As of January 2017, the Galician Agency of Innovation (GAIN) through the Centers for Innovation and Technological Services of Timber (CIS-Madera) and of Design and Technology (CIS-Galicia), takes part in the Interreg Europe funded project Design for Innovation. Together with seven European partners, we will develop Design Action Plans to enhance SME competitiveness through a more strategic use of design.

The project corresponds with the European Commission’s ‘Action Plan for Design-driven Innovation’ (2013), which recognises design as an accessible “tool for user-centred and market-driven innovation in all sectors of the economy” and calls for European regions to develop their Action Plans for Design.

Through interregional knowledge exchange, we will identify best practice in design support mechanisms for SMEs and evaluate the integration of support instruments for design into the ERDF operational programmes.

The project partners aim for 1,600 SMEs to benefit from support instruments (both financial and non-financial) to bring more innovative, user-friendly and profitable products and services to the market.

To better inform evidence-based policy-making, we will monitor the impact and evaluate effectiveness of implemented mechanisms during 24-month second phase. We will share our results during a high-level conference in Brussels in 2021. See you there.

CIS Galicia, AIMEN Technology Centre and ACLUNAGA- Cluster of the Galician naval sector- are present at Navalia event with the aim to introduce the different technological developments within the framework of the initiative Shipbuilding 4.0.

CIS Galicia has set up a virtual reality system which -thanks to this innovative technology- will allow visitors come into a yacht.

CIS Galicia hosted the annual Galician Volunteering Congress which under the title of “Let’s build” offered the participants the possibility, among other activities, to visit CIS Galicia’s immersive virtual reality room known as CAVE where they could test the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies.

The event was inaugurated by the Galician Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry Mr. Francisco Conde. The main objective was focused on showing the capacity and growth within the sector of wind offshore in Galicia, to the main European Agents. During the conferences it was addressed the importance of the offshore sector and also it was highlighted the increasing level of turnover and its potential as a source for job creation in the area. Also, inconveniences resulting from cost reduction and the need to adapt port infrastructures were discussed.

Over 200 people attended the second session of Multiforum Industry 4.0 which took place at CIS Galicia and which also counted with the presence of the Galician Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry and the Director General of the Galician Innovation Agency.

CIS Galicia organized a SHOWROOM 4.0 where the latest technological developments related to collaborative robotics, 3D design, digital and additive manufacturing and virtual and augmented reality applied to the industry were shown.

More information:

• Web Multiforo Industry 4.0
• Conde aposta polo estaleiro 4.0 como chave para garantir a competitividade do naval ferrolán durante a próxima década

CIS Galicia, by express invitation of the European Commission, participated in the sixth edition of Transport Research Arena –TRA 2016 which took place in the city of Varsaw from the 18th to the 21st of April under the title “Moving Forward – Innovative Solutions for Tomorrow’s Mobility”. This is the largest event celebrated in Europe which is addressed to scientific research within the area of transport.

The European Commission made available part of its exhibition stand so that CIS Galicia showed the developments carried out in the FAROS Project. CIS Galicia participated in the project by implementing technologies of immersive virtual reality (CAVE) and incorporating the human factor for improvement of ship design in terms of risk prevention. This new concept, known as “Risk Based Design” is being imposed within the transport and mobility sector.

More information:

• FAROS Project
• TRA Conference

A workshop was held at CIS GALICIA (organized by AIMEN, ACLUNAGA and CIS GALICIA) within the scope of Shipbuilding 4.0 initiative. The workshop was addressed to introduce tools and technology solutions for dimensional control and inspection of large volumes during shipbuilding process.

The correct use of these tools can be of great contribution to the shipbuilding industry as it allows reduce and even eliminate costly processes derived from dimensional deviation correction.

Manuel Varela, Director General of the Galician Innovation Agency introduced the briefing session on the calls for SMEs within the European Project FORTISSIMO 2. He encouraged the attendees to present their proposals within the framework of the open call for the development of experiments which require supercomputing. The budget is of up to 250.000€.

CESGA – Galician supercomputing centre- is the node in Spain for the project and both CIS Galicia and CIS Madeira collaborate in the definition of supercomputing use cases within Galician SMEs, as naval industry, forestry or wood industry, and bio-industry, among others.

