Manufacturing Architecture for Resilience and Sustainability (MARS)

Europe has a thriving manufacturing sector with SMEs representing a major pillar of the EU industry. In fact, more than 95% of the EU’s two million SMEs are manufacturers. However, even though some of these SMEs are world champions in their own industry, they often face considerable business challenges, as they are too small to compete with international competitors and too large to qualify for public funding. The MARS project offers a range of affordable and tailored support services designed to help these SMEs to become more competitive and successful.

A consortium of 13 complementary European partners will develop within MARS, Industry4.0 technologies, such as:

• digital twins of products, processes, and machines
• bio-intelligent production devices with local intelligence and good sensors
• fleet learning with central intelligence
• data-driven manufacturing process models from different sources
• blockchain technology for data hashing, traceability and securitization
• multi-agent-based manufacturing planning
• multi-criteria intelligent optimization of processes and resources especially addressing environmental footprint

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, as a project partner, leads the communication and supports the project partners in dissemination activities and networking with relevant initiatives and projects. It is responsible for the exploitation of project results and administrative and financial issues of project management. The project is coordinated by Ecole nationale supérieure d’arts et métiers (ENSAM), Paris, France.

• Funding: European Commission, Horizon Europe
• Funding budget: 5,142377 EUR
• Project duration: 01/2023 – 12/2026
• Participating countries: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland