Our EU projects
COMET, An European Certifified Cluster
The certification was awarded following an assessment conducted by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA) of VDI/VDE Innovation, which evaluated 36 indicators related to structure, management, services, and governance, as well as contacts, interaction within the cluster, and achieved results.
The benchmarking performed by ESCA serves as a strategic tool for evaluating the European positioning of the COMET Cluster and for planning future activities
Open Projects
BeSoGreat
DURATION | 24 months (2024 – 2026) ongoing
PARTNERS | 5 Partners: FH Kärnten – gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH – Austria (AT), FH Kufstein Tirol Bildungs GmbH – Austria (AT), Crossing Srl – Italy (IT), NUOVA DEROMA SRL – Italy (IT), COMET scrl – Italy (IT)
PROJECT GOAL | To promote a new circular business model, starting from the enhancement of spent brewery grains, which represent about 85% of the total mass of solid by-products from the beer production process.
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET | Cluster COMET will raise awareness among local companies involved in molding processes about the industrial use of a material developed by Crossing Srl (an Innovative SME affiliated with Ca’ Foscari University), which repurposes solid waste from the beer production process, enabling the design and production of a new portfolio of bio-circular products.
PROJECT BUDGET | Total budget: €1,025,806.52 COMET budget: €177,481.00
FOR MORE INFORMATION | riccardo.zanelli@clustercomet.it
IDEALIST
3 Industrial Ecosystems Tackling Supply Chains Disruptions and Boosting Advanced Technologies Uptake by SMEs
PROJECT GOAL
The overarching goal of the IDEALIST project is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their ability to understand and adapt to changes brought about by dramatic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ongoing supply chain disruptions.
The project focuses on sectors ranging from energy-intensive industries, aerospace and defense, mobility, transport, and automotive. These sectors and their value chains are critical to the European economy and share common challenges that the project aims to address, such as transitioning to more sustainable practices, competitiveness issues in the context of component and raw material shortages, and changes in consumer habits. The project ensures that SMEs across Europe become “active players” in these transformations rather than passive observers.
The direct support for companies revolves around three pillars:
- Strategic Foresight – Providing SMEs with a clear perspective of their future, anticipating potential threats, and identifying unseen opportunities. This helps businesses better understand changes in their operating environment and their impacts on strategic decision-making.
- Technology Uptake – Offering a matchmaking platform to connect SMEs with potential advanced technology providers from across Europe.
- Supply Chain Disruptions – Helping businesses identify critical dependencies and mitigate the impacts of disruptions on value chains.
The project also includes events such as Hackathons, B2B meetings tailored to individual business needs, and organizing entrepreneurial delegations abroad.
The partnership, coordinated by CIMES, a French mechanical excellence hub (www.cimes-hub.com), brings together 14 industrial partners representing thousands of manufacturing companies from six European countries and Ukraine.
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET
Cluster COMET will engage a panel of 15 metalworking companies from FVG in all project activities and will be responsible for communication and dissemination of results.
PROJECT BUDGET
Funded under the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement n° 101138366).
- Total Budget: €2,093,511.77
- EU Funding: €2,093,511.77
DURATION
36 months (12.2023 – 11.2026)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit: www.idealist-project.eu
STAY TUNED
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For further details or to get involved: riccardo.zanelli@clustercomet.it
MASTT2040
Manufacturing as a Service for the EU’s Twin Transition until 2040
PROJECT GOAL
The goal of MASTT2040 is to redefine the future of the European manufacturing sector through the adoption of strategic foresight methodologies. Focusing on a twin transition—digital and ecological—the project integrates principles of Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) and Circular Economy (CE) to revolutionize industrial practices, promoting sustainability and adaptability. Through a collaborative approach, MASTT2040 brings together experts and visionaries to develop a strategic roadmap and action plan, aiming for a sustainable, efficient, and forward-looking manufacturing sector.
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET
As a partner, Cluster COMET supports SMEs in the region to make MaaS a key driver for accelerating and scaling circularity and service delivery. COMET’s activities will focus on:
- Ensuring sustainability becomes an integral part of MaaS approaches, leading to sustainable and optimized industrial production and supply.
- Enabling MaaS to strengthen offerings by fortifying the local European manufacturing networks of SMEs.
- Providing Europe with the ability to create a critical mass of skills and the right policy measures to accelerate the adoption of MaaS in strategic sectors.
PROJECT BUDGET
- Total Budget: €971,087.51
- Total Budget for COMET: €69,487.50
DURATION 24 months
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit: www.mastt2040.eu
SMART CIRCUIT
Enabling SMARTer, CIRCUlar digITal innovation hubs to enhance Central Europe’s manufacturing eco-system towards a greener & more competitive future
PROJECT GOAL
The manufacturing industry is a cornerstone of economic systems and one of the main sectors in terms of job creation. However, it is also energy-intensive, generating emissions and industrial waste, particularly in value chains linked to electronics, construction, and textiles. The SMART CIRCUIT project addresses the transition toward a “green” and digital economy within the manufacturing sector, promoting knowledge exchange, best practices in circular economy, and enhancing the role of industrial clusters and their respective Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) in the program area.
