Dear EUROP members,

Welcome to the first EUROP newsletter, which you will receive on a regular basis from now on to inform you about topics of interest to the EUROP community.

We have included the following topics in this edition:

• SRA presentation on 7 July 2009
• ECHORD - first call for robotic equipment
• "Factories of the Future" - Public Private Partnership with new funding possibilities for robotics 
• The new EUROP logo

Please, be so kind to give the EUROP Secretariat feedback about the newsletter: What did you like, what could be improved? We also ask for your input for the next editions - keep us updated about projects, events, news, etc., that you think are of interest for the EUROP community. The EUROP Secretariat is more than happy to include your suggestions!

Well, I hope you enjoy the EUROP newsletter and wish you all the best for the summer season!

Yours sincerely,

Rainer Bischoff,
EUROP Coordinator

Presentation of the SRA for robotics in Europe

On 7 July 2009, Dr. Horst Kayser, EUROP President and CEO of KUKA, proudly presented “Robotic Visions to 2020 and beyond – the Strategic Research Agenda for robotics in Europe, 07/2009” to 110 distinguished guests and robotics experts, among them members of the European Commission led by Dr. Rudolf Strohmeier, Head of the cabinet of Commissioner Reding.

This visionary document is the result of three years of intensive collaborative effort of many European robotics manufacturers, system integrators, research institutes and universities. Most of the EUROP members were involved in the elaboration. The development of the SRA was also supported by the European Commission’s through the FP6 project CARE – the Coordination Action for Robotics in Europe.

Dr. Horst J. Kayser, EUROP President and CEO KUKA AG, presenting the EUROP SRA	Dr. Rudolf Strohmeier, European Commission, Head of the Cabinet of Commissioner Reding, opening the networking event

Please give us feedback on the SRA and make a statement on how we should and you could support its implementation – on European, national and regional level.

The work of EUROP and its members does not stop here!  EUROP’s aim is to drive European robotics forward and strengthen the ties between academia and industry, thus ensuring the competitiveness of European robotics in global markets. Your further support is of tremendous value for us in achieving this goal.

ECHORD – first call for robotic equipment

ECHORD (European Clearing House for Open Robotics Development) is a new EC-funded project aiming to strengthen the cooperation between scientific research and industry in robotics. In the context of ECHORD, approximately 50 small-scale projects of 12-18 months duration, so-called “experiments”, will be conducted, using state-of-the art robot equipment.

Carrying out these experiments should be appealing to both sides, industry and academia; concrete problems for the industry are to be solved, the processes will be simple, quick to propose and negotiate.  

Current call is relevant for robotic equipment only!

The objective of this call published on 16 July 2009 is to set up a qualified equipment list. Manufacturers of robotic equipment are asked to submit offers for equipment in different categories (grouped by functionality and price range) that could be used later for the experiments. Deadline for the call for equipment is 24th August 2009, 5 p.m.

The ECHORD consortium invites manufacturers to offer robotic equipment such as:

• Robotic arms with different payloads
• Mobile platforms
• Parallel kinematics
• Robotic Hands
• Controller hardware (if not included in robot)
• Sensor equipment
• Software
• Accessories
• Others 

On 4 September 2009 a Public Information Event will take place in Munich to give all interested parties more information about experiments, calls, proposals, selection procedure, etc. Registration via the website will open soon. The first proposal call for experiments is planned to be published on 28 September 2009.

Factories of the Future - funding possibilities for robotics

"Factories of the Future" (FoF) is one of the three Public-Private Partnership (PPP) included in the Commission's recovery package  - a joint initiative of the Directorate Generals INFSO (ICT programme) and Research (NMP programme) to support the manufacturing industry in the development of new and sustainable technologies.

On 30 July the European Commission has launched a cross-thematic call "Factories of the Future" (FP7-2010-NMP-ICT-FoF; with a budget of 95 M€).

The following are the expected target outcomes of the call (as described in the respective Work Programmes):

1. ICT - Information an Communication Technologies: Objective FoF-ICT-2010-10.1 Smart Factories: ICT for agile and environmentally friendly manufacturing - total funding budget of 35 M€
   a) Integrated process automation and optimisation for sustainable manufacturing
   b) Real-time monitoring of energy use and material flow
   c) Robotics-enabled production processes tested and validated in real-world environments
   d) Laser applications
   e) European "ICT for Factories of the Future" Coordination Action
   
2. NMP - Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials & New Production Technologies: FoF.NMP.2010 - total funding budget of 60 M€
   a) FoF.NMP.2010-1 Plug and Produce components for adaptive control
   b) FoF.NMP.2010-2 Supply chain approaches for small series industrial production
   c) FoF.NMP.2010-3 Intelligent, scalable, manufacturing platforms and equipment for components with micro- and nano-scale functional features

EUROP - new Logo!

You might have already noticed: EUROP got a  new Coporate Identity, just in time for the SRA presentation. Logo, letters, powerpoint presentations - everything is now available in a new modern design.