A call has recently been issued for the concession of financial support for research, development and innovation projects in the field of Connected Industry 4.0 for 2020.
This call, which has a budget of 25 million euros, is centred on support for digital transformation through the implementation of such digital facilities as sensors, advanced and collaborative robotics, advanced printing, data analysis, machine learning, deep learning, collaborative platforms, etc in industrial establishments.
The period for submitting applications is open from 03.07.2020 to 30.07.2020.
Types of projects that can request the support.
The support is available for projects that involve industrial research or experimental developments, or projects for innovation in processes and organization, as defined below:
a) Industrial research projects.
Planned research or critical studies aimed at acquiring new knowledge and skills that can be useful for the development of new products, processes and services, or which enable existing ones to be considerably improved. They include the creation of components for complex systems and may extend to the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment or simulated interfaces with existing systems, or pilot projects, when they are necessary for industrial research, and especially for the validation of generic technology.
b) Experimental development projects.
The acquisition, combination, configuration and application of existing knowledge or technologies, whether scientific, technical or commercial, with a view to the creation of new or improved products, processes or services. They may also include activities of conceptual definition, planning and documentation in relation with new products, processes or services.
Experimental development may include the creation of prototypes, the preparation and demonstration of pilot projects, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services, in situations that simulate real operating conditions, as long as the main objective is to provide new technical improvements for products, processes or services that are not yet fully realised. They may include the development of prototypes of pilot projects that many used for commercial purposes when they are necessarily the final product and manufacturing may prove too demanding for the exclusive purpose of demonstration and testing. The revenue earned from the commercial use of projects developed for demonstration or pilot projects must be deducted from the costs of these which are eligible for financial support. The production and experimental testing of products, processes or services are also eligible for financing, whenever they cannot later be used or transformed for use in industrial applications or for commercial purposes.
Experimental development does not cover the usual or regular modifications made to products, production lines, manufacturing processes, existing services and other ongoing operations, even when these modifications may represent improvements to the same.
c) Innovation projects for questions of organization.
The application of a new organizational method to commercial practices, the organization of a workplace or a company’s external relations. It does not include changes based on organizational methods already employed in the company, changes in management strategy, mergers or acquisitions, the elimination of a process, or the mere replacement of expansion of capital, changes arising exclusively from variations in factor prices, personalised production, adaptation to local customs, periodical changes of a seasonal character or other cyclical changes, or the sale of new or significantly improved products.
d) Innovation projects for questions of processes.
The application of a production method or a new or substantially improved input (including significant changes in relation with techniques, equipment or IT programmes). They do not include changes or minor improvements, increases in production capacity or service through the introduction of manufacturing or logistics systems that are substantially similar to those currently in use, or the elimination of a process, or the mere replacement of expansion of capital, changes arising exclusively from variations in factor prices, personalised production, adaptation to local customs, periodical changes of a seasonal character or other cyclical changes, or the sale of new or significantly improved products.
This information can be expanded in the following links, with official documents:
- Extract from the call, published in the Official Bulletin, click on the following link.
- Order of the call.
- Regulatory bases.
