High-Tech Workspace for Production of Highly Personalised, Value-Added Products and Services in Cloud Manufacturing Networks of Future ...

Globalisation and technology breakthroughs (e.g., Industry 4.0, Additive Manufacturing, Cloud Manufacturing, Robotics and Internet of Things) have provided great opportunities as well as challenges for the manufacturing sectors. Development of new manufacturing methods to produce affordable products or services become more attractive. As the production process became more adaptable, efficient, decentralised, the cost for producing highly customised products will be reduced. The key elements of the project consist of a workspace that can be used within a Cloud-Manufacturing-Network to produce, adapt, and customise value added products or services in a decentralised manner via micro-compact-workspaces, mobile factory or mini-factories. Based on the nature of decentralised manufacturing, the workspace will allow products and services to be co-created and produced closed-loop in the vicinity of the customer. Apart from obtaining highly customized and decentralised production capability, the workspace also will allow the utilisation, preservation and managing of the knowledge of the aged workforces, but highly skilled and specialised mastered craftsmen, engineers, technicians especially in the SME sectors that represent the backbone of the European industry. The project will also explore the potential allocation of the workspace in complementary organisational, social and city planning aspects.