SMART ENDORSED WITH THE EUREKA CLUSTER APPLICANT LABEL

AFM Cluster and Mondragon Corporation lead the startup of SMART.The new Eureka Cluster on Advanced Manufacturing is supported by 9 countries.First Call for projects planned for December 2017.

SMART, the new EUREKA Cluster Program on Advanced Manufacturing has been granted the "Applicant Label" with the support from Czech R., Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

At present, more than 135 organisations distributed among 20 countries have expressed their interest in participating in future SMART projects. The promoting industry will keep working to get other relevant manufacturing countries to support SMART.

SMART is a new R&D&I program in advanced manufacturing that will allow the execution of international high TRL projects (close-to-market). SMART projects will be led by the industry and will have national funding once approved by EUREKA.

After the Applicant Label endorsement the SMART team (lead by AFM Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Mondragon Corporation) will start creating the structure and instruments to operate the cluster and plans to launch its first Call for Projects in December 2017. SMART is open to the participation of any organisation involved in advanced manufacturing.

EUREKA is an intergovernmental Network established in 1985 with the aim to promote the competitiveness of European industry. It is an international technology cooperation platform that provides support to market-oriented R&D&I projects, facilitating access to national funding to participating organizations.

It is estimated that SMART projects will add up to 50 million euros per year. At least two companies of two different EUREKA countries must participate in these projects, that typically count with an average participation of 5 organizations from 3 different countries.

SMART project has been possible thanks to the Spanish Driving Team (Aernnova, Airbus, B/S/H, Ensa, Grupo Antolín, Idesa, Navantia and Royo Group), as well as CDTI, SPRI and INNOBASQUE.