The COTEMACO project at the Research Center

Cotemaco - Competitiveness Through Efficient Man & Machine Collaboration

Research institutions as well as chambers and associations from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK are joining forces to establish development environments in the manufacturing environment and to support SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) in introducing new technologies into their production. The focus is on human-machine cooperation, which leads to greater flexibility in production.

problem

Manufacturing SMEs in North-Western Europe are struggling with their cost competitiveness compared to large-scale production in low-wage countries. In addition, there is a shortage of skilled workers, as employees in manufacturing SMEs are exposed to high physical stress and repetitive tasks. Flexible production that meets the customer's desires for higher personalization and small batch sizes is a crucial and superficial competitive advantage that secures jobs in the region. Nevertheless, most SMEs are reluctant to invest in e.g. modern technologies.

objective

The project, which is an initiative of Interreg North-West Europe, aims to support around 60 SMEs from the manufacturing automotive and food industries with so-called ‘test environments’ and to encourage them to integrate collaborative robot systems and digital technologies into their companies. Accordingly, in addition to increasing production flexibility, the relocation of production abroad is also curbed and the number of manufacturing jobs is increased, which generally leads to the improvement of the competitiveness of the companies involved.

approach

The project will implement new technologies in application examples – the aim is to move from the prototype in the laboratory environment to the transfer to production, taking into account the legal situation and certifications.
Furthermore, awareness is raised and know-how regarding the potentials and limits, e.g. human-robot cooperation, is transferred to decision-makers and planners as well as to production employees. Not only the test environments of the ZeMA are available for initial contact with the new technologies, but also those of the other transfer partners in the other regions. The available equipment in the test environments can be used directly for initial feasibility studies for the companies.
In this way, SMEs in particular can test the latest technology without a risky investment. In addition to testing new technology, it is also an advantage in terms of employee training. Employees can try out different setups in the test environments and gain experience without the pressure to be active in real production.

Results / Project status

The four research partners (Flanders Make, ZeMA, FoodTech Brainport and the University of Lincoln) will each establish different environments in which SMEs in the specific sub-areas can test practical pilot applications. This provides an optimal environment for economic actors to facilitate innovation and strengthen their competitiveness in North-Western Europe.
Contact person: Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Speicher

Duration: 07.03.2018 – 06.09.2021

Total budget: The total project budget is 3.88 million euros.
EUR 2.33 million will be financed by Interreg North-West Europe.