Overview
To address European ambitions in terms of reducing energy consumption, introducing renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and safety concerns, Flanders supports the sustainable transitions in technology trends that the automotive manufacturing industry have to address to remain globally competitive. These include Industry 4.0, Internet-of-Things and Machines-as-a-Service.
The strategic and applied research of Flanders Make is oriented to new value chains creating innovative products, services and processes of Flemish companies active in smart energy, cost efficient products and zero defect processes.
An important part of the research programme focuses on electric and hybrid drive systems and autonomous driving technologies, through offering testing and validation infrastructure, shared with university labs, to develop vehicles and machines of the future together with and for Flemish companies that are active in niches segments like public transport and logistics etc.
Areas of research include a.o. Connected and Autonomous Driving, Energy and cost-efficient electric powertrains, zero defect, accurate and modular production processes.
The competence cluster Motion Products has a technology roadmap as its backbone. This roadmap – which is made together with the leading technology companies in Flanders – describes the dominating trends and technologies in this field of application. All projects are checked against the roadmap and financed under the program if OK. The research priorities validated by Flanders Make Board are funded following the cooperation agreement of the project signed with Flanders Make to share knowledge and test infrastructure of the involved core labs associated with Flanders Make. There are different R&D project types: Strategic Basic Research (SBO) and ICON, a cooperation model with industry, managed by VLAIO (innovation agency) and shared innovation labs.