BEST 4.0 – Blue Economy Sectors Digital Transformation towards Industry 4.0

Applying the key principles of Industry 4.0 to the blue economy by helping SMEs operating on both shores of the Adriatic coast to innovate products and production processes, focusing on technological advancement, digitalization, and environmentally sustainable development. This is the starting point of the BEST 4.0 project, which aims to support the introduction of Industry 4.0 principles in the blue economy sectors through Digital Innovation Hubs (DiHs) to reduce the gap between high and moderate performing territories in terms of innovation within the Italian-Croatian area.

In particular, the project aims to assess the innovation and Industry 4.0 needs of 160 SMEs operating in the blue economy, providing a Catalog of innovative solutions and creating a cross-border network of DIHs for the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles. This network will bridge the existing gap between SMEs and innovation centers, creating an open innovation space dedicated to the blue economy sector.

Subsequently, cross-border Action Plans will be developed, which, starting from the innovation and digitalization needs of SMEs, will create customized support paths between SMEs and the DIHs. In the initial phase, 160 SMEs will be involved in a business audit to measure their Technology Maturity Level. Among these, 80 SMEs will be selected to benefit from business improvement paths and process and product innovation, support to the introduction of Industry 4.0 solutions and development of new digital skills.

As for the blue economy companies based in Friuli Venezia Giulia, thanks to the collaboration with the Maritime Technology Cluster FVG FVG, 20 companies will have the opportunity to receive a free on-site audit aimed at understanding their level of digital maturity, which will serve as a prerequisite for accessing the catalog of specialized services provided by all partners in the Adriatic area.

ACHIEVEMENS

• A Cross-Border Industry 4.0 Catalog for the Blue Economy, supporting businesses and local and regional authorities;
• A Cross-Border Network of Digital Innovation Hubs, to help blue economy SMEs to achieve their digital transformation even after the project concludes;
• Innovative business solutions, Industry 4.0 applications, and capacity-building pathways that will support 80 blue economy SMEs in the target areas.