Boosting Resilience In five industrial ecosystems through adoption and Deployment of advanced technoloGiEs among SMEs

The European Commission introduced the concept of ""Industry 5.0"" in 2021, shifting from the technology-driven approach of Industry 4.0 to a human-centric approach that prioritizes human needs and interests in production processes.

The need for this new paradigm was emphasized by major disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts, which revealed low resilience in industrial ecosystems in Europe.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, demographic changes, and skills gaps that further disrupt their operations.

The aftermath of the pandemic has forced businesses to re-think their operations and adapt their business models to ensure continuity.

In this context, the BRIDGESMEs project aims to assist European SMEs in five industrial ecosystems - Mobility, Transport & Automotive; Aerospace & Defence; Electronics; Cultural & Creative Industries; and Tourism - in re-thinking their business models and operations to become more resilient, sustainable, and human-centric.

The project will facilitate alliances between traditional SMEs and tech-savvy SMEs & start-ups, as well as accelerate the deployment of innovative solutions in the market and enhance clusters' cooperation to support SMEs across value chains.

The consortium will conduct an assessment of the current status of the Five Industrial Ecosystems, identify needs, disruptions, challenges, and opportunities related to technology adoption and transition towards Industry 5.0, and involve and select traditional and tech-savvy SMEs through open calls, hackathons, and matchmaking events.

Cluster action for industrial transition, CMO guidelines, and policy recommendations will be delivered through peer review meetings to promote increased cooperation between clusters and enhance resilience and technological uptake across value chains.