ActionPlanT · ActionPlanT - The European ICT Forum for Factories of the Future

ICT plays a multifaceted role in all major European industrial sectors and its contribution to the manufacturing sector has become paramount over the last few years. Quite undeniably, ICT will become increasingly intertwined with Factories of the Future and will be seen developing efficient business processes through dynamically evolving business models. Although Europe has been investing in the efficient usage of ICT-enabled manufacturing in the last decade, its innovation and profitability has been waning compared to other major economies such as the United States and Japan. In order to ensure the sustainable competitiveness of Europe's manufacturing industry, a thorough analysis is required such that R&D resources are applied most efficiently. This analysis will consider technology and business trends as well as politics, environment, and societal needs.<br/>The threefold objective of ActionPlanT is to first come up with an ICT-enabled manufacturing vision for use cases and services of the future using this analysis as a basis. Secondly, this vision would pave the way for a detailed roadmap which will prioritise and schedule most promising topics for the upcoming work programme of Framework Programme 8. Lastly, within the scope of ActionPlanT, a validated concept for industrial learning will be developed and extensively piloted via summer schools and workshops amongst stakeholders in industry, academia, and the European technology platforms alike.