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET
As part of SMART CIRCUIT, the COMET Cluster will be actively involved in activities aimed at strengthening the role of Clusters and Digital Innovation Hubs in circular economy initiatives. This will involve increasing competencies, fostering technology transfer, and expanding the range of services available to SMEs. Additionally, the project will provide our Regional Administration with an opportunity to engage with other regions in the cooperation area on strategies, initiatives, and funding to promote investments and reduce regulatory barriers hindering the broader adoption of circular economy solutions by companies.
PROJECT BUDGET | €2,468,803 FESR Co-Financing | €1,975,042
DURATION | 36 months (01.04.2023 – 31.03.2026)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | SMART CIRCUIT Project Website
PROJECT MANAGER | Riccardo Zanelli
PARTNERS
- Krakowski Park Technologiczny
- Forschung Burgenland GmbH
- PROFACTOR GmbH
- Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
- microTEC Südwest e.V.
- SIIT Distretto Tecnologico Ligure Sistemi Intelligenti Integrati
- TECOS, Razvojni center orodjarstva Slovenije
- Pannon Gazdasági Hálózat Egyesület
- Technická univerzita v Košiciach
- Intemac Solutions s.r.o.
- HGK VZ Hrvatska gospodarska komora
CLIMASAFE
Managing Climate Extremes and Resilience: Strategies and Tools for Energy-Intensive SMEs
PROJECT OBJECTIVE | The CLIMASAFE project aims to enhance the response capacity of energy-intensive SMEs when facing critical climate events. The project is structured around three key actions, designed to help businesses manage the consequences of phenomena such as heatwaves, floods, or frost, by strengthening their resilience and ensuring business continuity.
- Climate Risk Analysis:
By collecting territorial and company-level data, a specific risk index will be developed, enabling businesses to understand their level of exposure to extreme climate events. This tool will help identify intervention priorities and plan effective actions to reduce risks. - Digital Platform for Resilience:
The collected information will be used to create an interactive digital platform that will offer tailored solutions and a real-time decision support system. This tool will help companies better manage emergency situations, avoid production stoppages, and contain climate and energy related costs. - Cross-Border Joint Strategy:
The results obtained from testing the digital platform will be compiled into a shared operational plan between Italy and Slovenia, featuring simple and replicable guidelines. The project also includes training activities to ensure that businesses can independently use the developed tools.
PARTNERS | 6 Partners: Slovenian Regional Economic Association (Italy), COMET – Mechanical Engineering Cluster (Italy), Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (Slovenia), E-Stream Srl (Italy), Goriška Local Energy Agency (Slovenia), Primorska Technology Park (Slovenia).
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET | COMET will involve metalworking SMEs from Friuli Venezia Giulia in the testing of the digital platform, which will help them respond quickly and effectively to extreme climate events. This tool, designed to support real-time decision making, will enable companies to reduce the risk of production interruptions and increase their overall resilience.
PROJECT BUDGET | Co-funded project by the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme
Total Budget: € 995,208.38
COMET Budget: € 149.884,00
DURATION | 24 months (06.2025 – 05.2027)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | riccardo.zanelli@clustercomet.it – https://www.ita-slo.eu/en/climasafe
RE - INCITE
Clusters enable municipalities to collaboratively build circular economy value chains
DURATION | 24 months (2024 – 2026) – Ongoing
PARTNERS | 4 Partners: Greater Heilbronn Economic Development Agency (DE), Anteja ECG Ltd (SI), Business Upper Austria – OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH (AT), Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (DE)
PROJECT GOAL |
The overarching goal of the RE-INCITE project is to support municipalities and businesses in building resilient circular value chains within the Alpine Space, promoting the reuse of industrial waste streams to produce secondary materials. This approach contributes to decarbonization, reduces dependency on virgin raw materials, and enhances both economic and environmental sustainability.
Many Alpine regions have already developed circular economy strategies, yet they face challenges in their practical implementation. RE-INCITE aims to bridge this gap by involving industrial clusters as intermediaries between companies and local authorities, facilitating collaboration and the creation of new circular business models.
The direct support to municipalities and businesses will be structured around three key pillars:
- Strategic analysis and local strategy definition – Identifying key waste streams and transforming them into new raw materials through the Value Chain Generator (VCG).
- Network development and multi-level governance – Establishing collaborative networks between clusters, municipalities, and value chain actors to strengthen the adoption of circular practices.
