The ‘Innovate Together’ call for impactful industrial projects will start on October 2 to speed up the market deployment of ‘Made in Europe’ projects. The second edition of EIT Manufacturing’s joint call for proposals was launched during the European Manufacturing Conference (EMC), with support from EFFRA and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an organization of the European Union.
By bringing together disruptive entrepreneurs and significant industry players, the Innovate Together program seeks to stimulate innovation and promote the creation of viable, marketable solutions. The program will concentrate on the Net Zero Sector Act (NZIA)’s strategic manufacturing technologies, which will help the European sector respond to global problems and promote the European Green Deal.
With a total budget of EUR5m, which includes EUR2m from the Directorate of General Research and Innovation (DG RTD) and EUR3m from the European Institute of Technology (EIT), Innovate Together is now requesting that activities begin in May 2025. Funding of up to EUR 800 000 per project is available to former Made in Europe initiatives to assist with commercializing their marketable outcomes. Projects have an 18-month duration constraint, and teams are encouraged to include members from several European locations. The deadline for applications to the two-stage submission procedure is December 6, 2024.
The continuation of the program is proof of the successful cooperation between the two Pillars of Horizon Europe program represented by EIT Manufacturing and EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association).
„Recognizing this success, the European Commission Directorate General Research and Innovation (DG RTD) will be co-programming and co-financing the initiative to expand its impact. Furthermore, DG Communication, Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT), DG Education, Youth, Sports and Culture (EAC), DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW) supported the initiative since its first call in 2023,” according to a recent press release.
By accelerating the market deployment of cutting-edge technologies, this call contributes to advancing scientific excellence and industrial competitiveness while addressing global challenges and societal needs.
„Europe is at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation, yet the key lies in translating it into commercial success. Innovate Together will support fast-track commercialization of green and digital manufacturing technologies to strengthen the industry’s competitiveness,” Caroline Viarouge, CEO at EIT Manufacturing, mentioned.
„Europe’s success depends on its capacity to transform groundbreaking innovations into market-ready solutions. Through initiatives like the Innovate Together Call, we are accelerating the adoption of green and digital manufacturing technologies, ensuring that European industry not only adapts to future challenges but strengthens its global leadership in sustainability and competitiveness. Maintaining Europe’s competitive edge is critical to safeguarding its industrial future, and this continued collaboration between two key pillars is essential to driving innovation and securing the future of manufacturing,” Olaf Pannenbäcker, Chairman of EFFRA, added.
”The Innovate Together call will help manufacturing projects make the most of their R&I results in two important areas. First-Time-Right Manufacturing helps to diminish waste and enhance efficiency. End-of-life management contributes to circularity and climate neutrality. Both of these priorities are hugely important for sustainable competitiveness,” Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Prosperity at Directorate General Research and Innovation, declared.
„We must overcome the fragmentation of the value chain and accelerate the market deployment of innovations. EIT Manufacturing and EFFRA are well placed to boost manufacturing innovation in Europe by providing people with the right skills, matching technologies with markets, and connecting innovators with investors,“ Normunds Popens, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, concluded.
An Impactful Call
In 2021, during the first edition of Innovate Together, three projects were selected for the pilot and received nearly EUR 1.3 million in EIT funding. A strong performing example is the LAMM project, where four organizations from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, and Greece formed an academic-industry partnership to develop two variants of the existing Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) kit. They succeeded in creating two types of end effectors, tailored to the deposition of Ti64 and steel, which were finally integrated into three pilot lines. The increase in WAAM 3D printing productivity has opened up the product to high-volume titanium and steel industries such as aerospace and energy.
European Manufacturing Conference Takeaways
This call announcement was made during the European Manufacturing Conference, attended by over 400 participants from 33 countries, with renowned speakers such as Alvin Wang Graylin, Global VP of HTC and author of the book “Our next reality”, Monika Bachofner, Head of Open Innovation at Volkswagen AG and Philipp Horner, Chief Sustainability Officer at Voestalpine High-Performance Metals.
The event provided many valuable takeaways and highlighted the pressing need for Europe to bridge its innovation gap and skills gap, boost industrial growth and meet decarbonization targets. Despite its thriving innovation landscape, the lack of strategic investment impedes economic transformation. To address this, the continent must raise its investment share by roughly five percentage points of GDP to maintain its competitiveness on the global stage.
As the industry landscape changes rapidly, strengthening Europe’s manufacturing supply chains’ resilience is also crucial, and this can be achieved through reshoring key manufacturing productions and reducing reliance on external suppliers.
