young people and their families.
3. Stimulate the development of a system of trainings through apprenticeship. It is
planned that by 2019 the Manufacturing Academy and Association of Industrial
Professional Training, French acronym AFPI will provide training to between
800-1000 apprentices (i.e. from the CAP level which is an equivalent of secondary,
vocational education to engineer diploma). In total some 2000-2500 persons are
expected to be involved in industrial trainings.
4. Ensure that the training and industrial profession is accessible for all.
5. Put innovation at the heart of educational objectives, taking into account the
evolution and use of digital solutions.
6. Establish the map of available equipment and optimise its utilisation.
7. Leverage the development of a network through the establishment of a joint
training centre to be recognised internationally as a best practice example in
developing skills for advanced manufacturing.
8.2.4 Partners
The IRT consists of 58 members of which 31 are large industrial companies like Airbus
Group, STELIA, PASTIC OMNIUM, 13 SMEs including ALBATROS, MULTIPLAST,
SOCOMORE, and 14 scientific research institutions among others CNRS, the Ecole
Centrale de Nante, and Ecole des Mines de Nantes, etc.
In case of the Manufacturing Academy various actors including local, regional
authorities, the IRT, industrial partners and training institutions are involved in this
joint initiative.
8.2.5 Novelty
The novelty of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy mainly lies in the role
played by the IRT, which aims at developing the initiative and bringing together
different actors, who at the same time can be competitors. As noted during the
interview, developing such synergies is complex but at the same time it is very
promising for leveraging the existing potential of advanced manufacturing in Pays de
la Loire.

With regard to the Manufacturing Academy, the Region of Pays de la Loire will be the
owner of the building and will lease it in the form of PPP ‘Technocampus’. The Region
will also provide the funding to the IRT for the acquisition of equipment foreseen in
the framework of the Manufacturing Academy (ca. €2m) as a part of contribution
within the programme “Investissements d’Avenir”.
The IRT is responsible for leading the project, which involves overseeing the collective
functioning and ensuring optimal utilisation of available resources. The IRT is the
owner of educational equipment located at the Manufacturing Academy and is
responsible for renting the available equipment based on real costs. It will also seek
the funding from the industry and the UIMM to cover the equipment costs.
The industry will also take active part in the consolidation and development of
apprenticeships, make the equipment available through the UIMM and increase their
contributions to the apprenticeships tax, which is one of the source of funding for
activities to be undertaken by the Manufacturing Valley.

The focus of activities undertaken by the IRT is placed on four strategic sectors,
notably aerospace, shipbuilding, energy and transport. The three priority areas include
the integrated conception of products and processes, innovative processes, flexible and
smart production systems.
In order to carry out its thematic research programme and implement its projects, the
IRT cooperates with the existing platforms such as the Technocampus Composite.
Since 2009, Technocampus has been a leading centre of developing innovative
technologies for the production and assembly of large components characterised by
high performance. The newly planned three new technology platforms include
Technocampus Ocean in Nantes specialised in metal materials (July 2015),
Technocampus Acoustique in Le Mons (2016), and Technocampus Smart Factory in
Saint-Nazaire (second part in 2017).
Figure 16 Technology Platforms in Pays de la Loire
Source: L’IRT Jules Verne.

The activities undertaken by the IRT as a part of the network will aim at updating the
mapping of available trainings and help progressively in adopting the offer to the
industry needs.

A number of specific new projects have been already identified in the area of welding,
control, robotics, innovative processes, vibro-acoustics and composites. The launch of
any new training will be systematically evaluated and complemented by actions as
required, in order to reinforce and develop the existing training within the network.
The joint training centre will provide the trainings at different levels of education
(from CAP which is an equivalent of secondary, vocational education up to PhD). In
total the building is designed for 500 students, and will host from 1000 to 1500
students including some part-time 500 apprentices and others for short duration.
Overall the students will be encouraged to establish a better understanding about the
functioning of the newly available tools and equipment but also adopt hands-on
approach to learn how to further improve the industrial production. The concept of
FabLab aims at developing a platform for rapid prototyping, whereas the multimedia
library is designed as a meeting place of students, apprentices, teachers, industry and
researchers.

