Overview presenting EPPN European Pilot Production Network and Hubs, reflecting the role of NRW as one of best practice Innovation Hubs

1. Pilots and Innovation Hubs
NRW and Europe

2. Organised at the regional or national level, the aim is to provide
easy access to pilot facilities or open innovation
testbeds, which should focus on industrial
application of new technologies, cover the full
range of value chain services (including services for
modelling, characterisation, safety and business liaison activities)
and provide open access.
WHAT IS AN INNOVATION HUB?

3. Region B
Investors
Expertise
Region A
Facilities
Investors
Expertise
Business
Accelerators
Facilities
Incubators
WHAT IS AN
INNOVATION HUB?
INNOVATION HUB Interaction

4. Promote interaction that encourage and
stimulate further innovation
Strong research capabilities in strategic areas
Provide shared technological infrastructure Focus on validation and demonstration
Include formal links to regional governments,
accelerators, investors, research
Links between multiple knowledge fields and
industry sectors
University-industry partnerships
Include both research and industry partners in
governance
Include a regional focus Focus on ecosystem development
Include training of personal Include a one-stop-shop marketplace
Elements of an Innovation Hub

5. Innovation Hub – Orga ?
Organization leading the
Innovation Hub
01
Support given to the
Smart Specialisation areas
02
Cross-clustering / cross sectorial
innovation in S3 to find new ways of
integrating nanotechnology and advanced
materials technology
Communication between national and
regional strategies and between regional
initiatives in different regions
Governance Model03
Support to multilevel governance
initiatives
Coordination of different support
mechanisms
Integration of regional, national and EU-
level programmes and initiatives (avoiding
duplicating efforts)
Feedback to RIS3 processes
Is there a consortium of partners running
the IH?
Long term sustainable ?
Informal Ecosystem or Governance via
Regional body, cluster, research centre, …

6. Identifying the key elements
Upgrading and support to
innovation
01
Business model activities
Support to the development of new
products and services
Communication and engagement
competences
Start-up support
Training
Intellectual property rights (IPR)
management
Linking actors02
How is the innovation support system in
the region organised?
How do you make available support easier
to find?
One-stop shop03

7. Matchmaking04
Organisation and participation in events
Information on the web/marketplace
Development of networks (harmonisation of
combined services making easier to
coordinate efforts for satisfying complex
customer needs)
Assemble competitive consortia in winning
EU calls for funding
Collaboration with other
Innovation Hubs
05
Services provided06
Modelling
Characterisation
Safety
Business liaison
Identifying the key elements

8. Funding08
Approaches to engage
SMEs
07
Language
Communication channels (social media,
newsletter, web-page)
Tutorial videos
Non-digital channels used (printed
materials, events, trade shows,
conferences, workshops, best practice
diffusion, success stories diffusion)
Business models
Public funds (e.g. from ERDF; H2020; from
local, regional or national funds; innovation
vouchers)
Membership fees
Free services provided to SMEs (e.g. basic
market-entry services, raising awareness,
marketplace, etc)
Payed services provided to SMEs (e.g.
business model development)
Identifying the key elements

9. Collaboration between IH actors
Matching supply and
demand
01
Mechanisms to identify Industry needs
Mechanisms to identify technical
opportunities
Definitions appropriate and attractive
services
Matching
complementarities
03
Foster synergies02
Networking between
Innovation Hubs
04
Partnering with other DIHs
Setting-up of consortia for more elaborated
technology developments
Partnerships for different projects
Cross-sectoral collaboration
Exchange of competences
Interplay between the clusters

10. NRW
Are there elements in the Innovation Hub Checklists
without answers from
North Rhine Westfalia and around ?
Innovation Hub ? Impact Hub !
http://ruhr.impacthub.net/
“Impact cannot happen in isolation.
It requires collective action. Impact Hubs make up a global
network of people, places, and programs that inspire,
connect and catalyse impact.”

11. Europe
Ecosystem to facilitate the interaction between research and industry
in every step of the value chain with respect to the latest regulation,
consumer needs and societal challenges.
Making available local, regional and European know-how
from research to finance, including private and public.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology
https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-innovationcommunities/innovation-hubs
Energy http://www.innoenergy.com/office/sweden/
Digital IHs
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-innovation-hubs
EPPN indicates KET/OITB/Pilot Production related Innovation Hubs
– Work in progress….

12. WHAT IS EPPN
EPPN is a single entry point
(Marketplace)
Connecting Pilot Lines and
OITB facilities with users:
• Industry, SMEs, Startups
• Local, Regional, European clusters
• Policy makers
• Investors
• Other actors in the ecosystem along
industrial value chains (consumer
associations, NGOs)

13. EPPN TODAY
+150 pilot plants registered
and over 300 active members
EPPN helpdesk
Interactive Platform
workshops
webinars
events
Dissemination
Technical Collaboration & Dissemination
Finance & Market
Policy & Regions
EPPN Working Groups
Interoperability with other
Networks
KET Centers (DG GROW)
Digital Innovation Hubs Catalogue
(S3 platform)
CORDIS (EU)

14. EPPN online tool
Enables users to have personal
account or several legal accounts on
behalf of an organization; create
groups
Profile
Matchmaking and social networking
facilities without typical search;
suggestion & notifications sections
to invite members & groups
Matching
Access to geographical distribution
to select the best appropriate area
Mapping Relations and
Locations
Possibility to share ideas, collaborative
opportunities and engage partners.
Possibility to set permissions, access
level for users, groups, posts.
Messaging
Search by all effective items of a pilot
plant profile (organization, country,
target market, pilot input and output,
ongoing projects, equipment, ...)
Filtering and Searching
Possibility to show other networks and direct
link to DIH Catalogue & DG-Grow pages;
Possibility to support API method to connect
external databases.
Access to Multiple Networks

15. WHAT EPPN OFFERS
INTERNATIONALIZATION
• Facilitate cross-border access
to specialized facilities &
expertise
VALUE FOR
MONEY
• Increased return on
investment in research
FASTER
MARKET ENTRY
• Acceleration on the
development of technology
enabled products for a fast
market entry.
• Assistance for users to develop
new technology and products.
INFORMATION AND
HARMONISATION
• Access to high-quality,
reliable and updated
information.
• Support the implementation
of harmonized conditions.
NETWORKING
• EPPN will bring together
actors of the value chains
• You will have access to
active Network of Pilot Lines
and OTIBs and the
possibility of comparing
them based on various
parameters

16. WHY JOIN?
SME or a Startup?
Enjoy services from a Europe-wide interconnected network of pilot production
facilities that will empower your business.
Large enterprise?
Be part of a community and get access to the newest technologies out there.
Running a pilot plant, OITB or an innovation hub?
Register and instantly grow your customer base, join the thematic groups and
get access 1st hand to best practice experience.
Innovation intermediary agent?
Get access the match-making tool that will support your services.
Investor?
Register immediately and find out leads before others.

17. WHAT´S IN IT FOR YOU?
Enjoy services from a Europe-wide
interconnected network of pilot
production facilities that will
empower your business:
Faster and better access to expertise of pilot lines,
ensuring that companies get access to the latest
expertise and technologies
High-quality, reliable, up-to-date information.
Info on services and access conditions
Interactions/relations with pilot lines
Finding solutions along value chains
Startups, SMEs and Large
Enterprises

18. WHAT´S IN IT FOR YOU?
Register and instantly grow your
customer base, join the thematic
groups and get access 1st hand to
best practice experience:
Outreach to SMEs
Support on increasing business and
RTD services
Sharing of experiences and good
practices (e.g. contracts, standards, IP,
business models)
Support on international branding and
networking
Pilot lines and Open Innovation
Test Beds

19. HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL
ACCOUNT?
Access https://eppnetwork.com/
Wait until receiving an email
confirmation from the EPPN admin,
login and explore the platform!
21 3

20. HOW TO CREATE YOUR LEGAL
ACCOUNT?
2
B
A
This is about your institution. Please use
the same name/PIC Nº as for the EU
Participant Portal
1
Search for your
organization name or
PIC number
Have you found your entity?
Request access and wait for approval!
3
If your entity is not registered yet,
than complete insert the information

21. Partners:
This project has received funding from
the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 768681
Thank you for your attention
reinhardt@nanofutures.info
KEEP IN TOUCH
http://eppn.eu
email
contact@eppn.eu