After a number of successful Smart Factory Fieldlabs, northern organizations have joined hands to take the next step together with industry in our region. We are going to start with the Smart Industry Hub Northern Netherlands! The Smart Industry Hub Northern Netherlands is there for all northern companies in the manufacturing and process industry. So large and small
companies, frontrunners, but also companies that have yet to start with digitization and Smart Industry.
Smart Industry Hub program
The program of the Smart Industry Hub is set up as a menu of choices. The entire program can be gone through, as well as parts of it. For most activities, participation is free of charge. The content depends on the preferences and questions that participating entrepreneurs have. Some of the offerings include.
- Educate on Smart Industry and Digitalization through an on-site talk and through Smart Factory Workshops.
- A Smart Factory Assessment "how smart is your factory? Includes a roadmap.
- Work with an expert to outline a Smart Industry roadmap and create an investment plan.
- Master classes in which specific themes are worked out in small groups of companies, for example on 3D printing or new business models.
- Networking meetings where companies engaged in Smart Industry can meet and learn about Smart Industry solution providers.
- 'Hit the moors' with experts and technology providers to develop a blueprint of their own Smart Factory.
- Help to join the major European Smart Industry programs.
- Work with all educational institutions to create an action plan for education.
- Organize innovation programs around specific themes, think Smart Industry for the food sector or Smart Industry for energy transition.
Skillslabs
An important part of the Smart Industry Hub are the so-called Skillslabs. These are demo locations where companies can view and try out Smart Industry solutions. We will also be retraining employees in digital competencies and training students there. The Skillslabs will be set up as a collaboration between companies and education - MBO, HBO and university. There will be three Skillslabs in the Northern Netherlands: in Drachten, Groningen and Emmen.
From companies for companies
Expertise on digitization and Smart Industry is mainly in the companies themselves. We are seeing more and more companies in the Northern Netherlands offering interesting Smart Industry solutions. These come from IT and software, industrial automation and machine builders, equipment suppliers, providers of digital products - for example ERP, accounting or marketing, providers of big-data solutions or artificial intelligence, engineering companies and experienced smart factory consultants. These technology providers can accelerate digitization of our industry. This is how we are going to organize it, by mapping supply and demand and connecting them in a smart way. So it's "From companies for companies. That's how our Smart Industry Hub should work.
Take the assessment
The Northern Netherlands Fieldlab Region of Smart Factories (RoSF) developed a scan that forms the basis of the National Smart Industry Assessment. With this test, production companies from the manufacturing and process industry can determine where they stand and which steps they can still take on their way to a Smart Factory. Do the assessment!