Innovate Together 2024 Call

The second edition of the Innovate Together 2024 Call, thanks to the collaboration between European Factories of the Future Research Association (EFFRA) and EIT Manufacturing and co-financed by the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) is going to be launched on the 2nd of October. It is designed to foster collaboration between disruptive entrepreneurs and established industry leaders to develop market-ready solutions that drive innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness in the European manufacturing sector. 

The Call focuses on strengthening European manufacturing in key strategic areas defined by the European Commission, with a particular emphasis in 2024 on technologies outlined in the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA). By supporting the European Green Deal, Innovate Together helps European industry adapt to forthcoming regulations and bridge the gap between open research under Pillar 2 of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and open innovation in Pillar 3.

The total budget of this call is of EUR 5 millions.

Call focus

This Call will focus on two topics, First-Time-Right Manufacturing and End-of-Lifecycle Management.

First-Time-Right Manufacturing

One of the objectives of the European Green Deal is to promote sustainable manufacturing practices that minimise waste, pollution, and enhance efficiency. A key concept in achieving this objective is First Time Right (FTR), which encompasses a range of activities from Zero-Defect processes to strategies for Zero-Waste value chains. FTR is a manufacturing philosophy that prioritises getting things right the first time, rather than relying on rework and correction to achieve quality. By implementing FTR, manufacturers can reduce scrap and waste, improve efficiency, and ultimately enhance their bottom line. This approach involves the use of various solutions such as simulation, in-line quality monitoring, and non-destructive testing to ensure high-quality outcomes.

To achieve First Time Right (FTR), manufacturers should leverage the following technologies and solutions, in particular, applied to critical production processes:

• Simulation and digital twins;
• Advanced analytics;
• Real-time monitoring and sensors;
• Predictive maintenance;
• Artificial intelligence;
• Automation.

End-of-Lifecycle management

Another objective of the European Green Deal is to make the European Union climate-neutral by 2050. To accomplish this, a comprehensive and sustainable approach is required across all industries. End-of-lifecycle management plays a crucial role in this approach, focusing on the responsible handling of products at the end of their useful life to ensure they are either repurposed for their next lifecycle or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. In contrast to the traditional approach of disposing of products in landfills or incinerating them, the European Green Deal emphasises the importance of a circular economy. This entails creating a closed-loop system where waste materials are reused, recycled, or repurposed to minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency.

In order to advance towards these goals, it is crucial for manufacturers to take a proactive approach to end-of-lifecycle management. Innovate Together actively supports projects that foster:

• Circular design of products;
• Product reuse;
• Easy disassemly and recycling;
• Frameworks and platforms for circularity.

Note: each proposal must focus only on one topic, by selecting it properly in the submission form. 

Proposed solutions that harm the environment or social welfare or discriminate based on gender, age, socio-economic and geographic situation, disability, ethnicity, and sexual or gender identity, or are not in line with the Do No Significant Harm Principle are not eligible.

Who can apply?

Innovate Together 2024 is open to:

• SMEs, large enterprises, research institutions and universities established in one of the Member States (including overseas countries and territories, (OCTs)) or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe and the low- and middle-income countries which presents a proposal fitting one of the topics presented under 3.1.
• Eligible applicants shall form a consortium of at least 3 legal entities independent from each other and established in countries covered by at least 2 different EIT Manufacturing ICs, as follows:
  • at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
  • at least two other independent legal entities, established in a Member States or Associated Countries
• Applicants must build the proposal on the results of a successfully closed project funded by a Factories of the Future (FoF)/Made in Europe (MiE) call under Horizon Europe Framework Programme. The applying consortium may be the whole consortium or a part of the consortium of the former FoF/MiE project and may also include new partners; the project consortium shall own the IPRs of the Core Technology (exploitable output) of the former FoF/MiE project that will be further developed and launched in the market by the end of this Call; the closing date of the FoF/Made in Europe funded projects cannot be older than three (3) years before the start date of the projects funded under this Call.