ICT INNOVATIONFOR MANUFACTURING SMEs

OPEN CALL REGIONAL DIGITAL INNOVATION HUBS

Webinar Presentation 7 April 2016

Maurits ButterGovert Gijsbers

Presentation overview

• I4MS objectives• Call for regional hubs• Call process• Eligibility• Proposal submission• The proposal: content

and structure

• Proposal evaluation• Proposal ranking and

selection• Proposal funding• Payments• Mentoring and coaching

About I4MS• Key component of EU Strategy for digitising European

industry– > improving the competitiveness of EU manufacturing

• Targets the adoption of advanced IT by SMEs and midcaps in the industrial sector

• Technologies supported by I4MS include:– Robotics– HPC cloud based simulation services– Laser based applications– Cyber–physical systems (IoT)

• I4MS involves:– 7 Innovation projects (FP7) + 4 Innovations Actions (H2020)

– Two Support Actions

Phase 1 Innovation Projects

Phase 2 Innovation Actions

• Started late 2015

Two Support Actions (Phase 2)

• Information and Communication• Networking• Contracting (partly)

• Management of open call for regional hubs

• Mentoring and coaching of new hubs (jointly with IAs)

Phase 2 I4MS: Spreading Excellence - hubs• Ambition for Phase 2: spread I4MS initiative to include a

much wider range of EU regions that have so far not participated.– Mainly aimed at Eastern and Southern Europe

• How? By building a network of around 25 new regional digital innovation hubs in new regions

• Hubs will be built around a competence center and will involve SMEs as direct beneficiaries, as well as other stakeholders

• I4MS will provide mentoring and coaching services to the new hubs to get them up to speed

Call for Innovation Hubs!• Why?

– Expanding the coverage of I4MS to regionsthat show limited activity in the field of I4MS

• What?– Proposals develop a solid plan for creating a

digital innovation hub in the regions – Establishing active I4MS networks in these regions,

including a business plan and connecting to regional funds– Creating a consortium of relevant organisations– Including the development of a plan for financing

• How?– Informing them about digitizing the industry– Support them to get access to infrastructure ,expertise and funding– Mentoring on technical, organisational and business topics

Definitions

• I4MS Centers of Competence:I4MS Centres of Competence are organizations that offer technological infrastructure and accompanying skills and competences to support the scale-up and valorization of an I4MS technology. – The centres have an (semi)-open approach (multiple client)

and offer technical infrastructure and expertise to translate the I4MS research/technologies into opportunities for business.

Definitions

• I4MS Regional Digital Manufacturing Innovation hubs The RDMI-Hubs are consortia of organisations that maintain, expand and create the (regional) ecosystem on I4MS related activities. This includes: networking, matchmaking, brokerage and dissemination activities.

The Call Process(es)

• Pilot phase– Open until 16 December 2015– To select up three ‘pioneer hubs’– To learn about process and content of mentoring and

coaching• Full phase – Open until 28 April 2016– To select up to 25 regional innovation hub proposals

Eligibility: who can apply?

• Consortia of organizations that show expertise, infrastructure and a preliminary network in the I4MS domain

• Organizations from regions where there is no I4MS competence centers planned or present

• Ineligible (NUTS2) regions are those with already two or more I4MS Competence Centers active, or scheduled under the I4MS strategy

• Regions with limited eligibility are those with one I4MS competence center (active, or scheduled)– Must address different technology than the one present– Must demonstrate value added of new competence centre in that region– Details in Annex 1 Guide for Applicants

Submission of Proposals

• Deadline: Thursday, 28 April 2016, 17h00 Brussels time

• Proposals must be submitted electronically using the electronic services in the I4MS portal: http://callhubs.i4ms.eu

• Must using the templates and respect page limits• Acknowledgement of receipt will be sent

The proposal: what is expected?

