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Industry 4.0 Referential
Published on 20 May 2021
Portugal
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Our question in 2017 was: “How will we evaluate if the projects include relevant investments in I4.0?” It was a new concept for SMEs and for those who evaluate the applications, so some guidance was needed, demanding a general framework, a specific fot the Tourism Sector. In the application the SME explains what technologies it already uses and how will it invest on the project, in 3 main areas (divided in several types of technology): - Adv. information systems (Digital Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Algorithms, Adv. Data Analysis, Cloud computing, Cybersecurity); - Connectivity between systems, equipment, products and people (Adv. sensors and IoT, Remote operation, Increased Reality, Intelligent machines); - Advanced production systems (Adv. and connected products and materials, Mod. Operations, Additive production, Autonomous robots). Some adjustments were made with experience, being the most relevant the demand of a direct link to the expenses, which in turn helps the SME to explain and the evaluator to understand the investment. With the application, project is evaluated as a whole and assessed if it has relevant investments in industry 4.0 or not. If yes, the project would have higher score and in some cases also a higher incentive tax. This methodology helps the SME to focus more on Industry 4.0, guides them to fill the application and allows all the evaluators to have the relevant information structured and linked with the investment.
Expert opinion
The Portuguese Management Authority for the Competitiveness and Internationality developed an evaluative framework to assess the SME projects in the broad field of Industry 4.0. This monitoring and assessment tool helps to track the capacity to implement new technological breakthroughs which can be highly beneficial for both SMEs and policymakers. Eventually the SMEs can gain more specific information on the technologies to be used, the type of project to develop and the funding available.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Portuguese approach represents a first attempt to steer a comprehensive evaluative framework addressing Industry 4.0 solutions, other regions could benefit from this if sufficiently endowed with a qualified technical and administrative capacity. Technological skills are needed to evaluate newly branded technological breakthrough.
-The Industry 4.0 Referential could be also used to foster knowledge exchange across SMEs and policymakers. Providing data on the progress of SMEs at European level would help to diagnose structural deficiencies or local strengths.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Portuguese approach represents a first attempt to steer a comprehensive evaluative framework addressing Industry 4.0 solutions, other regions could benefit from this if sufficiently endowed with a qualified technical and administrative capacity. Technological skills are needed to evaluate newly branded technological breakthrough.
-The Industry 4.0 Referential could be also used to foster knowledge exchange across SMEs and policymakers. Providing data on the progress of SMEs at European level would help to diagnose structural deficiencies or local strengths.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
Human resources from Compete 2020, from COTEC and IAPMEI, with the responsibility for constructing the evaluation referential.
Evidence of success
This methodology was used on more than 5000 applications since 2017 till now, and has allowed the SME to achieve what is considered more relevant goals on I4.0 and evaluators to understand if they are taking the appropriate steps for I4.0. All this information allows also to have strong data on the relevance of I4.0 investments, type of companies, in what kind of technologies, etc. This information is available for 13 calls that had around 5.800 applications.
Potential for learning or transfer
The main goal of this practice, when created, was to identify the technological areas relevant to I 4.0. But we've found mores uses since then. It’s a simple methodology that starts with the identification of relevant technologies in Industry 4.0, making it easy to adapt to any country, region, sector or programme. The referential allows to have the SME approach to Industry 4.0 in the application (with a business plan) to be evaluated and financed if it allows the SME to progress towards I 4.0. It can be used in specific supports only for I4.0 investments or to identify I4.0 relevance in innovation, qualification or training investment projects. With this referential, the projects must have this component to be selected, having higher scores and grant tax. With the submission of applications and their evaluations we can extract a huge amount of data from the type of SME (e.g. dimension, sector, region) and how are they are making their way to I 4.0. (technologies, investments).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
COMPETE 2020 - Management Authority for the Competitiveness and Internacionality
Portugal
Área Metropolitana de Lisboa
Contact
Department Director