Today, European industry is facing major challenges that affect its future. These areas are connected to the development of new technologies, digital and energy transformation, and climate change. To increase competitiveness between countries and companies outside Europe, the EU and industry should focus on regional and national value chains to shorten transport and services linked to the manufacture of various products.  These challenges affect competitiveness and opportunities for transformation and renewal. The TIG Sustainable Industry will support students and researchers, industry and society, with new and innovative technologies and skills by developing courses and initiating new cooperations and research projects to meet the future challenges of European industry. Through these activities, new knowledge will be generated and shared with the surrounding community.

Challenges for the industry

The challenges facing the industry, which affect competitiveness and opportunities for transformation and renewal, are as follows:

Digitalization and productivity

Increasing productivity through digitalization, including essential technologies. Small and medium-sized businesses must embrace the ongoing technological transformation and new solutions.

Technological transformation

AI and other technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, as well as new manufacturing methods, such as additive manufacturing, are changing European industry, so it is necessary to adapt and introduce new technologies.

Climate change and sustainability

Climate challenges such as the greenhouse effect ─due to the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity and power the process and transport─ affect the industry. Sustainable solutions for European industry are therefore important.

Focus on value chains and services

Increased emphasis on regional and national value chains to shorten transport and product-linked services.

Demographics and gender equality:

An ageing workforce and unequal gender distribution are challenges. Diversity and inclusion are important. The concept of Industry 4.0 and later Industry 5.0 has been pointed out over the last decade as the solution to face the future challenges of European industry. Despite this, the industry still faces several technical challenges when it comes to implementing the concepts of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Industry 4.0 has to integrate different systems and machines to create a continuous flow of information, which is a major challenge, as many old systems are not designed to communicate with modern digital solutions. Data security is another critical issue, as there are increasing risks of cyberattacks that require robust security measures. It is a fact that the enormous amount of data generated must be managed efficiently, which requires advanced analytics tools and large data storage capabilities. New manufacturing methods and processes, such as additive manufacturing, will support sustainable transformation and enable regional production. Another challenge to overcome is the shortage of skilled labor, an area in which there is a need for a trained workforce that can handle new technologies, which is why it is necessary to promote the training and improvement of personnel. When it comes to Industry 5.0, this TIG focuses on improving collaboration between humans and machines, which requires the development of intuitive interfaces and the guarantee that machines can work safely and efficiently together with humans. Production also needs to be more flexible and adaptable to meet specific customer needs, requiring advanced robots and AI systems that can quickly adapt to changes. Sustainability is another fundamental aspect, since the integration of sustainable methods and technologies in production processes is essential to reduce energy and waste consumption, along with ethical and social aspects. It is paramount to ensure that technologies are used in a way that is fair and beneficial to society. All these challenges require cooperation between companies, researchers and governments and the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0 and 5.0 can be fully exploited. For this reason, within the Sustainable TIG industry, the above points will be addressed through the development of joint research, new projects, collaborations in education and improvements in mobility ─both of students and staff─ through which knowledge and experience can be shared.

Sustainable Industry Mastery

The TIG Sustainable industry will integrate the principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability into all aspects of industrial operations to minimize negative environmental impact, promote social equity and create long-term economic value. Sustainable industry focuses on production and manufacturing, new materials and processes, as well as developing collaboration with other institutes and academia.  The main, but not the only, goal of this TIG is to support the manufacturing industry using top-of-the-line technology such as AI, machine vision, additive manufacturing, and flexible automation. Examples of these areas include more resource-efficient processes, product development, and utilization of manufacturing capacity through digitalization, energy supply, and circular business models.  TIG Sustainable Industry wants to shape a more resilient and adaptable European industrial sector. Therefore, by promoting digital transformation, sustainable production and social responsibility, the transition to an industry that is not only productive, but also aware of environmental and social impacts is being supported. And all this is done with a joint research approach, in which education and mobility will address the key challenges of global competitiveness and sustainability.  There are therefore many objectives that the TIG Sustainable Industry has ahead of it: to improve cooperation between colleagues in STARS EU universities, to improve the development of new courses to strengthen students' skills (especially through BIP), to develop new research cooperations, to propose challenges for students, and to encourage and facilitate student mobility.

Leader

Mikael Eriksson(mikael.ericsson@hv.se)

Co-Leader

Marek Kozień(marek.kozien@pk.edu.pl)