• A feasibility study for the establishment of a new regional innovation hub

• Competence Centre description• Ecosystem of organisations participating• Business plan including an assessment of funding

sources available in country / region• Description of up to 3 use cases

The proposal: outline

• Introduction (1 page)• Concept, objectives and deliverables (2 pages)• Description of the regional innovation ecosystem (1-2 pages)• Description of the activities (1-2 pages)• Potential impact (1-2 pages)• Organisation and planning (2 pages)• Costs and resources (1 page)• Annex 1: Overview of the project partners• Annex 2: Overview of possible funding sources• Annex 3: Overview of key stakeholders in the region

Proposal evaluation

• Proposals must use template and respect page limits• Proposals from ineligible regions and not following

template etc. will be excluded from the process• Evaluation will be done by teams of 2 experts– 1 from relevant Innovation Action– 1 from a CSA (Growth or XS2)

• Individual evaluation reports• Two evaluators develop consensus report– Scores on evaluation criteria

Evaluation criteria

Four award criteria:1. Impact (industrial relevance and impact) – this criterion has a

threshold of 4 and carries double weight2. Excellence (quality of the consortium) - this criterion has a

threshold of 33. Implementation and management (quality of the proposal) –

this criterion has a threshold of 34. Resources required – this criterion has a threshold of 3

Evaluation criterium impact carries double weight

Impact:• build on one of the technologies supported by the I4MS

competence centres; • establish an innovation ecosystem for realising specified

objectives; • shows critical mass to develop the RDMI-hub, but is still in its

infancy;• facilitate user-supplier partnerships across value-chains in its

region;• focus on European regions where I4MS is not yet

systematically addressed.

Some practicalities

• Funding: Up to 50kEuro for direct costs and travel for up to 25 hubs

• Project time frame: 6 months• Call open: Until 28 April 2016– Creating time to develop a high quality consortium!

• Evaluation:– Impact, soundness of concept, resources

ScoringEach criterion will be scored on a scale from 0 to 5:

• 0 – Fail The proposal fails to address the criterion under examination or cannot be judged due to

• missing or incomplete information.• 1 – Poor The criterion is addressed in an inadequate manner, or there are serious

inherent weaknesses.• 2 – Fair While the proposal broadly addresses the criterion, there are significant

weaknesses.• 3 – Good The proposal addresses the criterion well, although improvements

would be necessary.• 4 – Very good The proposal addresses the criterion very well, although certain

improvements are still possible.• 5 – Excellent The proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the

criterion in question. Any shortcomings are minor.

Ranking and Selection

• Proposals not meeting the thresholds will be excluded• Above threshold proposals will be ranked based on

scores• Top ranked proposals will be selected• If more than one proposal from a region is submitted

the highest ranking one is to be selected• Ranking may be overruled for considerations of

regional balance• Final selection in consultation with the EC

Funding of successful proposals

• Maximum financial support to each awarded project is €50.000– Travel and subsistence cost will be eligible for funding based on actual

costs, with a maximum of €10,000• The following maximum person months are used for the

different activities (indicative):– Overall management, administration and reporting: 1 PM– Participate in a summer-school (minimum 2 persons): 0.5 PM– Organisation of and participation in a regional workshop: 1 PM– Preparation of the feasibility studies: 3 PM– Preparation of a business plan: 2 PM– Visiting conferences and other events: 1 PM

Payments

• Disbursement of funds:– pre-financing of 30% – Interim payment of 30% depending on milestones and

deliverables– Final payment 40% based on successful completion

Mentoring and coaching activities

• Jointly by relevant IA and XS2I4MS• Activities:

– Participate in a kick-off meeting at a summer school (September 2016, not July as in the Guide)

– Organise regional workshop(s) with potential interested partners and stakeholders

– Develop up to 3 use cases including the innovation hub and SMEs

– Identify and assess the potential ecosystem of the RDMI-hub

– Project presentation in Brussels

Additional information

• Call details are available at the I4MS Portal:– www.I4MS.eu

• Please check the Q&A section

• Contact Maurits Butter or Govert Gijsbers:– Maurits.Butter@tno.nl– Govert.Gijsbers@tno.nl