Since mid-2012, 50 R&D projects have been launched by the IRT. Most of the projects
concern multi-sectors (34%), followed by shipbuilding and energy (31%), aerospace
(24%) and transport (11%). The total operational costs accounted for some €66m, in
addition to €8m of investment in equipment.
The concrete examples of projects include:
• ROBOFIN – Industrial demonstrator to develop robotic solutions for finishing
operations (trimming, drilling and surface preparation) for composite and metal
structure elements) in place since June 2013.
• CELLULE HF – Production cell for metal parts thermoforming, titanium and
aluminium alloys.
• National Pilot Composite High-Cadence Line – Pilot line for research on
composite parts manufacturing and multi-material ranging from fibre to finished
products to achieve the targets related to cost – weight and quality for automotive
industry.
With regard to the Manufacturing Academy, the development of a series of trainings in

response to the demand from the industry has been one of the main achievements in
2014. Another project initiated in the same year related to the development of training
on maintenance of offshore wind turbines (acronym of the project Cendorf-EMR).
It is also important to mention the preparatory activities relating to the establishment
of the Academy. Launched in Nantes on 5 May 2015, the Forum on Industrial
Apprenticeships offered a unique opportunity for young persons searching for
apprenticeship posts to meet with the representatives of industrial companies looking
for suitable candidates.

As noted during the interview undertaken in the framework of this assignment, the
evolution of technologies that are becoming more rapid requires the development of
new skills. Otherwise, it will not be possible to restore the attractiveness of regional
manufacturing industrial base.
Overall the area of advanced manufacturing is characterised by high development
potential and considered as one of the regional priorities. The data in terms of the
future impacts of the Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy is not quantified, however,
if implemented according to the original plan the provision of trainings to some 2000-
2500 persons is likely to have a positive impact on the activities carried out by
manufacturing companies from Pays de la Loire.

One of the main lessons learnt from the design and implementation of the Jules Verne
Manufacturing Valley, Academy is to ensure the involvement of various actions and
not only large manufacturing companies but also SMEs. Secondly, the co-funding by
the private sector is characterised by high cyclicality. This means that during the
period of prosperity it is much easier to receive the commitment from the private
sector to invest in training and joint R&D activities, however, it proves to be
particularly challenging to keep the same momentum during the economic slowdown
when companies are more willing to invest in their own R&D activities.

The initiative of Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy is interesting in many
respect and one the underlying characteristics is that it is designed to establish an
ecosystem which would be conducive for companies and key actors from Pays de la
Lorie to excel and outpace the competitors in the development and application of
advanced manufacturing technologies.
As pointed out during the interview, the Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Academy
could be transferred to other regions who view advanced manufacturing as a priority
and are interested in developing a structured approach to leverage the existing
potential.
Concerning the aspect of sustainability, it was pointed that the initiative such as the
Jules Verne Manufacturing Academy cannot be self-financing and requires the public
funding. In terms of the share of financial contributions, it is planned that 30% of
funding will come from the public sources and 60% will be covered by the private
sector.

9. Conclusions
The main findings emerging from the Advanced Manufacturing Case Studies
presented in the second RIM Plus Thematic paper can be summarised as follows.
Firstly, our analysis underlines that the skills dimension will be crucial for the future
success and dynamism of Advanced Manufacturing across the European Union. On
the one hand, a new generation of skilled engineers will be needed that has learnt to
design and operate the production systems of the future – and new study programmes
will have to be developed to meet that challenge.
On the other hand, new challenges (and opportunities) emerge in the field of the low-
to mid-skilled workforce that, after years of neglect, has to be won back for industrial
jobs while, at the same time, new possibilities of man-machine interaction will cause
lasting changes to the working environment of those working in industry today.
Second, we find that potentially transformatory technologies like industry 4.0 and
the bio-economy are taken up by some leading countries like Germany, France, and
the UK, while the majority of regions still fails to position themselves appropriately.
Also, many activities are still in the process of moving from strategic programming to
practical interventions and initiatives.
In the coming years, more regions will have to follow up factual industrial trends with
suitable government interventions. Other than Germany or France, many European
regions will be confronted with industry 4.0 from predominantly an adopters’
perspective and have to develop their own approaches to leverage local strengths
accordingly.
Thirdly, the analysis of responses provided to the survey carried out in the scope of
preparation of this thematic paper clearly demonstrates that among all fields of
Advanced Manufacturing the following five areas, notably industry 4.0 and smart
systems, followed by new materials and nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology,
photonics/3-D printing as well as lightweight design/polymer technology are
considered as priority. It is also important to note that the respondents indicated the
same areas for which additional support will be required.
Fourthly, among the key identified recent trends is the focus on industry 4.0 that is
intended to leverage activities across various manufacturing industries, activities
geared towards the reduction of the weight of products and components especially
through advancing the research on hydroforming and the use of other composite
materials, dynamic changes taking place in the aerospace sector which go beyond a
mere development of solutions of composite parts, de- and re-manufacturing
complemented by advisory services addressed to companies assisting them in
developing new business models, in addition printed electronics which is an area
undergoing a rapid transition from research to development to final products.
Finally, many initiatives have demonstrated that new technologies, not uncommonly
from the KET areas, can be accompanied successfully from applied research over pilot
developments to the market by regional public-private initiatives (e.g. the Printed
Electronics Arena initiative).
With the pilot line and demonstrator-oriented approach, both regional governments
and the European Commission seem to have found a suitable tool to confront and
resolve the European paradox to the extent possible. As far as this analysis suggests,
the current approaches should be strengthened and exchanged between those
European regions be encouraged that already implement them today.

