The security sector is considerably evolving, by adapting the offer to the risk and threats and by permanently aggregating emerging innovations. The digital is disrupting this industry, by adding new capacities and new threats. The security sector is very fragmented. SecurIT aims to create a new global competitive security industrial (product & service) value chain by supporting a better integration of innovative security systems, with a cross-sectoral and European approach, to support the time to market optimization, the integration of privacy and security by design at all steps of maturity, with a cross-border collaboration between SMEs and other RDI actors. This vision is supported by a 4 step-approach: #1: : Analysis of the demand-side, mobilizing 40 integrators/end-users to identify their needs and 42 potential demonstrators including major actors as large industry, cities, critical infrastructures operators that will join SecurIT as user group, experiment hosting or supportive partners (26 support letters in annex - AIRBUS, THALES, ATOS, COESS, ECSO, cities, EEN etc.). #2&3: Involving supply sides (SMEs), aiming to get 300 EoI to participate in SecurIT and attracting +1000 SMEs to get part through outreach actions (15 letters of SMEs in annex). #4: Select and Support 63 innovation projects involving 126 SMEs with over 3,5M€ of FSTP through 2 Instruments of support from TRL5 to TRL9 (Prototyping and Demonstration/Pilot), and +700K€ in services provided by partners. Highquality experts will be involved in the SMEs selection process. The consortium is as a whole, with 7 Security and complementary Clusters from France, Belgium, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Denmark, coming from most relevant security / cybersecurity Regional Innovation Hubs in Europe, and the SecurIT partners have experience in open call management at national and european level.

For the EU deep-tech startup scene to grow sustainably and achieve its potential impact, access to real market problems and test beds is required. Driven by real market needs, or as STARTUP3 defines it, Key Performance Areas, the project builds and facilitates an open and collaborative ecosystem for high impact deep-tech innovators and corporates and acts as a cross-border/sectoral market-maker. The project aims to generate, take up, ensure market penetration and further capitalize on the growth and impact potential of profound research by providing access to dynamic and 3-phase across the board growth support framework UPTAKE-UPGRADE-UPSCALE. The catalysation is aimed at creating synergies across the Europe, networking, raising understanding of the benefits of deep-tech technology and stimulating their uptake - Cluster Missions and Clusters-Corporate Assembly. The STARTU3 consortium is a fusion between geographically scattered Clusters (POLE SCS, LITC, ITC) international innovation and Tech-transfer specialists (INO and EKT), SME focused on upscaling research and technology (AGENSO), startup studio (HOLA-UP).

The proportion of the manufacturing industry is currently decreasing in developed European countries’ GDP. Industry 4.0 - also called smart manufacturing, digital industry or industry of the future – provides several technological responses to the challenging competitive market. Indeed, the integration of the Internet of Things and related components - Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Digital Security, Cloud Computing and Big Data - in manufacturing SMEs will improve efficiency and flexibility in production and consumption. However, it requires a more integrated and cooperative approach due to the high interdisciplinarity which has been introduced. Above all, not all manufacturing companies, and in particular SMEs, have access to smarter means of production, due to costs and efforts in the integration and implementation, possible aversion or readiness to ICT technologies, and other obstacles related to cyber and physical security. The IoT4Industry project connects 3 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) clusters having strong competences in IoT with 4 Advanced Manufacturing clusters having access to tool manufacturers and manufacturing SMEs in order to encourage cross-border and cross-sectorial collaboration between SMEs from these two sectors. Starting from the analysis of needs in manufacturing SMEs from diverse sectors in Europe (aerospace, automotive, medicine, ...) on the one hand, and the IoT technology offer on the other hand, the project will put in place favourable framework conditions to enable matchmaking and encourage the creation of smarter manufacturing tools and their integration in manufacturing SMEs. A hundred of support cases involving SMEs corresponding to different development stages (feasibility, prototyping, demonstration) will be selected through a call for proposals to receive funding and support, in view of further developing this new industrial value chain in European SMEs and improve their competitiveness on the global stage.

