Building resilient supply chains for the future of smart European manufacturing
The European manufacturing industry faces major challenges: increasing international competition, political tensions, material shortages and unpredictable natural phenomena. These developments expose the vulnerabilities of traditional, rigid supply chains. The ability to respond flexibly to change is increasingly becoming a decisive success factor for manufacturers and suppliers. The European research project RAASCEMAN focuses on strengthening supply chains to make them resilient and future-proof.
Manufacturing as a Service: a flexible alternative
A key solution explored in the project is the concept of ‘Manufacturing as a Service’ (MaaS). This principle utilises distributed manufacturing services through digital platforms or networks, allowing disruptions in the supply chain to be handled quickly and dynamically. This minimises the impact of production problems.
International collaboration for innovative solutions
With nine partners from six countries - including research institutes, universities and companies - RAASCEMAN is committed to developing innovative tools. These tools analyse real-time supply chain data to predict disruptions and offer alternatives through a network of MaaS providers. Thus, it helps companies find reliable production partners, adjust production plans and create digital twins of production processes.
Applications in practice
The solutions are being tested in two industrial sectors: automotive and cycling. Pilot plants across Europe demonstrate the practical application of a decentralised MaaS network. This enables companies to plan their production processes more flexibly, allocate resources optimally and react quickly to changing market conditions.
Flanders Make's vision
‘Manufacturing-as-a-Service is increasingly becoming the norm,’ says Bart Meyers of Flanders Make. ‘The RAASCEMAN project offers companies concrete solutions to reduce risks in the supply chain and find alternatives faster. This is a crucial step towards future-proof production processes.’
With this technology, companies can minimise production delays, reduce transaction costs and better respond to customer needs, thus significantly strengthening their competitive position.
