Responsible: Jean-François Delaigle (Sirris)
Other contact: Herman Derache
Other email: manufuture@agoria.be
AGORIA, the Belgian Federation for the Technology Industry
Increase Innovation in Manufacturing industry in Belgium
Increase Participation of Belgian Manufacturing companies in European research
Through:
– Good information dissemination and awareness-making from the Manufuture Platform to the Belgian industrial and research community.
– Facilitating the establishment of a Belgian vision and facilitation of the communication of the vision to the EU Manufuture Platform and other National Manufuture Platforms.
– Supporting the establishment and exploitation of synergies between Belgian research programmes and the European research programmes.
– Integration of Belgian industry and research community in Manufuture-related research initiatives.
In Belgium, manufacturing activities represent an important part of the national economy and are still increasing. The global competition obliges our companies to enhance the performance of the products and to develop and produce more complex components and sub-assemblies.
This requires a lot of research and innovation in the field of product conception and production systems.
The current sectors are:
Aerospace: components, maintenance and repair of airplanes, airport equipment, etc.
Automotive: automobile construction and subcontracting, trailers and semi-trailers, freight containers, bicycles, etc.
Construction products: fire technologies, lifts and escalators, metal furniture, etc.
Contracting & maintenance: electrical and electromechanical installations, constructional steelwork, technical management of equipment, HVAC, etc.
Electrical engineering: lighting equipment, home automation systems, cabling, boards, etc.
Industrial automation: components and systems, integrators, manufacturing software, etc.
Information and communication technologies (ICT): telecom and IT solutions, financial security solutions, software, digital audio and video products, etc.
Mechatronical engineering: textile machinery, agricultural equipment, compressors, gears, rail equipment, etc.
Metals & materials: wire products, foundries, batteries, etc.
Metal processing: metal packaging, building trade equipment, industrial furnaces, etc.
Mounting & Cranes
Plastics: suitcases, insulating material, switchboards, etc.
Security & defence: armoured equipment, optronic and communication systems, security equipment, etc.
– New, added-value products and services: Yes
– New business models: Yes
– New advanced industrial engineering: Yes
– New emerging manufacturing science and technologies: Yes
– Transformation of existing R&D and education infrastructure to support world-class manufacturing: Yes
At EU level:
AGORIA:
6th FP – NMP:
Co-ordinated by AGORIA:
– EUMECHA-PRO (Co-ordination Action co-ordinated by AGORIA): European Mechatronics for a new generation of production systems
– MANVIS (Specific Support Action): Manufacturing Visions – Integrating Diverse Perspectives into Pan-European Foresight
6th FP – SMEs-Collective research projects
– HIPERMOULDING: Extreme Cycle time Reduction of Injection Moulding Processes by using High Performance Injection Moulds and Moulding Processes
– T-Form: Throughput-Time Reduction and First Time Right Production for the thermoform industry by introducing a predictive mould design and manufacturing system
– PROLIMA: Environmental Product Lifecycle Management for building competitive machine tools
6th FP – IST:
– VERITAS (Specific Support Action): Virtual enterprises for integrated industrial solutions
KU Leuven – PMA:
6FP – NMP
– 4M – NoE: Multi-Material Micro Manufacture: Technologies and Applications
– NEXT (Integrated Project): NEXT -GENERATION PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
– EUMECHA-PRO (Co-ordination Action co-ordinated by AGORIA): European Mechatronics for a new generation of production systems
– EURO TOOLING 21 – SME-IP to prepare the European tooling industry for the 21st century
– Production for Micro (P4µ): Production technologies for micro systems
The Belgian Office of Science Policy participates in the EUREKA-Factory umbrella.
WTCM-CRIF:
– WTCM-CRIF is preparing proposals in the ERA-NET, Eureka and FP7 Framework Programs.
Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) NO
Industry: AGORIA (with industry membership, see sectors above)
Research Community: University of Leuven – FMTC – WTCM (with industry membership) …
Public authorities – funding agencies:
– Belgian Office of Science Policy
– IWT (Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders)
– DGTRE (the Directorate General for Technologies, Research and Energy for the Region of Wallonia)
– IWOIB (Institute for the promotion of research and development for the Brussels Region)
Interaction with global companies:
AGORIA industry membership, see sectors above and http://www.agoria.be
Brussels (AGORIA and public authorities) and Leuven (Education, Research and Development) are two centres of gravity. Industrial participants are spread over the country
– Within the Leadership and eumecha-pro projects (where AGORIA participates, respectively coordinates), cooperation with VDMA/Manufuture Germany is already ongoing.
– AGORIA is holding the chair of the ORGALIME R&D Group and is herewith a driver in cooperation among existing or emerging national initiatives from industrial federations.
– Active participation in the NRTP coordination group is envisaged.
National programmes are quite horizontal and focus on high socio-economic impact and on industrial valorisation of research.
E.g.
IWT:
– R&D projects
– SME-innovation
– EUREKA
– Networkprojects (VIS… )