Enabling AI-at-the-Edge Transformation of manufacturing SMEs

The pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) promoted by the AI REGIO project will be updated and expanded in AI REDGIO 5.0 project to enable competitive AI-at-the-Edge digital transformation of Industry 5.0 Manufacturing SMEs. The project partners offer test-before-invest experiments in AI Didactic Factories and TEF (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) for SME-driven applications.

The starting point of AI REDGIO 5.0 is composed by the results of AI REGIO project

• Methods and tools for DIHs governance and cross-DIH collaboration
• Data Space and AI for Manufacturing toolkit
• Didactic Factories network and TERESA facilities
• SME-driven experimentations in 13 Vanguard regions

Services for SMEs

The first open call round in AI REDGIO 5.0 has been successfully completed and the first 10 experiments will run as planned from May to December 2024. A second open call will be launched in October 2024 to support another 10 SME experiments. The focus is on the application of Artificial Intelligence in production and the creation of a continuous data space between edge and cloud in Industry 5.0. The call will be open for 3 months, while the experiments should be completed within 8 months. All successful applicants will benefit from the unique AI REDGIO 5.0 ecosystem and receive complementary funding to fully realise their experiments. With a total budget of EUR 1.2 million for the two open calls, the maximum amount per grant is EUR 60 000.

We are looking forward to the participation of SMEs from Baden-Württemberg in the October call, so stay tuned!

Outcomes expected from AI REDGIO 5.0

• Transition towards Industry 5.0, where manufacturing will be based on active human-robot collaboration
• Implementation of new technologies along the edge-to-cloud continuum for digital sovereignty of machines
• Support of EU open-source hardware and software reference implementations for trustworthy, preserving EU ethical principles
• Interconnection with the EDIH network, AI TEF (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) nodes and the embryonic Data Spaces deployments, favouring collaboration corridors and cross-border SME-to-SME experimentations

43 project partners from 18 countries will facilitate the transition from regional DIHs to a network of EDIHs in AI for manufacturing. At the same time they support the transition towards sustainability, through the ecosystem development.

Further information:

• Project Akronym: AI REDGIO 5.0
• Funding: European Commission, Horizon 2020
• Funding budget for all partners: 7,5 Mio. EUR
• Project duration: 01/2023 – 12/2025
• Participating countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom