Open Labs @ project ROBOTT-NET

The EU-funded project ROBOTT-NET recently asked us to spread the word about their Open Labs, coming up in October and November 2017. These events will promote state-of-the-art industrial and professional service robot technologies to robot developers, investors, end-users and others to help participants develop their network.

Since the beginning of 2016, four national research technology organisations in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom cooperate in the EU project ROBOTT-NET. The project aims at making the best ideas in robotics a reality for the benefit of technology developers and European manufacturing. Through hands-on consulting, business development and communication with investors, the project partners help companies of all size bring their ideas to market and optimise production. And since it’s the mission of ECHORD++ to bring robotics technology from the lab to market, we are happy to support this vision.

What is ROBOTT-NET?

• ROBOTT-NET offers free consulting to European companies that develop or deploy robot technology in industrial production.
• ROBOTT-NET’s mission is to collect and share the latest knowledge about robot technology that can improve production, bring new ideas to market and ensure economic competitiveness.
• ROBOTT-NET is driven by Danish Technological Institute DTI, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Manufacturing Technology Centre and Tecnalia and funded by EU.
• ROBOTT-NET works with technology developers, startups, SMEs and established manufacturers as well as academics and investors.

How does ROBOTT-NET work?

Anyone with a concrete idea, challenge or development project related to robotics can apply to the program. Big manufacturers, garage start-ups and everything in between are eligible. The starting point are free Open Labs which are held at all four participating research institutions.

64 selected projects will then receive a ROBOTT-NET voucher. This voucher is the backbone of the program. It entitles users to approximately 400 hours of free consulting with robotics experts from all over Europe. By the end of the voucher program, applicants will have developed a plan detailing the technical innovation needed (path-to-product or automation design) and the business case for product maturation or robot automation.

Eight of the original 64 projects will then be selected for even further development assistance. For these eight finalist projects, ROBOTT-NET will team each project with a real-world case and the technology will be implemented in a pilot.

The next Open Labs will be held at:

• Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry, UK, on October 19^th 2016:
  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/robott-net-mtc-robotics-open-lab-19th-oct-2016-tickets-26780608521
• Fraunhofer IPA, Stuttgart, Germany on November 11^th, 2016:
  http://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de/openlab.html

On YouTube you can find some impressions from the first Open Lab held at Fraunhofer IPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI1VJQ70Zgo