More information:

• A Xunta anima ás pemes a propoñer retos de supercomputación aplicada á Industria 4.0 para gañar competitividade

A technological conference –organized by ACLUNAGA, AIMEN and CIS GALICIA- within the frame of the initiative Shipbuilding 4.0 took place at CIS Galicia. Over a hundred participants assisted and were presented the advantages of Administration and Big Data Software which are a key within Industry 4.0.

During this conference it was announced that in April, CIS Galicia in cooperation with CESGA will make available to the companies a powerful computer and an advanced service portfolio which will facilitate the use of supercomputing technologies, storage and management of big data in order to develop the smart factory. Supercomputing is acknowledged as a key technological facilitator for Industry 4.0.

More information:

• A Xunta pon a disposición das empresas galegas un nodo de supercomputación e servizos avanzados para o impulso da Industria 4.0

A conference took place at CIS Galicia within the initiative Shipbuilding 4.0 on “Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality”. The event was organized by CIS Galicia, AIMEN and ACLUNAGA. Over a hundred professionals belonging to the shipbuilding sector and its ancillary companies attended.

The aim of this Technological Conferences is to disseminate advanced technological solutions by using virtual and augmented reality within the shipbuilding sector, to promote meetings among technology suppliers and potential users and to introduce activities and projects which are being carried out within the initiative SHIPBUILDING 4.0

The Shipbuilding 4.0 initiative promoted by Xunta de Galicia aims to boost the innovation capacity of the Galician shipbuilding industry by developing advanced manufacturing technologies and by establishing a collaboration between the companies with the assistance of ACLUNAGA, CIS GALICIA, AIMEN and the Regional Government.

More information:

• A Xunta achega en Ferrol a realidade virtual e aumentada ao sector naval para aumentar a súa competitividade no marco da industria 4.0

Within the scope of technology support and promotion services rendered by CIS GALICIA to the Galician business network, a demo day took place for entrepreneurs who develop one of the ten projects within the framework of the program called Galician Open Future (promoted by Telefónica and Xunta de Galicia).

The objective of this session was to facilitate information and knowledge about the apps and use of virtual and augmented reality technologies which also includes premises and equipment.

The Director General of the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), Manuel Varela, and the Responsible for GAIN Centre Area, Sonia Pazos, wellcome Mari Carmen López -who is the Manager for the Galician Open Future Crowdworking Centre- and the representatives of the 10 business projects which are at a maturity stage encouraging them to explore the possibilities that CIS Galicia offers and that may help them to obtain competitive advantages in order to progress within Industry 4.0.

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• A Xunta achega no CIS Galicia a realidade virtual e aumentada aos emprendedores para potenciar as súas ideas de negocio

The Conference “Challenges of Industry 4.0 in Galician Automotive” was organized by PSA Peugeot Citroën, CTAG and CEAGA. The Galician Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry Mr. Francisco Conde attended the Conference and remarked the joint effort made by Galician Automotive and Xunta de Galicia within Industry 4.0. The event was a good chance to share latest advances developed by Galician business network in this challenge 4.0.

From 2015, CIS Galicia maintains close cooperation with Automotive Technology Centre –CTAG- within the framework of the agreement financed by the Ministry to research in the interface man-machine (IHM) linked to autonomous driving.

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• Conde salienta a aposta conxunta da automoción galega e a Xunta pola Industria 4.0 como “a única porta para competir nos mercados globais”

The Galician Minister of Economy, Employment and Industry participated in this conference held at the premises of CIS Galicia. He had the opportunity to listen to the proposals made by Ferrolterra Businessmen and also he conveyed the main action lines performed by the Consellería which has already activated 70% of the support programs for the present year and whose open calls sum up 185€ millions.

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• Conde avalía cos empresarios de Ferrolterra medidas e apoios para continuar a impulsar a competitividade e a creación de emprego de calidade

These events were promoted by the Galician Ministry of Economy, Employment and Industry and the company Telefónica, taking place in the City of Culture where CIS Technicians actively participated in the expert roundtable on the different enabling technologies within Industry 4.0: collaborative robotics, 3D Printing, cyber security and graphene.

More information:

• Economía, Emprego e Industria subliña o papel clave das TIC no camiño cara a fábrica intelixente