European Collaboration Network facilitates production of smart systems

• Around 5.3 million euros in funds flow into the construction, organisation and testing of this platform until 2018
• The goal: to develop the common production platform for intelligent systems to a sustainable collaborative business model

The EU project SMARTER-SI offers Europe a new production platform for efficient manufacturing of innovative and smart sensor components and microsystems in small and medium quantities. Around 5.3 million euros in funds flow into the construction, organisation and testing of this platform until 2018.

Special technologies for the production of sensors, micro-components and system integration are of-fered by IK4-IKERLAN Technology Research Centre.

The international consortium of seven research institutes from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland and Sweden, as well as seven international companies and other associated partners, have set an ambitious goal: to develop the common production platform for intelligent systems to a sustainable collaborative business model.

Access to modern technologies and scientific expertise provide SMEs the chance to bring their product ideas to innovations on a cost-effective way.

The cooperation model is based on the idea of combining existing technology components in order to offer solutions with significantly better properties.

"At SMARTER-SI we have a unique portfolio of technologies, components and subsystems with high technological maturity that are ready for usage. We want to share this competitive advantage with SMEs to quickly develop innovative products", says Fernando Martinez, Manager of the Microsystems Department at IK4-IKERLAN.

The aspiration is to ensure the compatibility of the interfaces of all the involved partners’ technologies. The success of the operating collaborative platform will open new opportunities for industry in the fu-ture.

Smart systems are characterized by functionality and intelligence. In addition, in the manufacturing process modern machines and several key technologies are applied. The individual partner can only cover a small area of the technologies available today, as the technical and commercial risk is simply too great. Precisely for this reason, the project opens up excellent opportunities for the rapid implementation and launch of innovations. First product ideas have already been adopted and will be implemented in the coming years for and with European industrial partners.

IK4-IKERLAN is currently participating in the following application projects:

1. Wireless sensor system with autonomous energy operation to enlarge periods of maintenance for environments that might be dusty and oily (engines, heavy equipment, clutch brakes etc.).

2. Portable multi-parametric point-of-care testing device that can be operated without previous knowledge to check e.g. food allergens.

3. Portable device for testing the quality of drinking water.

4. Portable, miniaturized capillary electrophoresis system with the potential to replace expensive and cumbersome methods for detection of bio-markers and drugs.

5. Integrated smart system to detect toxic substances in a standard 24 multi-well plate.

6. Innovative integrated smart tools to enable new processes to supersede the hitherto existing ones that use hazardous substances causing health damages.

7. Modular system for respiratory applications with re-usable parts and disposals. The innovation consists in a highly integrated and miniaturized sensor platform for different medical and well-ness applications.

About IK4-IKERLAN

The IK4-IKERLAN centre is a leader in technology transfer, in the specialisation of its researchers and in the contribution it makes to the competitive value of companies. It offers comprehensive solutions by combining different technological fields. This is made possible by its high specialisation in three major areas: Electronics, Information and Communication, energy and power electronics and Advanced manufacturing technologies. Its current workforce is made up of over 250 qualified employees.

About „SMARTER-SI“

As a new kind of manufacturing platform, SMARTER-SI offers the production of state-of-the-art micro-systems for SMEs in small quantities at the most economical prices and without protracted develop-ment costs.

The European Commission ranks SMARTER-SI as showcase and therefore selected it as one of four exemplary projects of the Smart Anything Everywhere Initiative.

SMARTER-SI is an Innovation Action that receives funding from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Programme under Grant Agreement No. 644596, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 15.0085.
Cooperation partners are: Hahn-Schickard (Germany), CiS (Germany), CSEM (Switzerland), IK4-IKERLAN (Spain), Swerea IVF (Sweden), UCC-TNI (Ireland), IPHT (Germany), VDI/VDE-IT (Germany) and seven SMEs