SMARTFACT: emerging technologies for the factories of the future

Principal investigator:

Duration:

1.7.2026 - 30.6.2029

Funding:

European Union, ARIS (implementing body), as part of the Public Call “Promoting the Implementation of Research and Development Programs (TRL 3–6)" under the European Cohesion Policy Program 2021–2027 for the 2021–2027 period in Slovenia, Priority Area: Factories of the Future

Abstract:

SMARTFACT brings research organisations and industrial companies together to develop more efficient, flexible and sustainable manufacturing. The programme is structured around four thematic pillars: AI-supported process control, robotics of the future, laser processing for electronics, and plasma technologies.

SMARTFACT will contribute to higher productivity, improved quality, greater energy efficiency and the international competitiveness of Slovenian industry. Research teams, system integrators and end users will jointly develop and validate solutions in real industrial environments. Activities will progress from industrial research at TRL 3-4 to prototype development and demonstrations at TRL 5-6.

Expected results include self-learning systems for monitoring manufacturing processes, energy-efficient production scheduling, automated quality inspection using computer vision, adaptable robotic systems, laser micro- and nanoprocessing with automatic optimisation, and thermochromic sensors for recording the temperature history of food products.

The consortium comprises 17 partners: the Jožef Stefan Institute, the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Computer and Information Science and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Maribor Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Rudolfovo, TECOS, Yaskawa Slovenia, Metronik, Gorenje, SICK, INEA, Adria Mobil, RETTRO, Fotona, Elvez and Keko Equipment.

The programme is co-funded under the public call JR RR PROGRAMI (TRL 3–6).

More information: www.smartfact.info