EU shipbuilding leading edge relies in the complexity, quality, customization, delivery time and lifecycle services (e.g. in situ maintenance, repair and retrofitting) of the vessels manufactured. However, in the last decade, EU small and medium-sized shipyards (SME) have experienced a competitive drawback in their market segments due to an increase of competition from other global regions that benefits from lower labour costs or higher automation degree. Moreover, SME shipyards must also overcome a major impediment related with capital investment that can overwhelm the part cost for shipbuilding. As a result, current automation solutions based on large monolithic equipment, are not still valid for increasing productivity in SME shipyards. Therefore, shipbuilding, and especially SME shipyards, needs novel cost-effective, reconfigurable, modular and flexible worker-centric methodologies capable of improving worker’s performance and ensuring quality and precision in the execution of the labour-intensive tasks. Mari4_YARD aims the implementation of a portfolio of worker-centric solutions, by relying on novel collaborative robotics and ubiquitous portable solutions, enabling modular, reconfigurable and usable solutions targeting the execution of labour-intensive tasks by preserving industry-specific workers’ knowledge and skills. Moreover, replicability and early-adoption of the portfolio of technologies by other SME-shipyards is ensured through several actions on training, technology assessment, benchmarking… by establishing a pan-European network of Didactic Factories, offering general-purpose testbeds and showrooms, as well as providing upskilling and re-skilling of shipyards workforce. To further maximise the impact, Mari4_YARD plans to use synergies with complementary European and national initiatives, especially those related to MG-3-7-2020. A strategy for collaboration with Mari4_CHAIN and Mari4_PRO proposals, if funded as well, has already been set up.

The AVANGARD project addresses the integration of three novel processing units into an existing Microfactory test bed conceived to produce urban electric vehicles. The units are state of-the-art multipurpose and multifunctional demonstrators on their own, specifically: Robotized integration of laser cutting-shaping-welding for 3D components Supersonic deposition of metallic powders for high speed 3D printing Large volume and high-speed 3D polymeric printing The operation of the AVANGARD pilot will be demonstrated manufacturing I-Bikes, I-CARS and innovative battery packs. The proposed innovations target urban mobility where we are entering an era of rapid transformation and disruption which are also challenging traditional paradigms on manufacturing and business models characterized by an unprecedented speed, scale and scope of technological change. The project will prepare the environment for novel forms of collaborative distributed manufacturing amongst different EU regions. Innovative value chains will be pursued to overcome the scale (giga) and speed being established in planned economies (China) with market development controlled by the governments attitudes, targets and policy tools. To manage the IPRs and the supply chain, AVANGARD will implement a hybrid public-private Blockchain platform where the public chain increases security through distributed consensus and validation and the private sidechain increases speed while keeping sensible data stored in the facilities of partners. The platform will allow auditability of sources, traceability, verification of sources, still with private control of documentation and compliance to data retention policies. The theme of Blockchain-powered manufacturing is relatively new. AVANGARD will address it with Ideas Forward PC, an SME that runs specialized BC tech commercialization projects.

The high-mix low-volume (HMLV) market scenario requires constant changes in jobs, materials and machines. This implies the need to build highly flexible and intelligent manufacturing environments, that allow a fast adaption of processes and systems to changing conditions, assuring high product quality with lower production costs and energy consumption. This urges manufacturing industries to re-define their production processes for competitiveness and sustainability. Most of the manufactured components have joints, so welding technologies are identified at European level as key enabling technologies for the development of innovative and sustainable manufacturing processes. Among welding technologies, arc-based accounted for 36% of the total in 2020, highlighting its relevance for major European industries. Traditionally robots have been used in mass production industries performing repetitive tasks at acceptable cost and quality levels, sacrificing flexibility for productivity. The cooperation of multiple robots powered with IA and Data technologies offers new operational capabilities in terms of manoeuvrability and manipulability in several industrial processes. COROB proposes the development of a smart cooperative multi-robotic system for flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing to cover HMLV industrial production needs in the current technological context of Industry 5.0. The system will be human-centered and will integrate advancements in robotics, inspection, monitoring, control and AI developed by consortium partners and 15 external third parties through an Open call. The flexible solution will be validated in 2 semi-industrial pilots for automotive sector (Multi-robot cooperative arc welding) and toolmaking industry (Multi-robot cooperative WAAM (wire arc additive manufacturing) for repairing). It will contribute to resilience, resource saving, circular economy, cost savings and digital supply chain, fostering European industrial competitiveness.