The overall aim of the project is to create a DIHs widening network that supports the collaboration between developing hubs in regions where SAE and I4MS technologies are underrepresented (widening hubs) and well-established hubs (mature DIHs) that are highly experienced in these technologies.

BOWI Open Call 3 for Technology Transfer Experiments will distribute up to €2.16 M among 36 SMEs and Midcaps to develop their experiments (up to €60 000 per experiment) from the 9 widening hubs regions selected during the Open Call 2. Up to 4 SMEs and Midcaps will be selected per region. Additionally, up to €300 000 (€15 000 per experiment) will be made available in the form of a voucher among 20 experiments from 5 particular regions. The other 16 experiments will receive support from mature hubs that are part of the BOWI Consortium.

Who is eligible to apply?

SMEs or Midcaps, legally established in Member States of the European Union and Associated Countries to H2020 or the United Kingdom and that have proven business activity in one of the following 9 regions:

• Eastern Slovakia (SK04), Slovakia
• Southern (HU23), Hungary
• Adriatique (HR03), Croatia
• Center (RO12), Romania
• Capital Region (LT01), Lithuania
• Central & Western region (LT02), Lithuania
• Ukraine
• Prague (CZ01), Czech Republic
• Belgrad (RS11), Serbia

Experiments must be developed with specific I4MS/SAE technologies and be currently assumed between TRL5-TRL7. Experiments should address the application of technology and systems from the technology areas identified by each region.

The full list of technologies supported by the project is:

• Low energy computing powering CPS
• Cyber-physical and embedded systems
• Internet of Things
• Flexible and Wearable Electronics
• Advanced or High-performance computing
• Robotics for manufacturing
• Additive manufacturing technologies
• Modelling and simulation
• CPS for manufacturing
• Digital twins, data sharing, autonomous factories
• Cloud computing
• Artificial Intelligence

What are the benefits and financial support provided?

The selected experiments will become part of an exclusive BOWI Support Program which includes:

• Technical support to support the experiment implementation from industry experts at their local DIH;
• Business mentoring to build a business strategy out of the outcomes of the project from their local DIH;
• Guidelines and support for the successful implementation of the project offered by Mature DIHs (16 SMEs from 4 regions will receive this support from BOWI Mature Hub partners and 20 SMEs from 5 regions will be able to use the voucher mechanism (read more here) to access support from BOWI validated Mature Hubs);
• Up to €60 000 funding as a lump sum to cover the development of the experiment;
• Access to specific facilities and infrastructure offered by the BOWI Network; and
• Media exposure from the BOWI network as well in the consortium partner ecosystem.

You can learn more about the BOWI Third Open Call and the application here.

(Source: European Comission, Funding & tender opportunities: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/competitive-calls)