DIH Pilsen

Competence Centers as an Element of Digital Innovation Hubs

What is Digital Innovation HUB

Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) is one-stop-shop that help companies to become more competitive with regard to their business/production processes, products or services using digital technologies.
DIH is based upon technology infrastructure (Competence Centre - CC) and provide access to the latest knowledge, expertise and technology to support their customers with piloting, testing and experimenting with digital innovations.
DIH also provide business and financing support to implement these innovations, if needed across the value chain. As proximity is considered crucial, they act as a first regional point of contact, a doorway, and strengthen the innovation ecosystem.
DIH is a regional multi-partner cooperation (including organizations like RTOs, universities, industry associations, chambers of commerce, incubator/accelerators, regional development agencies and even governments) and can also have strong linkages with service providers outside of their region supporting companies with access to their services.

Main activities of Digital Innovation Hub

Organize and provide services to industry
Access to competence centers
Development of innovation eco-system
Brokerage
Access to finance
Market intelligence
Training and education
Incubator/mentoring services

Main activities of Competence Centre

Competencies in digital technologies
Provide access to infrastructure and technology platforms
Provide digitization and application expertise
Support experimentation in real-life environments
Support fabrication of new products
Demonstrate best practices
Showcase technologies in pilot factories, fab-labs

A wide range of our services

Awareness Creation around Digital Technologies

We help people understand the opportunities brought about by digital technologies to overcome the business challenges, facilitate the adoption of those technologies and make the best from them in their application.

Innovation Scouting

We support companies in searching for information on recent available innovations and identifying and engaging innovation partners.

Visioning and Strategy Development for Businesses

We support companies shape their vision and strategy from a digital perspective and adjust their direction in response to a changing environment.

Collaborative Research on Issues of Common Interest

We strengthen collaborative mechanisms by bringing together professionals from different background and engaging them in a collective effort.

Access to Specialist Expertise and Infrastructure

We provide access to knowledge and facilities to deliver excellence in all our services and increase companies’ competitiveness in the global market.

Brokering / Matchmaking

We operate in a network and facilitate the innovation of organizations by connecting different actors of the ecosystem and with external entities.

Mentoring

We grow a community of experienced and committed professionals who build businesses together and support each other in unlocking performance improvements.

Training

We deliver training on digital skills to meet the needs and preferences of companies and enhance their digital transition in the innovation ecosystem.

Access to Funding and Investor Readiness Services

We identify funding opportunities for our members and bring in contact all the stakeholders that can contribute to the purpose in order to facilitate the implementation of a large-scale investments.

BOWI project - Boosting digital innovation in Europe

The H2020 project BOWI is aligned with the European Commission’s Smart Anything Everywhere (SAE) initiative. This initiative aims to support European companies through to advanced digitalisation solutions that should be available to any company regardless of its location.
Key elements of the SAE initiative are the digital innovation hubs (DIHs) – one-stop shops for companies seeking to improve their business or service with digital solutions. These hubs bring together companies that offer state-of-the-art solutions and take up the challenge of finding the answers to complex problems.

Welcome Camp for Selected BOWI Technology Transfer Experiments

22-12-2020: To present our vision and strategy building sustainable interregional corridors with the help of the experiments

Introduction to European collaboration and the EU DIH landscape
What are EU-corridors
What are benefits of EU-collaborations
Positioning the SME experiments
Connection to the European Digital Innovation Hubs
Activities to establish the collaborations
Next steps to support the creation of the corridors

Welcome camp presentation

BOWI Widening Call for Developing Hubs

BOWI second open call aims to select 9 developing hubs to activate cross-border technology transfer programmes together with mature DIHs.

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START: 15 December 2020 at 00:00 (Brussels time)
END: 01 March 2021 at 13:00 (Brussels time)

Call for Mature Hubs to become part of BOWI network

BOWI project will offer mature hubs (mature DIHs) media exposure and networking opportunities. Additionally, the mature hubs will be invited to become a long-term member of the BOWI Network, having the opportunity to join the activities planned beyond the project.

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START: 15 December 2020 at 00:00 (Brussels time)
END: 01 September 2021 at 13:00 (Brussels time)

BOWI project distributes 1,44M€ between 24 companies to support their digital solution refinement

In Czech Republic’s Jihozápad region, the following 4 applicants and experiment topics were chosen:

JALUD Embedded - Sound event detector for outdoor real-time sound recognition.
InnoConnect - Analytical map of the traffic flows in the Pilsen region.
LaserTherm - Robot seam tracking module for industrial robotics.
BestTalk - Development of BestTalk analytics & database for business, research and development evaluation.

