DigiMach places Meuse-Rhine Euroregion at the heart of industrial digitalisation
DigiMach (Digital Machining) is a new cross-border project uniting Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands around a common goal: accelerating the digitalisation of the machining industry in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion.
“Driven by innovation, training, and collaboration, DigiMach aims to strengthen the competitiveness of industrial SMEs by offering them concrete solutions for a successful digital transition,” explains Prof. Rudolf Müller of Maastricht University.
A European project serving industrial SMEs
DigiMach is funded by the Interreg Meuse-Rhine programme and has a budget of €3.66 million, with 50% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), supported by public and private partners.
“DigiMach addresses a strategic challenge: guiding companies towards Industry 4.0 by integrating artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics,” emphasises Prof. Anna Wilbik of Maastricht University.
Concrete actions for sustainable transformations
DigiMach will support 150 SMEs in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion through:
- A personalised digital maturity assessment
- A multilingual collaboration platform
- Development of technological prototypes and use cases
- Launch of 20 pilot projects under real and practical conditions
- Targeted training and practical workshops
These initiatives help businesses optimise their processes, reduce costs, and integrate advanced technologies to remain competitive.
Strong dynamics across borders
The project is coordinated by Sirris (Belgium) and brings together leading partners:
- Basse-Meuse Développement (Oupeye, BE)
- CRM Group (Liège, BE)
- Technifutur (Seraing, BE)
- WFG Ostbelgien VoG (Eupen, BE)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (Krefeld, DE)
- ITA Academy (Aachen, DE)
- Brightlands Smart Services Campus (Heerlen, NL)
Over the next three years the consortium will focus on five core activities:
- Analysis of company needs
- Establishment of a digital collaboration platform
- Development of technological demonstrators
- Implementation of pilot projects
- Knowledge transfer and dissemination of results
The collaboration between businesses and knowledge partners in DigiMach aims to create a regional knowledge network with lasting impact for the regional industry, even after the project’s completion.
A lever for industrial competitiveness in the region
According to Rim Stroeks of Maastricht University, DigiMach offers a unique opportunity to sustainably enhance the competitiveness of the Euroregional manufacturing industry and thus contribute to the future-proofing of this industrial sector from a European perspective.
Are you an industrial SME looking to accelerate your digital transformation?
Participate in the online survey about your digitalisation needs and join the DigiMach project!
For more information contact: Rim Stroeks
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