Appendix A List of Interviews
1. Industry 4.0 Initiative of the German Government, Henning Banthien, Platform

Industry 4.0, Managing Partner IFOK GmbH, 6 July 2015.
2. MERGE - Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Lothar Kroll, CEO, Cluster of
Excellence MERGE, 10 June 2015.
3. DTA - Apulian Aerospace Technology District, Dr. Joseph Acierno, President,
DTA, 19 June 2015.
4. Chemelot, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Edwin Bakker, Public Affairs Manager,
2 July 2015.
5. CHEM-STER Cluster of Specialized Chemistry, Andrzej Krueger, Director,
Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (ICSO), 18 June 2015.
6. Pilot Plant for De-Manufacturing of Mechatronics, Dr. Giacomo Copani, ITIA-
CNR Institute of Industrial Technologies and Automation, National Research
Council of Italy, 29 May 2015.
7. Printed Electronics Arena, Tommy Höglund, Process Manager at ACREO –
Swedish ICT, 25 June 2015.
8. Polymer Technology Center Linz, JKU, Prof. Georg Steinbichler, 23 June 2015.
9. Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley, Cédric Puydebois, Director General Education
Training Employment, Regional Council of Pays de la Loire, 19 June 2015.

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2 October 2015

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Advanced Manufacturing Case Studies

Jacek Walendowski Dr. Henning Kroll

2. RIM Plus Survey 2

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 i

ii Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 1

2.2 Relevant areas and challenges

2 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Industry 4.0 and Smart systems

New materials and nanotechnology

Production related biotechnology

Photonics, Laser and 3-­‐D Printing

Lightweight design and Polymer technology

Wood derived materials

Printed electronics, smart fabrics and textiles

Most Important Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing

Improve collaboration between science and

Maintain and expand world-­‐class capacities

Upgrade regional firms technological

Most Pressing Need for Policy (and other) Support

Developing skills for advanced manufacturing

Improve collaboration between science and

Source: Own survey.

2.3 Differentiation of findings by type of regions

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 3

2.4 Summary assessment

4 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Improve collaboration between science and

Maintain and expand world-­‐class capacities

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Most Important Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing (by Member State Group)

Improve collaboration between science and

Create suitable skills for advanced manufacturing

Maintain and expand world-­‐class capacities

Upgrade regional firms technological capacities to

Prevent job losses due to increased automation

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Developing skills for advanced manufacturing

Improve collaboration between science and

Accompanying actions for companies in

Upgrade regional firms technological capacities

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Source: Own survey.

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 5

6 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

3.1.2 Facts and Figures

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 7

8 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

3.1.3 Mission Statement

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 9

10 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

3.1.6 Scope of Activities

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 11

12 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

3.1.8 Organisational Structure and Implementation

3.1.9 Results and Impacts

3.1.10 Potential Market

Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015 13

3.1.11 Main Lessons Learnt

3.1.12 Transferability and Sustainability

14 Regional Innovation Monitor Plus 2015

Photonics, Laser and 3-‐D Printing

Maintain and expand world-‐class capacities

Maintain and expand world-‐class capacities

Maintain and expand world-‐class capacities