Cluster organisations’ role is to facilitate industry competitiveness of geographicaly concentrated companies and players of a same industry sector by connecting them together and fostering collaborative innovation dynamics. Clusters must be aware of global trends impacting the economy to support their members in their anticipation and adaptation to changes.In the context of transition towards Industry 4.0, it has become a necessity for cluster managers to upskills and advice the SMEs of their network to foster their digitalisation and competitiveness. That is why the Cluster4Smart project aims at upskilling cluster managers, with the final purpose to shape strong European clusters able to prepare industries for incoming trending topics of the global market. The main objective of Cluster4Smart is thus to develop an innovative online training resource dedicated to cluster managers of Europe and to their stakeholders. To this effect, a strategic partnership of seven complementary entities gathered, from different countries and expertise in different relevant fields: three clusters (SCS Cluster, ArchEnerg and AMUEBLA); the University of Strasbourg, (UNISTRA); a consultancy firm in cluster management (gnomon); an Innovative Business Center (CEEI-Burgos); and the Hungarian Cluster Association (IKOSZ). Diverse activities were successfully carried on, leading to the following outcomes :1.Study of the current knowledge and gaps on clusters towards clusters4.0, based on the existing literature and the actual needs for skills of European cluster managers and stakeholders since 146 respondants (on 150) expressed their needs in the survey. 20 ability, capacity, skills, and competence needs have been identified and served as a basis for the definition of the course learning outcomes. This survey completes the few existing literature on this topic.2.Selection of the learning outcomes and definition of the training content. Prior to the selection was lead an in-depth mapping of the cluster manager’s competences, skills and knowledge profile, based on the IO1 results and on the experience of gnomon and Unistra in teaching cluster management. Then the Cluster4Smart learning outcomes were selected by the consortium and according to the needs expressed in IO1, and a set of 50 topics united in 10 lessons and 4 main modules have been defined, indexed in the Joint Curriculum (IO2).This work carried out in this phase was not only useful the project but also allowed Unistra to further develop its training offer in cluster management. 3.Production of the e-learning training materials, which was the fruit of the consortium collaboration, since the lessons were distributed among 5 partners, harmoniously coordinated by Unistra.Diverse innovative tools were developed: 53 videos (traditional course and motion design), 3 interactive infographics, 22 interactive exercises, 47 course documents and 14 tool and vocab sheets, and 3 case studies.This longer but fruitful phase (c. 60-hours-training) also involved 21 industrial and academics experts within and outside the consortium in the fields of cluster management, innovation and industry.4.Creation of an online MOOC platform to upload and display the training course. The platform is available here (http://training.cluster4smart.eu/) and gathers all the training materials produced in phase 3.5.Validation of the Cluster4Smart training course by stakeholders and dissemination.The real verification survey, which was led during the COVID-crisis, only gathered 35 respondents among the sample of 101 testers, but the vast majority of them validated the training course content quality, pedagogical approach, and platform usability, and the compliance with their learning expectations. The validation phase strongly contributed to the dissemination of the training platform, thanks to a word of mouth effect: 75 user-accounts have been created during the test phase.Given the global context, the local multiplier events have been cancelled and replaced by a webinar disseminated at the European level, with the participation of Ulla Engelmann, Head of Unit Advanced Technologies, Clusters and Social Economy of the European Commission.In terms of longer-term benefits:Cluster4Smart is upskilling the current cluster managers and regional developers, and thus contributes to improve current clusters’ strategies, empowering them to provide better services fostering the European industry and smart transition. In this sense, Cluster4Smart contributes to establish clusters as key tools for regional developments. It also enhances the opportunities for academic-business cooperation, providing new opportunities among stakeholders and the exchange and transfer of knowledge and know-how. New similar projects are already being implemented on the same model.[1]http://www.clusterplattform.at/fileadmin/user_upload/clusterbibliothek/Cluster-collaboration-and-business-support-tools.pdf