SMARTNETS

SmartNets – The Transformation from Collaborative Knowledge Exploration Networks into Cross Sectoral and Service Oriented Integrated Value Systems

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'High value-adding processes for knowledge-intensive products and services are facing growing complexity and ask therefore for close collaboration of industrial partners. Especially for companies which are acting across sectoral borders functional as well as technical interoperability has become tremendously important. Only by trustful collaboration between partners, required knowledge and competence can be acquired, shared and used to target at innovative products and services. However, even by including the right partners in the first phases of development, companies have to ensure that knowledge and experience generated in these early steps will be available throughout the whole product life cycle. This will guarantee an efficient and sustainable production of products and/or delivery of valuable services. Goal of the SmartNets project is to establish and to prove ‘Smart Networks’ as an holistic industrial model for sustainable and efficient production in cross-sectoral SME collaboration both in development and production of knowledge-intensive products and services. It will provide network members with the necessary concepts, methods and tools to guide them through organization-, ICT- and knowledge-related network adaptations which are typically required in the value-adding process from idea generation to product/service exploitation. The ‘smart’ transformation from development network to production or service-providing network will guarantee an efficient use of the resources knowledge, personnel and IT throughout the whole product life cycle. The results will be applied in and evaluated by value-adding SME-dominated networks, which have already been formed around product ideas at the beginning of the project. Target products are an innovative helmet (IT-GB network), a medical device (CZ-DE network) and interior textiles (BE network).'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Exploiting collaborative knowledge wisely, at all stages of planning and production, can make industry more productive and competitive.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

In today's complex industries, introducing new processes for knowledge-intensive products and services that bring added value and enhance competitiveness requires close cooperation among industrial partners. Both functional and technical interoperability, as well as highly informed knowledge and expertise, are important at every stage of a product's or service's life cycle.

The EU-funded project http://www.smart-nets.eu (SMARTNETS) worked on addressing this challenge. It elaborated a novel industrial model for collaboration among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the product and network life cycle, focusing on the shift from development partnerships to production networks. Put more simply, this helps SMEs combine competences and resources to overcome obstacles such as targeting new markets, handling new materials or applying new technologies.

In this context, SMARTNETS designed tools and methods to support networks as they grow, all the way to final production and marketing. The approach is supported by the concept of smart organisations involving flexible virtual teams, dynamic processes, advanced communication technologies, combined competencies and synergy in development. In summary, the project team worked on supporting three key pillars: product life cycle, network coordination, and conscious transformation from development to production.

A valuable series of complementary results emerged from the project in the form of processes, methods and guidelines to support SMEs in the industrial arena. The results were disseminated online, through events and through a variety of publications. They included a set of five results in different sectors such as textiles and motorcycle accessories, as well as tools for implementing the SMARTNET solutions. If SMEs exploit these tools and methods, they stand to make superior products and services that will enhance growth, contribute to the knowledge economy and make Europe more competitive.