INESC TEC invests in advanced intralogistics solutions for the national industry

To support the creation of a dynamic and sustainable innovation ecosystem for production technologies. This is the main objective of the Produtech R3 project – Mobilising Agenda of the Production Technologies Sector for Reindustrialisation, which foresees the creation of 85 new innovative products and services for the industry – developed collaboratively and demonstrated within the scope of more than 52 pilots at companies from different sectors. INESC TEC has been part of this consortium (108 partners) since January 2022; the Institute leads the WP9, related to the development of solutions for internal logistics in the industry, involving more than 30 entities – including Sonae, NOS, NAVIGATOR, Aquinos, Kaizen, FLOWBOTIC, INFINITE FOUNDRY, NEADVANCE, JPM and IST, among others. The expected results are 24 technological solutions and 10 demonstrators. Among said demonstrators, Navigator – one of the companies involved in this WP – is implementing four; the company presented them on February 8, at INESC TEC, during a session that brought together representatives of all responsible entities. On that day, the participants were also able to discuss the status of the project and define action plans for the next steps. “The PRODUTECH R3 showcases the multidisciplinary competencies of the INESC TEC teams; in addition to the ‘Portuguese DNA’, they confer the scientific essentials that lead to impactful and relevant innovation on technological solutions”, emphasised António Almeida and Pedro Senna, managers of WP9 and researchers at the Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering (CESE)/TEC4INDUSTRY initiative, at INESC TEC. The demonstrators, which were supported by several multidisciplinary teams from INESC TEC, include prototypes of logistics management systems using Digital Twin technology and semi-autonomous mobile robotics, robotic platforms for optimising transport tasks, intelligent and adaptive storage processes, and a quality control method for materials through mobile image processing. “We believe in the potential of these solutions as drivers of digital transformation in the Portuguese industrial fabric, and that they can increase the impact of science on society through INESC TEC’s knowledge”, said António Almeida. The PRR Produtech R3 Mobilising Agenda stems from the action programme of the PRODUTECH cluster – Production Technologies Hub –, an initiative promoted by the production technologies sector, which plays a central role in the modernisation of the manufacturing industry, namely concerning the green and digital transition. This sector aims to reduce external technological dependence, increase the added value generated in the country, and contribute to the specialisation of the Portuguese economy. In addition to the creation of products and services, the project also foresees the development of complementary education and training, internationalisation, dissemination, and capacity-building activities. The agenda, led by COLEP PACKAGING, brings together a national consortium of 108 partners from various areas and sectors of the national industry, namely 45 companies that provide production technologies, 37 companies that use manufacturing production technologies, 26 entities part of the national scientific and technological system, tech centres, and sectoral entities. The PRR PRODUTECH R3 Mobilising Agenda is funded by the European Union under the NextGeneration EU programme, through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) – with a total investment of almost €167M, and an expected conclusion in December 2025.