The industrial informatics and embedded systems sectors present leading edge technology sectors that provide a competitive advantage for Europe.

The region of South East Europe is mostly characterized by developing low-wage based economies which should be changed in the near future. In order to be competitive in the globalized economy these SEE economies should pass transformation to knowledge – based innovation-driven economies.

The main project objective is the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship in the SEE area, placing emphasis on advanced products and services associated with the sectors of industrial informatics and embedded systems. The project is in-line with the area of intervention 1.1 since it will primarily develop a technology and innovation network of research / academic institutions as well as enterprises and facilitators of innovation in the area related to the aforementioned sectors.
The I3P Project is financed by South-East Transnational Cooperation Program of EU and co-financed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Work  of Bulgaria.
The project will create Strategic Research Agenda/SRA/ in the sector of industrial informatics and embedded systems that will make possible to align research efforts in the area so that a significant critical mass is created. The SRA will be a result of a wide consensus building among the different stakeholders in the area, comprising academia, industry, the public sector facilitators of innovation, such as clusters, and technology platforms  existing networks of excellence as well as private financing mechanisms, developed through a wide transnational network in the area. The agenda will be in line with the local and regional national strategies. The important thing is transformation of the research into innovation in order to give back to the community advanced products and services that will increase the competitiveness in the region.

I3E will create a methodological guideline on innovation showcasing how this transformation is possible utilizing international best practices for this purpose.
The main project outputs will be wildly disseminated amongst the enterprises and general public.
Industrial Informatics and Embedded Systems represent two sectors of high importance of SEE. It should be noted that the manufacturing sector contributes around 22 % of EU GDP, while 50% of top European Industries perform research in the Embedded Systems Sector.  Both sectors contribute largely to the EU competitive advantages in the global market. SEE has significant critical mass with the reference to research in the sectors both from academia and industry. One of the challenges of the I3E is to align this research potential towards a common research agenda which could increase the overall research visibility of the area. The missing link is the transformation of research to products and services.

 
The project specific objectives:

• Formulation of an extensive transnational network of technology and innovation stakeholders, comprising institutions from academia and enterprises as well as facilitators of innovation including innovation poles, technology platforms, innovation clusters, existing networks of excellence and public authorities in the SEE area;
• Elaboration of a transnational strategic research agenda (SRA) in the sectors of industrial informatics and embedded systems so that research efforts of different research groups in different countries are aligned towards common goals that could contribute to the creation of a critical research mass that will increase the international visibility of the area;
• Elaboration of a Methodology Guideline for Innovation (MGI) based on the analysis of international good practices for the transformation of research to innovation as well as the evaluation of existing financial tools and their applicability in the SEE area that can make this transformation feasible;
• Promotion of the SRA and MGI towards all stakeholders in the area through national and international workshops that will help build new capacities for adopting innovation in the sectors of interest;
• Strategic networking with other EC initiatives and relevant structures;
• Strategic involvement of the public sector and private innovation financing mechanisms so that both Structural Funds and private financing may be utilized for the promotion of innovation;

 Expected Results:

• The project expected results comprise:
• A project website that will be available for at least 4 years after the project completion. The Lead Partner will undertake the task of maintaining this web site for the aforementioned period;
• A transnational network community comprising at least 600 research and innovation stakeholders in the sectors of industrial informatics and embedded systems. Stakeholders are expected from the entrepreneurial world, research and academia, public administration bodies, as well as facilitators of innovation. The establishment of this community will utilize both local / national tools, such as printed material in local languages and local meetings, while transnational effort will be placed on this task through special web enabled tools (e.g. forum, newsletters) and transnational meetings / workshops. Such tools will contribute to the project sustainability;
• A commonly agreed transnational Strategic Research Agenda that will help align research activities in the industrial informatics and embedded systems sectors towards common goals applicable in the SEE area. The involvement of the public administration in the aforementioned community aiming at the adoption of the SRA at the Structural Fund management level;
• A wiki enabled database of international good practices relevant to the transformation of research to innovation will be elaborated. This database will be a permanent tool maintained along with the web site for at least 4 years after the project completion;
• A methodology guideline for innovation that will be elaborated taking into account the wiki input and analyzing the applicability of the selected best practices in the SEE area;
• Capacity building of at least 150 SMEs relevant to the adoption of innovation. This result has by nature a permanent character;

Bulgarian ICT Cluster is a project partners in I3E consortium. The organization is involved in the implementation of all five working packages.

We believe that the project will be very useful for the development of industrial informatics and embedded systems sector in Bulgaria. The project will have the following results for Bulgaria:

• enhance entrepreneurship in the sector if industrial informatics and embedded systems;
• transform best practices for transformation of researches into innovative products and services
• industrial informatics and embedded system sector promotion
• creation of national stakeholders network including representatives of universities, research institutions and businesses

Project website: www.i3e.eu

You can see here the I3E Flyer

Project Partners:

• Industrial Systems Institute/Research Centre ATHENA - leading partner
• Austrian Academy of Science – OEAW 

• Ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria Ltd

• Bulgarian ICT Cluster
• Technical University of Cluj – Napoca
• University of Maribor, Slovenia

• Josef Stefan Institute, Slovenia

• Regional development Fund of the Region of Western Greece

• Italian Executive Alliance  
• Foundation for New Bulgarian University
• University of Kraguevac, Serbia

• Odessa national Polytechnic University, Ukraine