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INESC Porto starts working on FIT4U European project

INESC Porto starts working on FIT4U European project

The kick-off meeting for the project FIT4U - Framework of Integrated Technologies for User Centred Products took place in Milan on 15 July. INESC Porto was represented at the meeting by Rui Rebelo, researcher at the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Unit (UESP).

Included in the EU 7th Framework Programme, this project aims at supporting the development of new competitive strategies based in new industrial paradigms that are characterised by the development and manufacturing of products that respond to the users’ specific needs (user-centred production). Specifically, the project aims at designing and developing a set of innovative tools to support product and process engineering, integrating 3D product engineering tools, micro and nano sensors and actuators, adaptive materials, as well as adaptive and clean manufacturing technologies and processes.

INESC Porto is responsible for providing simulation and decision-support tools that will help the manufacturing process reengineering for small series or customized products. The intention is to make those processes more flexible and efficient by increasing production flows (in the direction of Lean approaches).

The project’s area of application is the footwear and accessories (gloves, for instance) sector, with a particular emphasis on specific market segments, such as security and sports, where the need for products with a high added value that are personalized, comfortable, safe and affordable, is increasingly higher.

The current social and economic globalization brings many challenges to the consumer-oriented manufacturing sectors. It is expected that the footwear and accessory markets will grow about 25% over the next five years, and so the Footwear and Sports Industries will see these trends as a significant market opportunity.

Targeting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), this project was the starting point for a consortium that includes important Research Centres and industrial partners: other than INESC Porto, the sole Portuguese participant in the project, this consortium includes the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Instituto di Tecnologie Industriali e Automazione (CNR-ITIA, project coordinator), from Italy, the Instituto Tecnológico del Calzado y Conexas (Inescop) and the Instituto de Biomecànica de Valencia (IBV), both from Spain. The industrial partners (mostly SMEs) include: BaseProtection (Italy), Paredes (Spain), Scarpa (Italy), Schoeller (Switzerland), VIBRAM (Italy), OrthoLabSport (Italy), Strategies (France) and Synesis (Italy).

INESC Porto is represented in the project by UESP through the work of Rui Rebelo and João Pedro Pedroso, researchers at the unit.