The goal of this project is to increase integration between the production and the distribution of supply chains by proposing the implementation of a multisectoral and technological initiative, which will require the definition of future research and innovation priorities.

Particularly, NEXT-NET will develop a Strategic Research Agenda where different communities, like EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association), SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency), ALICE (Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe) and other technological associations can gather to face important challenges, such as personalisation and sustainability.

The main stage of the project encompasses the creation of a European network, where the most important stakeholders will be involved, reaching a critical mass of people from the target industries and from scientific domains through direct interactions along the whole process. By identifying industrial scenarios for 2030 through the analysis of socioeconomic trends, of market drivers and of their impact on technological development and innovation, the project intends to develop a strategic research agenda and a joint plan of action with recommendations for innovation policies of interest to all Member-States.

NEXT-NET will be based on the analysis of the most important industrial and technological roadmaps, both national and European. It will identify the most promising technologies for the industrial scenarios of the future in order to develop research and innovation priorities, which will be validated in workshops with specialists and stakeholders.

From INESC TEC, the people responsible for this project are Ana Barros (Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering), Pedro Campos (Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence) and Vasco Amorim (Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship).

In addition to INESC TEC, this project has as partners the Institute of Industrial Technologies and Automation (ITIA) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), PNO Innovation, the Zaragoza Logistics Centre, the Fraunhöfer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics, and Aston University.

NEXT-NET is funded by the European Commission’s H2020 programme and will have a duration of 24 months.

The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC, UP-FEP and UTAD.