IMA is accelerating its commitment to research and innovation with direct participation in seven innovative projects funded through the EU’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan within the context of the Next Generation EU programme, and the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
These projects, three of which are co-funded through BI-REX, aim to promote sustainability, digitalization, and the automation of industrial processes in collaboration with other partners. BI-REX is one of the eight national Competence Centers established by the Ministry of Economic Development and Made in Italy (formerly MISE) as part of the Industry 4.0 plan, representing a consortium that includes over 61 universities, research centres, and leading companies focused on digital transformation and technological innovation. In these projects, IMA will utilize its expertise and knowledge by working alongside various strategic partners.
The Sustainability Area
QUEST / Quantification and reduction of the environmental impact of automated packaging processes through LCA and Ecodesign
The project focuses on creating an integrated approach to optimise practices involved in the management of automatic machines for packaging and wrapping, with particular attention to environmental sustainability. The activities concern the entire lifecycle of the machines, from conception to disposal, integrating existing laws and regulations. Throughout the project, a methodology for assessing environmental impact based on life cycle analysis (LCA) will be developed, applied to various selected industrial scenarios. Coordinator: IMA Group
BIO-LUSH // Biomass valorisation for sustainable and high-quality fibre materials
Bio-LUSH addresses a growing need and demand for the use of underexploited biomass raw materials for the extraction of sustainable, high-quality fibres. Within the project, innovative processes for the optimal refining of biomass and nanometric fibrillation will be established to convert the sustainable fibres obtained into functional bio-based materials. The project will demonstrate the processing of biomass and the production (both at TRL5) of bio-based products such as edible packaging, antibacterial textiles, and bio(nano)composite filaments printable in 3D for impact-resistant interior automotive products. Coordinator: Stockholms Universitet
The Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Vitualization Area
PLaaS+ // IT and OT to transform traditional automation
The PLaaS+ (PLc as a Service) project aims to revolutionize the industrial automation sector through a virtualization solution dedicated to industrial control systems. The goal is to integrate information technologies (IT) and automation technologies (OT) to develop smarter, more flexible, and robust production systems. Coordinator: IMA Group
AI4Work // AI4Work – Human-centric Digital Twin Approaches to Trustworthy AI and Robotics for Improved Working Conditions
AI4Work aims to investigate practical methods and tools for optimal job sharing between humans and artificial intelligence/robots. The vision of the AI4Work project is to enhance communication and collaboration between humans, artificial intelligence, and robots, enabling improved working conditions within various processes in organisations across different sectors in terms of increased work efficiency, reduced employee stress, and greater trust in decision-making processes. Coordinator: Institut für angewandte Systemtechnik Bremen GmbH
The Automation and Robotics Area
MATRIX // Robotic manipulation and transport of liquids for high-performance industrial applications
The MATRIX project aims to develop and test innovative techniques for handling liquid containers using high-dynamic robots. The fluid nature of liquids makes their manipulation complex, and minimizing oscillations (sloshing) is crucial for automated packaging. The proposed technology seeks to control the movement of robots to effectively manage liquid content, thus enhancing business competitiveness through the innovation of manufacturing processes. Coordinator: IMA Group
FLASH // Flexible laser-based manufacturing through precision photon distribution
The purpose of the FLASH project is to enhance the technology of laser-based manufacturing, making it more flexible, more suitable for digital control, and capable of generating less waste compared to traditional mechanical, chemical, and thermal processes. FLASH will develop a flexible platform equipped with three integrated laser sources, allowing multi-wavelength emission, across a broad range of pulse durations with dynamic beam shaping, in a flexible robotic/CNC cell with three different beam delivery heads. Coordinator: Prima Additive srl
BIOTOOL-CHF // BIOmarker-based diagnostic TOOLkit to personalise pharmacological approaches in Congestive Heart Failure
Co-financed by the European Commission, the project aims to develop a medical-diagnostic device to improve the effectiveness, through personalisation, of diuretic therapy for patients with heart failure, integrating diagnostic and prognostic information with the clinical and demographic characteristics of each patient. Coordinator: IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
Promoting sustainability, digitalization and automation of industrial processes
IMA Group’s active commitment to these initiatives aims to consolidate its leading position in digital and technological transformation. Through direct participation in these seven research and development projects funded by the EU’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the Next Generation EU programme, coordinated in collaboration with Bi-REX and other strategic partners, the Group is dedicated to promoting sustainability, digitalization, and the automation of industrial processes.
