Call for Proposals: EIT Manufacturing RIS Inclusiveness

Deadline: 4-Aug-23

The EIT Manufacturing is inviting proposals for the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) Inclusiveness to attract, select, and support entities coming from EIT RIS countries towards developing innovative solutions to make the work in the manufacturing industry more inclusive for individuals with disabilities.

Purpose

• The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) constitutes an integral part of EIT Manufacturing’s strategy and is designed as a long-term initiative to strengthen the national and regional innovation eco-systems of countries that are moderate and modest innovators by transferring good practices and know-how to boost innovation
• The activity will provide financial support to the selected applicants. In addition, the selected applicants will receive support services provided by the EIT Manufacturing RIS team.

Areas

• The applications shall present a solution fitting at least one of the EIT Manufacturing Flagships areas:
  • Flexible Production Systems for Competitive Manufacturing: Emerging technologies enable almost limitless flexibility in product design and production, allowing full customization.
  • Low Environmental Footprint Systems & Circular Economy for Green Manufacturing: Using new technology to minimize the use of resources, energy, and material in production systems enables new circular business models.
  • Digital & Collaborative Solutions for Innovative Manufacturing Ecosystems: Collaboration and business on digital platforms and value networks enable companies to create new and highly efficient value chains.
  • Human-machine co-working for socially sustainable manufacturing: Smart use of automation and robots enables great workplaces, flexible production, and sustainable human work.
• Develop or further develop innovative solutions that will make the manufacturing industry more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. The consortium must propose an innovation with a TRL of at least 6 or 7 at the start of the project and solutions are expected to achieve TRL 8 or higher by the end of the activity. The “demonstration in relevant environment” must be proved and the solution will need to be introduced on the market by the end of 2024 with a sales revenue of at least 10 000 EUR documented.
• Identify areas where the innovative solutions need to be tested in a physical or virtual environment in order to be trialled in real- or near-real world conditions to assess their market viability.
• Set up the experimentation space proposed in the point.
• Clarify the usage of existing and the assignment of newly created intellectual property rights.

Funding Information

• The total maximum EIT funding allocated to this call is up to 200.000 EUR. The maximum EIT funding per applicant is 40.000 EUR.
• Duration of the project 10 months.

Expected Outcomes & Impacts

• The solutions will contribute to:
  • Create safer, more accessible, and inclusive work environment that increase employees’ well-being.
  • Increase well-being at the manufacturing workplace while supporting the retention of workers with disabilities in their jobs.
  • Improve interaction capability of people with disabilities and facilitate social innovation.

Eligibility Criteria

• be legal entities registered in one of the following RIS eligible countries:
  •  EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia
  • Horizon Europe Associated Countries: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine
  • Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).
• be able to commercialize the services and products. Hence, only those universities, research and technology organizations (RTO), and university-owned foundations that can generate revenue from the commercialization of products and services are eligible to participate in the RIS Inclusiveness call and receive funding if selected.

For more information, visit RIS.