EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Pro-Factory-Plus
The new EUREKA umbrella PRO-FACTORY-PLUS  focuses on advanced manufacturing technology as a key enabling technology for European competitiveness and replaces the successful FACTORY and PRO-FACTORY umbrellas . The scope of these umbrellas has been continuously refined. The technological scope of PRO-FACTORY was restructured in order to address the strategic importance of SMEs. For the continuation of this umbrella, resource efficiency and energy efficient production is stressed more in the current scope. This is in line with “EUROPE 2020 - a strategy for smart, green and inclusive growth”-document, the Barroso’s work plan for his second term of office . The technological area 'Intelligent Manufacturing' is introduced as a new concept to PRO-FACTORY- PLUS.

Opportunities and threats for European Manufacturing.

The shape and potential of industries worldwide will be transformed over the next 5 to10 years. New goods and services will be created. A significant part of the goods and services that will be available in the market in 2020 are as yet unknown, but the main driving force behind their development will be the deployment of 'Key Enabling Technologies' (KETs) where production is considered as such a key enabling technology. ("Preparing for our future: Developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in the Europe." )
Those nations and regions mastering these technologies will be at the forefront of managing the shift to a low carbon, knowledge-based economy, which is a precondition for ensuring welfare, prosperity and security of its citizens. Hence the deployment of KETs in Europe is not only of strategic importance but is indispensible.

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Objectives of PRO-FACTORY-PLUS

The new EUREKA PRO-FACTORY-PLUS umbrella will help deliver the necessary technological expertise for Europe to create the next generation of advanced and innovative products and processes for global markets. The strategic aim of the PRO-FACTORY-PLUS umbrella is to increase European manufacturing competitiveness by providing an application-oriented, bottom-up, collaborative R&D support mechanism primarily focused on 'technologies to manufacture new added value products', 'innovative production processes, machines and systems' and 'related services'.

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Focus on Manufacturing Technologies for SMEs

Europe’s major manufacturing industries have successfully adapted their business operations to the new globalised environment. Many of their R&D activities have been funded by the large and ambitious European Union Framework Programme (FP7,...). SMEs in traditional and established industry have found it more difficult to take part in these larger structures and often look for more bottom-up funding instruments.

The restructured and updated technological scope of the new PRO-FACTORY-PLUS umbrella aims directly at SMEs and so complements the more top-down programmes. The proposed core technologies are important for the majority of manufacturing SMEs. The supporting technologies should also interest many SMEs and should also create opportunities for greater co-operation between big companies and their SME suppliers.
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