Welsh partners visited Basque Country to better understand the Basque approach to Industry 4.0 in the context of MANUMIX Interreg Europe project. The interregional learning visit was intended to advance the implementation of the Welsh Action Plan that will address Industry 4.0 inspired by the Basque and Piedmontese experiences.
The Welsh Government’s delegation visited the Basque Country on the 21st and the 22nd of January due to their interest in the instruments and programmes of the Basque Industry 4.0 strategy. The delegation was formed by Mr. Phil Allen, head of Knowledge Transfer & Commercialisation; Dr. Gwion Williams, SMART Innovation Senior Operations Manager; Mr. Chris Probert, innovation specialist, and Mr. Greg Green, head of R&D projects and member of MANUMIX partnership.
The delegation was received by representatives of MANUMIX’s Basque partners and stakeholders from the Government, the Business Development Agency (SPRI) and the Innovation Agency (Innobasque). Both sides had the opportunity to share insights about their good practices and how to implement them taking into account each region’s context. Among different good practices, Basque Industry 4.0 subsidy programme, the innovation specialists and the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) were analysed and discussed.
They also visited relevant infrastructures and organisations that work closely with companies in Industry 4.0-related projects and services: AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center; the RTO Vicomtech; Orona lift manufacturer’s Elevator Innovation Center and the Aeronautics Advanced Manufacturing Center (CFAA).
All the learnings gathered will enable a smoother implementation of the respective Action Plans.
