UESP coordinates the Net-Challenge European project

UESP coordinates the Net-Challenge European project

The Manufacturing Systems Engineering Unit (UESP) recently started working on the European project Net-Challenge - Innovative networks of SMEs for complex products manufacturing.

13th July 2009

This project will be coordinated by INESC Porto, the institution responsible for the design and development of models, methodologies and tools to support Small and Medium Enterprises (PME) in the creation and management of non-hierarchical business networks.

In order to succeed in competitive markets, SMEs need to increase the added value of their products and services, aiming to offer complex products focused on the consumer.

In these environments, SMEs must adopt new business models and to establish dynamic and non-hierarchical business networks in order to be able to respond rapidly and to achieve competitive costs and differentiated offers. In hierarchical, more traditional business networks, smaller companies need to perform specific tasks, defined by larger companies, thus limiting the possibilities for differentiation.

Thus, the project aims at providing methods and tools for SMEs to create and manage these business networks, including scientific and technological objectives, such as a methodology that will help SMEs in the qualification of potential partners and in the creation of dynamic business networks, models for reference business processes and distributed decision-support tools.

Coordinated by INESC Porto, the project includes the participation of several institutions from different countries, such as the Fatronik Foundation (Spain), the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – ITIA (Italy), University of Vaasa (Finland), CENI - Centre for Process Integration and Innovation (Portugal), TIE Nederlands B.V. (Netherlands), Wapice (Finland) or the Tsinghua University (China).

The project includes three case studies: the Portuguese case will be developed in the context of the textile sector with different partners, such as Riopele and RPB. This case study will be complemented with a case in the footwear industry (in Italy, with companies Synesis and Italian Concept); the last case will be developed in the machine tools industry (in Spain with companies ONA and RoboC).

The project’s kick-off meeting took place at INESC Porto’s facilities on 4 and 5 June and it was an opportunity to present the vision, goals, work plan and methodologies for the project.

UESP’s team working on this project is set up by Luís Carneiro, Jorge Pinho de Sousa, Américo Azevedo, João Claro, Ricardo Almeida and Lia Oliveira.

BIP, June 2009