AERIS+ FINAL CONFERENCE: CONFERENCE ON THE AERONAUTICS SECTOR AND INDUSTRY 4.0
31 May 2023
On the 23rd and 24th of May, PACT was present at the final conference of the AERIS+ project, led by the Seville Chamber of Commerce, and INDUPYMES+, with the aim of strengthening cross-border cooperation between the regions of Andalusia (Spain) and Alentejo (Portugal) in relation to two key sectors for the competitive development of the Euroregion, the aeronautical sector and Industry 4.0.
The event was attended by a Portuguese delegation and several representatives of municipalities in the Alentejo region, such as Évora, Beja, Ponte de Sor and Grândola, as well as the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training and the University of Évora. It also included the Regional Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia. Both regions were represented by Portuguese and Andalusian companies from the aeronautics and advanced transport sectors.
The Secretary General of the Seville Chamber of Commerce, Pedro Delgado, was in charge of the welcome, along with Joaquín Rodríguez, Director General of the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies CATEC. Next, Juan Román Gallego, General Manager of the Andalusia Aerospace Cluster, presented the current situation of the aeronautical sector in the Andalusia region, addressing the challenges and future opportunities. Manuel Ortigosa, technical advisor to the General Directorate for Innovation Promotion of the Department of University, Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia, explained the different grants and subsidies that the region offers in this sector, according to the Andalusian Aerospace Strategy 2021-2027.
Then, the main results of the AERIS+ Project were presented and the representatives of the Alentejo municipalities had the opportunity to present the opportunities in the aeronautical sector offered by their regions.
Irene Heras, from the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (FADA-CATEC), presented the INDUPYMES+ project, shared the results of her (INDUPYMES), namely the diagnoses and digital transformation plans of SMEs in the cross-border region, as well as use cases of RTLS technologies – Real-time location system. Some Andalusian companies that have been diagnosed participated in a table where topics such as the difficulties of implementing 4.0 technologies, the preparation of human resources for this implementation, critical factors, public aid, and the follow-up experiences carried out within the framework of the project were shared.
The afternoon continued with several technical visits, including to the company Sevilla Control, specialized in machining and assembly of aeronautical components, and to the Andalusian Aerospace Technology Park (Aerópolis), where demonstrators of the implementation of digitalization in SMEs were presented. The day ended with a visit to the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (FADA-CATEC).
The 24th began with the first meeting of the Monitoring Committee created during the AERIS+ Project, in Aerópolis.
The Monitoring Committee aims to establish synergies and seek links between the two cross-border regions in the aeronautical sector; it is composed of three working groups: an industrial group focused on companies; an institutional group, linked to public bodies of the regional administration, municipal councils and chambers of commerce; and a third group of R+D+i related to training in specialised centres; universities and science and technology parks.
The Committee was attended by the Portuguese delegation, representatives of the different Alentejo municipalities mentioned above, the consortium of the AERIS+ project, as well as companies in the sector, representatives of the University of Seville and the Ministry of Education.
Finally, and following the presentation of the AERIS+ Memorandum of Understanding by the Seville Chamber of Commerce, visits were made to Andalusian companies: Canagrosa, which is an industrial laboratory and provider of complete technical services, and Sintersa, a specialist in electrical interconnection components and systems in the military, aeronautics, rail and industrial sectors.
The AERIS+ Project is led by the Seville Chamber of Commerce and composed of the following consortium: Andalucía Aerospace; the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies FADA-CATEC; the IDEA Agency, the Alentejo Regional Development Agency – ADRAL, the universities of Seville and Évora, and PACT – Alentejo Science and Technology Park.
The INDUPYMES+ Project is led by the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies FADA-CATEC and composed of the following consortium: Diseño y Automatización Ningenia, the Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs (FEDEME), the IDEA Agency, the universities of Seville and Évora, the Cámara de Comercio de Sevilla and PACT – Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia do Alentejo.
The AERIS+ and INDUPYMES+ Projects are co-financed by the Portugal-Spain Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme (POCTEP 2014-2020).
