Press release - May 13, 2020
CONTACT Software is partner of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology
The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) is an EU initiative to promote innovation in Europe. It supports companies and research institutes in finding joint solutions to major global challenges. CONTACT Software is now involved in the digitalization projects of the EIT Manufacturing network.
The EIT is an independent EU body that empowers innovators to turn their best ideas into products, services and jobs for Europe. The institute supports pan-European partnerships between companies, universities and research institutions. Meanwhile, eight innovation communities focus their respective expertise on global issues of climate, digitization, health, energy, food, raw materials, industrial manufacturing and urban mobility.
EIT Manufacturing, headquartered in Paris and with five other locations in Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, is the newest of these innovation clusters. CONTACT Software is now part of its network with over 50 partners from 17 countries. Almost half of them come from industry such as Festo, Kuka, Magna, Philips, Sandvik, Volkswagen and Volvo.
With more than 2.1 million companies and over 32 million jobs, the manufacturing industry represents growth and prosperity in Europe. The automotive sector, mechanical and plant engineering, medical technology and other high-tech industries are technology leaders in global competition. EIT Manufacturing aims to strengthen this position and therefore promotes research as well as the qualification of specialists and executives in four future-oriented fields: people and robots, additive manufacturing, waste-free production and platforms for digitalized value networks.
Dr. Philipp Savarino coordinates the EIT activities of CONTACT Software. "An example of the network's focus and projects are mixed reality solutions for manufacturing professionals," says the analyst from the company's Engineering Transformation Team. "Among other things, we want to contribute an app for work planning here".
CONTACT Software will engage in further research projects to support the ambitious goals of EIT Manufacturing in the areas of R&D, education and start-ups: By 2026, the innovation cluster aims to provide 350 new products and services in the manufacturing sector, train or retrain 50,000 people from the industry and support the establishment of 1,000 new companies.
