Connecting smart sensor systems for the food industry

ended

The food industry is taking its first steps towards Industry 4.0 and the Factory of the Future. Some larger enterprises with a broad network, connections with research and technology centres (RTOs) and international affiliations are up-to-date and aware of the most recent technological developments in this perspective. However, all over Europe, the food industry is typically a small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) driven sector. Even ‘large companies’ are relatively speaking (in comparison with other sectors), quite small. The overall objective of our project is to set up a platform, with a joint cluster partnership strategy, implementation roadmap and interregional investment projects, between food- and electronic/ICT cluster organisations and relevant research and technology organizations, to lower the barriers for food companies to access the newest smart sensor systems, to enable the Internet of Things (IoT) transition of the food industry. The food industry has specific requirements for sensors and the related IT challenges and also expects the machine manufacturers to integrate these sensors in the equipment/machines they produce. By creating this European smart sensor systems platform, the involved stakeholders will get a better understanding of each other’s possibilities and requirements for these technologies. We want to facilitate the implementation of the smart sensor systems technologies by setting up living labs, where the technologies can be demonstrated and we aim to set-up comparable living labs, staffed with competent, multidisciplinary teams, in other regions in Europe, learn from each other and interconnect. To achieve these challenges we recommend a 5-step model: • Creating awareness • Building a trust zone • Evaluation and validation • Implementation • Leverage The aim of the model is to increase the awareness and explore the application of existing, upcoming smart sensor systems for the food industry followed by implementation.