To enable companies to take their Industry 4.0 project ideas forward, they are matched with suitable pilot plants and demonstration factories across the country. With immediate effect, the FabLab Kamp-Lintfort is also included among these so-called I4.0 test environments.
These test environments are a key component of the funding scheme. They support small and medium-sized enterprises by enabling them to test their Industry 4.0 products and components, as well as the associated digital processes and connected business models, under realistic conditions. To be classified as an official Industry 4.0 test environment, the FabLab had to meet criteria relating to expertise, infrastructure and capacity. These include, for example, the size of the facility, the equipment available and the human resources on hand. In the Wesel district, the FabLab in Kamp-Lintfort is the only test environment for this funding scheme. There are four such test environments in the Ruhr region, and 80 across Germany.
For many small and medium-sized enterprises, there are numerous hurdles on the path to Industry 4.0. Among other things, companies often lack suitable testing facilities or the resources to develop a market-ready product from prototypes. This is where the Industry 4.0 test environments come in, by providing the necessary infrastructure and expertise. To ensure a suitable match between a company and an Industry 4.0 test environment, the company’s requirements are compared with the profiles of the respective test environments. The final choice of Industry 4.0 test environment is made by the company itself. The contact person for the FabLab at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is Dr Martin Kreymann (martin.kreymann@hochschule-rhein-waal.de).
Micro-enterprises and small enterprises are eligible for funding covering up to 50 per cent of the total costs; medium-sized enterprises up to 40 per cent; and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) up to 30 per cent. The maximum funding amount in all cases is 100,000 euros. The National Contact and Coordination Point ‘I4KMU’ is the central point of contact for all enquiries regarding the funding scheme (info@i4kmu.de). Here, businesses can find out, without any obligation, whether their Industry 4.0 project idea is viable and what funding options are available. They receive free support in drawing up the project outline, which should not exceed ten pages. The next deadlines for submitting project outlines are 15 July 2019 and 15 November 2019. Full details are available online at www.i4kmu.de.