Press release

BOWI 1st Open Call for experiments

1st call for technology transfer experiments
Deadline: 15.09.2020
Opportunity for SMEs and mid-caps to receive research and business support, and EU funding…

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1st call CLOSED!

About BOWI project

BOWI stands for Boosting Widening Digital Innovation Hubs. BOWI aims to build a digital innovation hub (DIH) network based on experience and practice sharing. A network that will support companies in turning their most innovative projects to life, aid investors in discovering the leaders of digital revolution and help development agencies understand the needs of industry.

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Chain Reactions - Virtual demonstration centre for advanced manufacturing processes

The CHAIN REACTIONS project aims to increase the capacity of industrial businesses to innovate. The idea is to absorb new knowledge and turn it into competitiveness edge and business value, growth and profits. There is especially a need to help SMEs to overcome operational stress and a capacity shortage with respect to innovation as well as a stronger integration into emerging transnational and global value chains.

The project focuses on a few key sectors based on their embedding in regional smart specialisation strategies. The Regional Development Agency of Pilsen region is responsible for Advanced manufacturing sector. In this sector we are realising together with other partners the Virtual Demonstration Centre pilot activity, which is a place where innovative technologies or methods are displayed, with the aim to enable potential users (e.g. SMEs) to get familiar with them and evaluate a potential transfer in their own context.

Virtual prototyping

Virtual prototyping is a method in the process of product development. It involves using computer-aided design (CAD), computer-automated design (CAutoD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software to validate a design before committing to making a physical prototype.
Topics: 3D scanning, product digital twin

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Additive technologies

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process where a three-dimensional object is created from a CAD model with the use of 3D printer. By this printing process the core material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control typically layer by layer.
Topics: composite printing and steel printing

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Robotics and automation

Automation or automatic control is the use of various control systems for operating different equipment with minimal or reduced human intervention.
Topics: collaborative robotic, industrial robots, digital twins

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Virtual and augmented reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that simulates virtual environment similar to or completely different from the real world with which the user can interact.
Topics: virtual reality, augmented reality

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Objects digitisation

Digitisation of products of buildings is crucial for further utilisation in advanced manufacturing processes. Most common technology for digitisation in these days is laser scanning.
Topics: laser scanning, photogrammetry

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Demonstration centre

Virtual prototyping

Prototype development
	The main aim of the project was to technically develop an adaptor that can be fixed to the aerosol bottle and to develop a suitable ergonomic mask in line with the ideas of our partner. The developed product consists of several components (adapter, ergonomic mask and silicone padding for comfort). The design of these components had to consider the manufacturing technology and dimensions of the cylinders. A functional adaptor was created where the used material and its mechanical properties (e.g. flexibility) were crucial. The mask and silicone part attached to it had different material properties, which have been tested and implemented in different versions. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyAbyc2AA90

Additive technologies

Prototype development
	The main aim of the project was to technically develop an adaptor that can be fixed to the aerosol bottle and to develop a suitable ergonomic mask in line with the ideas of our partner. The developed product consists of several components (adapter, ergonomic mask and silicone padding for comfort). The design of these components had to consider the manufacturing technology and dimensions of the cylinders. A functional adaptor was created where the used material and its mechanical properties (e.g. flexibility) were crucial. The mask and silicone part attached to it had different material properties, which have been tested and implemented in different versions. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyAbyc2AA90

Additive manufacturing by Trovus Tech GmbH
	Additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, offers completely new possibilities for design. Trovus Tech GmbH, based in Bavaria Germany, specializes in 3-D printing with metal. "We make the diverse possibilities of 3-D printing accessible to companies," says CEO Patrick Wilden. The young company offers everything from a single source. Starting with the development/design up to the finished component. The biggest advantage of additive manufacturing is a maximum in design freedom. The start-up recently began producing parts for a Swiss bicycle manufacturer. Each component individually adapted to the customer's needs and in better quality than in the die-casting process, as Wilden points out. "Our next goal is to produce small series for mechanical products and plant engineering equipment." Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UinHw5Lfqzs

