KITT4SME specifically targets European SMEs and mid-caps to provide them with scope-tailored and industry-ready hardware, software and organisational kits, delivered as a modularly customisable digital platform, that seamlessly introduce artificial intelligence in their production systems. Uptake of the resulting packages and of the provided services is strongly supported by the clear characterisation and market readiness of the individual components as well as by the platform grounding on the already established RAMP marketplace. Leverage on the network of Digital Innovation Hubs, three of which are represented in the consortium, ensure that KITT4SME are widely distributed to a wide audience of companies in Europe. Seamless adoption of the customised kits is made possible by a Powered by FIWARE infrastructure that flawlessly combine factory systems (such as MES and ERP), IoT sensors and wearable devices, robots, collaborative robots and other factory data sources with functional modules capable to trigger data-driven value creation.

Europe needs to step up its efforts and strengthen its very own security capacities to secure its digital society, economy, and democracy. It is time to reconquer Europe’s digital sovereignty. The vision for Europe can only be to join forces across Europe’s research, industry and public sector and to include all talents not just those that have representation in the EU mainstream or are within big organizations. Diversity and inclusion are keys for success. Europe has incredible coverage and talent in the area of IT and cybersecurity. The area of cybersecurity is geographically fragmented across Europe for competences, and often also technically fragmented with problem-specific development of security solutions. There is no doubt that excellent research exists in Europe. Nevertheless, it is a fact that this research does not result in IT products and solutions that contribute to the European Single Digital Market. On contrary, a lot of research, also financed by EU ERC grants, is tested on real data in large US companies that cooperate with them. Europe has to and is already rethinking this strategy. CONCORDIA addresses the current fragmentation of security competence by networking diverse competences into a leadership role via a synergistic agglomeration of a pan-European Cybersecurity Center. The vision of CONCORDIA is to build a community a strong cooperation between all stakeholders, understanding that all stakeholders have their KPIs, bridging among them, and fostering the development of IT products and solutions along the whole supply chain. Technologically, it projects a broad and evolvable data-driven and cognitive E2E Security approach for the ever-complex ever-interconnected compositions of emergent data-driven cloud, IoT and edge-assisted ICT ecosystems.

Built on lessons learned and experience gained upon successful implementation of twinning project AeroTwin, this proposal is conceived as an effort to stream AeroTwin positive effects on a network of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to enlarge capacity for research and innovation, and to prepare and establish a long lasting and integrated cooperation between those institutions and their partners in the local ecosystem. The essential support to reach this objective and prepare the network to facilitate future synergies with the European Universities initiative, will come from three internationally-leading HEIs from Spain, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Additionally, increase of innovation capabilities of widening HEIs will be achieved through close cooperation with FADA-CATEC and Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA), leading European research and innovation intensive organizations, deeply involved in the most relevant EU initiatives and projects. The long lasting and integrated cooperation between institutions will be established in the field of autonomous aerial systems (AAS) applications, with emphasis on smart agriculture, forestry and logistics. The project objectives are i) integrated and long term cooperation between HEIs from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with partners from Spain, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, ii) increased scientific excellence profiles of HEIs from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of autonomous aerial systems, and shared capacities with partners from Spain, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, and iii) improved quality of innovation management, technology transfer and citizen involvement of HEIs from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Particular set of actions is planned for achieving those objectives, such as common innovation strategy, staff exchange, experts visits, workshops and tutorials, hands‐on trainings, and PhD students co-mentoring.

The objective of the ATTEST project is to develop and operationalize a modular open source toolbox comprising a suite of innovative tools to support TSOs / DSOs operating, maintaining and planning the energy systems of 2030 and beyond in an optimised and coordinated manner, considering technical, economic and environmental aspects. The consortium, from six EU countries, that has been assembled to deliver ATTEST consists of five highly experienced research organisations in the energy systems area, two utilities that manage and operate the transmission system and the distribution system in Croatia, and two industry partners that specialise in the development of advanced ICT solutions and SCADA systems. The development of this broad spectrum of energy-related ICT tools and the utilization of next generation algorithms, demonstrated in a real world environment has not been attempted before. The outputs from the ATTEST project will enable accelerated dissemination, by a wide range of research institutions, within and outside of the project consortium, of the tools that will help TSOs and DSOs to better manage their networks. The demonstration of the results of the project will be valuable for the scientific community and EU energy industry and attest to the relevance of the solutions developed. The ATTEST’s ambition is to enable a wide range of users to utilize and test the tools developed in the project, thereby contributing to spread knowledge and experience in the energy systems community in the EU and on a global scale. This will contribute significantly to addressing not only the specific challenges of the call and the Horizon 2020 Energy Work Program, but also those of the EU’s Energy Union strategy and the 2020 Climate & Energy package.

The overall objective of the project is to create a Centre of Excellence for Autonomous and Cooperative Robotic Systems in Croatia (ACROSS CoE), which will be at the forefront of research and innovation of novel methodologies and advanced engineering approaches in the targeted domains. ACROSS CoE will be created and run as a long-term joint venture between the UNIZG-FER ̵ University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, the KTH ̵ Royal Institute of Technology, and the ICENT ̵ Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla. To achieve the overall objective, the proposal focuses on long-term objectives for Teaming Phase 2 and on one-year objective for Teaming Phase 1. Long-term objectives of the Phase 2 and beyond are: (i) Reinforcing scientific capacity and innovation performances in autonomous and cooperative robotic systems, (ii) Increasing scientific visibility and reputation at international level, and (iii) Improving responses to socioeconomic needs of Croatia. ACROSS CoE will achieve these objectives by striving for high quality research, in line with international standards of excellence, and by directing its research towards areas serving the technological needs identified by the Croatian Smart Specialisation Strategy. The ultimate objective of the Phase 1 is to produce an extensive, detailed, and robust Business Plan for ACROSS CoE; and to achieve this, the plan will be built upon (i) Assessment of the existing ACROSS ecosystem and (ii) Development of roadmaps for achieving ACROSS CoE excellence. The ACROSS project is relevant to the work programme since the main goal is to create a new Centre of Excellence in Croatia, a low R&I performing country, by building upon partnership with KTH, a world leading scientific and innovation institution. Creation of the ACROSS CoE will help Croatia in attaining a competitive position in the global value chains, thus also contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and its ability to address future societal challenges.