Industry is a major component and a strong lever for the European economic growth. The Industry 5.0 approach has been developed by the European Commission to enhance the pivotal role of industry in the economic and societal transitions towards more sustainable societies. The Industry 5.0 vision complements and goes further than the Industry 4.0 concept: beyond efficiency and productivity, industry plays a leading role in the digital and green transitions for a more sustainable, human-centric and resilient economy.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Industry 5.0 : human-centric, sustainable and resilient, Publications Office, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/073781
This approach echoes 3 of the European Commission’s priorities: "An economy that works for people", "European Green Deal" and "Europe fit for the digital age".
As an EU-funded project developing the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technology, the Grade2XL Project addresses these priorities.
Resilient / competitive EU economy
🦾 WAAM technology is a game changing innovation, unlocking economies of scale and remarkable cost savings compared to conventional manufacturing.
It opens up new perspectives for the European manufacturing sector including relocation of production and places Europe in a world-leading position on WAAM.
Sustainability
🌿 Thanks to digitization, WAAM is a leaner and greener production process. It allows important CO2 and material savings for products manufactured with WAAM.
Human-centricity
🙋♀️ The WAAM process improve the health and safety of the welder in the shopfloor, thus contributing to the creation of new jobs, as well as re-skilling and up-skilling of the workforce.
The Industry 5.0 Award is a great opportunity for EU-funded projects to promote their contribution to the industry of the future.
Finalists will be invited to attend an award ceremony in early June to reward the winning project.
Stay tunned !