Robotics and automation

Collaborative robot implementation in production
	The client was a manufacturing company located in the Karlovy Vary region. The company is a manufacturer of electro technical components, mainly contacts and connectors for automobiles. The customer wanted to explore the possibility of implementing collaborative robots on several workplaces characterized by heavy monotonous work. Specific technologies (robots, grippers, vibration buffers, etc.) were selected for specific needs of the workplaces based on technological suitability and compliance of process parameters with workplace requirements. For each conceptual design of the workplace a digital twin was created in Siemens Tecnomatix Process Simulate programme. This digital twin model was used to elaborate performance, safety or special requirements. The performed simulations provided the possible operation times. The costs for the new workplace concepts and ROI were also given. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEL2Thf22VI

Communication among different machines
	The goal of this project was the managing of two robotic arms (UR3, Franca Emica Panda) and an autonomous truck (MIR100) by a program that allows integrated and automated work. The devices cannot be controlled directly, there is only a limited possibility to send the data, so each device had to execute a state-of-the-art program that processes the command received and performs the task associated with that command. Programs should be carefully designed, in particular to deal with errors. The program had to be written in parallel on the control computer and on the devices. Elements were UR3 – MIR100 – Panda communication, MODBUS programming and encoding, automated processes. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvEzQMeICas

Virtual and augmented reality

Car door virtual assembly training
	This is a practical example of virtual reality application for work instructions training. The subject of the training is the assembly of car door padding. The work instruction contains several steps. For the purpose of testing the work instructions have been created with the help of augmented reality (AR) as well as virtual reality (VR). The AR instructions can be visualised by tablet, smartphone or by webcam with LCD display. The VR instructions are designed for head mounted displays such as HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luS63i_QDdA

Scanning and virtual tour though the production hall
	Laser scanning is a suitable technique for digitisation of either small objects (products and reverse engineering) as well as large objects and buildings. In this particular project a Leica ScanStation C10 was used for digitisation of production hall. The resulting point cloud was after the cleaning and processing used as an underlay for the creation of the building 3D model. The final visualisation was prepared in virtual reality (by the head mounted display HTC Vive) where interactive elements e.g. doors, machines or additional video instructions have been added to the whole model. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1KIiHN6mE

Digitisation of archaeological dig site
	The main goal of this project was a digitisation of archaeological dig site in order to capture and preserve the discovery. Many of the archaeological excavations that are discovered in the field survey cannot be protected from destruction by other means than through digitisation. A Leica ScanStation C10 was used for laser scanning in this particular project. Further postprocessing of the point clouds was necessary in order to transform the data in final 3D model. The final model was inserted in suitable virtual environment that can be viewed by head mounted display, allowing the visitor to view the virtual tour at any time. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2FDZbqoAY0

Objects digitisation

Scanning and virtual tour though the production hall
	Laser scanning is a suitable technique for digitisation of either small objects (products and reverse engineering) as well as large objects and buildings. In this particular project a Leica ScanStation C10 was used for digitisation of production hall. The resulting point cloud was after the cleaning and processing used as an underlay for the creation of the building 3D model. The final visualisation was prepared in virtual reality (by the head mounted display HTC Vive) where interactive elements e.g. doors, machines or additional video instructions have been added to the whole model. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON1KIiHN6mE

Digitisation of archaeological dig site
	The main goal of this project was a digitisation of archaeological dig site in order to capture and preserve the discovery. Many of the archaeological excavations that are discovered in the field survey cannot be protected from destruction by other means than through digitisation. A Leica ScanStation C10 was used for laser scanning in this particular project. Further postprocessing of the point clouds was necessary in order to transform the data in final 3D model. The final model was inserted in suitable virtual environment that can be viewed by head mounted display, allowing the visitor to view the virtual tour at any time. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2FDZbqoAY0

	Scientific director			Technical director
	doc. Ing. Milan EDL, Ph.D.			Ing. Michal Zemko PhD.
	edl@pilsen-dih.org			zemko@pilsen-dih.org

Country	VAT	Partner
CZ	49777513	Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
CZ	26316919	COMTES FHT a.s.
CZ	22890629	Klastr mechatronika, z.s.
CZ	06100198	Klastr Chytrý Plzeňský kraj, z.s.
CZ	66362717	Správa informačních technologií města Plzně, p.o.
CZ	25245091	Regionální rozvojová agentura Plzeňského kraje, o.p.s.
CZ	45354774	BIC Plzeň, společnost s ručením omezeným
CZ	72053666	Karlovarská agentura rozvoje podnikání, p. o.
CZ	22689982	Česká technologická platforma STROJÍRENSTVÍ, z.s.
DE	260608659	Cluster Mechatronik & Automation Management gGmbH

Pilsen DIH

Awareness Creation around AI & Digital Technologies