The project will establish new collaboration structures to accelerate the pace of digitalization in industry, with the overarching goal of building a more sustainable society.
Today, there are no established structures or actors that actively connect digital SMEs with manufacturing SMEs in lab environments where cutting-edge digitalization technologies are available. The project introduces a new working method together with some of Sweden’s most established industrial innovation environments, linking them to nationally strong existing structures that bring together industry and innovative digital companies. The three innovation environments/hubs are MITC (MITC AB, MDU), Visual Sweden (Visualization Center, Linköping University), and ASSAR (IDC, Skövde Science Park). These environments are complemented by the IUC network, with 21 nodes across Sweden through IUC Sverige, as well as the European platform EIT Manufacturing, which already has an established approach to connecting digital start-ups with larger manufacturing companies, but lacks its own lab environment.
The project strengthens and complements the existing innovation support system with a new working method – the Match platform – where the needs of digital SMEs and manufacturing SMEs can meet, test new technologies in interplay with other technologies, get to know each other, and try digital solutions in concrete pilot studies carried out on-site at companies. The project has a budget of SEK 44 million and is funded by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket), Region Sörmland, Region Östergötland, Västra Götaland Region, and the Municipality of Eskilstuna. The project runs until 2028.
