From June 6 to 9, 2023, the 6th edition of the Smart Manufacturing Week will take place in Luxembourg, organised by the national innovation agency, Luxinnovation. During the four-day programme, companies will discover innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes, while minimising costs and increasing their competitiveness. Through concrete examples, this cross-industry conference will show good practices that can lead companies towards "Net-Zero".
Focusing on strategic approaches to smart and sustainable manufacturing processes, the event consists of several components. The first two days of the conference, June 6 and 7, opened by the Minister of the Economy and consisting of presentations and exchanges, will provide a panoramic view of production processes, with the objective of highlighting key aspects where digitalisation and smart technologies can reinforce sustainable practices.
Various support and funding mechanisms, such as the Fit 4 Sustainability programme and State aid schemes for companies wishing to reduce their environmental footprint, will also be presented.
Different business functions companies can innovate in order to become more sustainable will be addressed: production, human resources management, purchasing and supply strategies, infrastructure, support functions, and governance and corporate strategies. High-level technical sessions will provide an in-depth look at topics as varied as product traceability for the circular economy, the optimisation of manufacturing processes at each stage of production, and green hydrogen as a catalyst for the energy transition.
"Innovation is the key to a successful sustainable transition of the manufacturing industry,” states Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot. "We need new sustainable technologies, tools and products, but also new sustainable business models and new ways of thinking. This is why the Smart Manufacturing Week, where key players from Luxembourg's manufacturing ecosystem meet to exchange experience and inspire each other, is such an important event.”
On Thursday 8 June, discussions will centre on key construction industry trends and sustainable solutions to existing challenges. This part of the programme has been developed in partnership with Neobuild. The construction sector with its different trades and company sizes, has a strong potential to stimulate the digital maturity of its players thanks to innovative tools that can improve their processes and profitability, while reducing their environmental impact.
On June 8 and 9, four Luxembourg companies (Fanuc, IEE, Gradel Lightweight and Avery Dennison), as well as the LIST's sustainable composite materials and manufacturing centre (SCMM) will welcome industrial visitors on their premises. This will be an opportunity for them to see, in situ, the concrete achievements that have been made in terms of carbon footprint reduction and the best ways to have more sustainable and smarter production processes.
"Digitalisation is an indispensable tool to help companies in their environmental transition," says Sasha Baillie, Luxinnovation's CEO. "As an innovation agency, our mission is to inform economic players about key trends and opportunities that concern manufacturing companies of all sizes in Luxembourg and to inspire them to innovate. Through the Smart Manufacturing Week, we will be able to show start-ups, SMEs and large companies how optimising small steps in the manufacturing process or changes in the value chain can have a positive impact on the environment, their productivity and their turnover, in the short or medium term."
Press release by the Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation