Background information

Wallonia’s manufacturing industry is facing significant challenges. Guaranteeing flawless quality, maintaining affordable prices for small production runs, achieving high volumes quickly, ensuring effective administration, doing business sustainably. Industry 4.0 is considered to be an import framework in order to achieve all these different goals.

The intent of the initiative is to promote the programme to all of Wallonia’s industrial businesses. Another aim is to help 200 companies by using diagnostic tools, in-depth analyses and action plans designed to achieve the industry of the future in four years.

The programme is aiming at manufacturing companies based in Wallonia, Belgium.

Content of measure

The programme has three main strands:

• Raising awareness about digitalisation among companies
• Providing diagnostic tools to companies to gauge their level of digitalisation
• Supporting adoption of industry 4.0 technologies to improve or set up intelligent processes, smart products, intelligent business models, human resources and business networks.

To achieve the programme's goals  Made Different Digital Wallonia  offers  a wide range of support instruments: 

360° diagnosis of the industry of the future. A freely accessible online tool that provides useful information about smart products and production strategies for members of the network

In-depth individual diagnosis of future manufacturing projects * Training * Consultancy for available financial aid programmes * Awards (such as the  Factory of the Future Awards) * Networking events

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Wallonia invited companies in its network to share products services or knowledge which could help in the fight against the disease. Interested companies can make contact with Digital Wallonia via an online form.

Funding is provided by EO Union Wallonne des Entreprises (UWE) and Service Public de Wallonie Économie

Use of measure

As of April 2020, the Digital Wallonia platform has a network of about 2,000 'industry 4.0' companies and nearly 1,000 e-commerce companies.

More concrete, together with its 36 partners the project realised:

• 4 Factories of The Future
• 13 Ambassadeurs Made Different Digital Wallonia
• 3 Industry 4.0 demonstrators
• 11 advanced digital technologies for Industry 4.0 in Wallonia
• 4 areas of specialization
• 1,102 different manufacturing companies aware of Industry 4.0
• 184 different manufacturing companies diagnosed in Industry 4.0. Labelling as a DIHE (European Digital Innovation Hub). A brand with an international presence, notably at the Hanover Messe and Global Industry
• An ecosystem of 239 Walloon players offering solutions to move to Industry 4.0

'Made different Digital Wallonia' has awarded and acknowledged several companies as innovative leaders and ambassadors. In 2019, the Factories of the Future recognitions went to Lescav, Menuiserie Riche, Schmitz Digital Printing, Belgium Coating, Dumoulin, Design Stone. In 2018, the selected companies were Prayon, Stabilame, Mobic, Burnsen, Atelier de l’Avenir, Lasea and Emac.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Local / regional government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

• 01 January 2015: Made Different Digital Wallonia - General Information (www.fit4fof.eu)