The I4MS program in H2020 has been and is a great success for the Digital Transformation of European Manufacturing SMEs. Phase IV of the program was focussing on DIHs and on highly innovative technologies like Digital Twins and AI. In particular, the AI REGIO Innovation Action developed a virtuous alliance between Regions, DIHs, AI solution providers and Manufacturing SMEs, which is materialised by a new methodology for DIHs service portfolio and customer journey analysis, an AI4EU -oriented toolkit of Data and AI resources, a network of Didactic Factories and their TEchnology and REgulatory SAndboxes (TERESA) and an ecosystem of SME-driven experiments and their Digital Transformation pathways. It is time now to align such important outcomes to the evolution of Manufacturing towards Industry 5.0, the evolution of cloud AI Technologies to AI-at-the-Edge, the evolution of H2020 to Horizon and Digital Europe programmes e.g. to EDIH, Data Spaces and AI TEFs (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) for Manufacturing. Some of the AI REGIO I4MS Phase IV motivations are now evolved: it is time for AI REDGIO 5.0 for keeping momentum of AI technologies adoption in Manufacturing SMEs. AI REDGIO 5.0 aims at renovating and extending the H2020 I4MS AI REGIO alliance between Vanguard EU regions and DIHs for a competitive AI-at-the-Edge Digital Transformation of Industry 5.0 Manufacturing SMEs. AI REGIO outcomes (methods and tools for DIHs governance and cross-DIH collaboration; Data Space and AI for Manufacturing toolkit; Didactic Factories network and TERESA facilities; SME-driven experimentations in 14 Vanguard regions) will be i) extended to the I5.0 principles; ii) enabled by the newest trusted technologies along the edge-to-cloud continuum; iii) supported by European open source hw/sw reference implementations, preserving EU values and ethical principles; iv) interconnected with the EDIH network in DEP as well as with the AI TEF nodes and the Data Spaces deployment program.

The Technology Transfer Office Circle, launched by the EC in 2011, analyzed the Technology Transfer (TT) in Europe concluding that:“It is anticipated that the next decade will see profound changes in this landscape. Studies have identified the lack of scale as one of the major issues of technology transfer”. So Technology Transfer, is a prevailing topic. Though it’s a concept as old as ancient Greece, Archimedes could be the first Technology Broker in history, the reality is that it is still needed to overcome barriers and face common challenges to improve the Technology Transfer process. TETRAGON will use the Twinning Advanced methodology to enhance SME’s innovation capacity by providing them with better innovation support in Technology Transfer. That is, provide better support to SMEs to improve TT from public research to the market. Due to the expertise of the consortium and the needs identified in their regions this project will be focused on the following models of Technology Transfer: 1) To foster an entrepreneurial environment at universities and research centers in order to increase the creation of spin-offs and to improve the exploitation of technology by existing companies. 2) To foster demand driven collaborative projects, between public researchers and private SMEs. 3) To look for innovative ways of licensing the technology, including open source, open innovation and user innovation. The project will have the support of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in the Twinning Advanced Methodology. TETRAGON will help to place TT in the core of innovation, to improve the TT measures and the SMEs to grow, and, consequently, foster growth of the European economy. TETRAGON, aims at reaching almost 300 innovation agencies all over Europe, through networks as EURADA, and that 20% of this agencies adopte, at least, one of the new measures defined in the DOP, meanwhile establishing a Twinning Advanced ecosystem where agencies collaborate.

This action shall provide specialized consulting services addressing innovation management capacity to SMEs with significant innovation activities. Beneficiaries of the SME instrument will receive support to enhance their innovation management and advice about the coaching process. The most innovative SME within the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León and Galicia will receive and advanced innovation assessment based on the Improve tool and an action plan to fulffill the gaps.