- Pilot projects and policy recommendations – Developing four pilot projects to test innovative solutions, with the goal of aligning local, regional, and transnational policies through concrete recommendations.
Additionally, the project will facilitate interactions between companies and public administrations through networking events, workshops, and B2B meetings, contributing to the creation of a more resilient and sustainable industrial ecosystem.
ROLE OF CLUSTER COMET |
COMET leads Activity 1.4, which focuses on gathering key insights from the project and developing policy recommendations to enhance the integration of circular economy principles at both governmental and industrial levels. COMET will collaborate with project partners to:
- Identify and document the outcomes of pilot initiatives.
- Develop strategies and governance models for the circular economy.
- Create a White Paper for municipalities and a strategic report for EUSALP.
PROJECT BUDGET |
- EU Funding: €562,467
- COMET Budget: €169,999
- Total Budget: €749,956
FOR MORE INFORMATION | riccardo.zanelli@clustercomet.it – https://www.alpine-space.eu/project/re-incite/
Closed Projects
ECoVEM
European centre of vocational excellence in microelectronics
PROJECT OBJECTIVE | The ECoVEM project brings together vocational educational and training centres, polytechnics, industrial associations and social partners to establish a European Cooperation Platform for Vocational Excellence in Microelectronics to address the challenges of: digitalisation, artificial intelligence, green technologies, gender equality and technology, and migrant integration. ECoVEM implements innovative instructional approaches aimed towards a life-long capacity to self-regulate learning, hard skills and soft skills using the ecosystem-based theoretical models and performance support systems.
PROJECT BUDGET | The Project is co-financed by the Erasmus+ KA3 – Support for Policy Reform/Centres of Vocational Excellence programme (Grant Agreement No. 620101-EPP-1-2020-1-BG-EPPKA3-VET-COVE(2020 – 2024))
Total Budget: 4988113
EU funding: 3990321
DURATION | 48 months (11.2020 – 10.2024)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | https://ecovem.eu/
EVOLUTE
We strive for cluster excellence in the Automotive and Land Machine Industry
A lot is at stake in the traditional automotive industry, since major breakthroughs have altered the ecosystem. Digital Transformation, Green Transition, Electrification and Autonomous Driving are just some of the challenges this sector is enduring. These transformations affect the domain of mobility as a whole, including private and commercial transports, the agriculture and building industry too.
EVOLUTE will build high performance clusters in the Automotive and Land Machinery Industry by strengthening the skills and deepening the know-how of 6 clusters in Europe. Cluster managers will explore current market trends to gain a comprehensive vision of the future and develop encompassing individual strategies for further cluster excellence development.
EVOLUTE will also endorse cross-cluster learning experiences and networking activities to explore collaborative business opportunities and synergies, both among clusters and public authorities in charge of cluster policies. In addition, partners will support the implementation of the ClusterXChange scheme to facilitate international, sector, and cross-sector cooperation between clusters, SME and large organizations. The aim is to help companies and employees to be prepared for future challenges and foster innovation for world class products and services.
DISCOVER EVOLUTE PARTNERS
DIALOG – The Business Development Region Heilbronn – https://wfgheilbronn.de/
CAAR – The Automotive Cluster of Aragón (Spain) – https://caaragon.com/
FEMAC – The Catalan Cluster of Agricultural Production Means – https://www.femac.org/introduction/
AC SERBIA – The Automotive Cluster of Serbia https://www.acserbia.org.rs/en/
COMET – The mechanical engineering cluster of Friuli-Venezia Giulia – https://clustercomet.it/
AUTOKLASTR – The Automotive Cluster of Czech Republic – https://autoklastr.cz/cs/
STAY TUNED
Website: https://project-evolute.eu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvoluteP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evoluteproject/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evolute_project/
GreenHull
Green technologies for the ecological cleaning of biofouling on hulls in the Northern Adriatic Sea
COMET Cluster is partner of Greenhull “Green technologies for the ecological cleaning of biofouling on hulls in the Northern Adriatic Sea”, supported by the Interreg V-A Italy-Slovenia 2014-2020 Cooperation Programme.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE | GreenHull aims to solve the problem of pollution in the Programme Area, by defining procedures to control, monitor and manage the cross-border marine waters. By developing two pilot green technologies , the purpose is to clean biofouling on boat hulls, thus consequently improving the performance of ships and reducing the introduction of non-indigenous species into the environment.
COMET CLUSTER’S ROLE | COMET Cluster is co-responsible for engineering and prototyping one of the two technologies: an underwater robotic system (ROV) equipped with a sampling unit and cleaning unit to remove biofouling from the hulls.
PROJECT BUDGET | This project is supported by the Interreg V-A Italy-Slovenia Cooperation Programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Total budget: € 882,168.83
ERDF contribution: € 749,843.50
DURATION| 24 MONTHS (03.2020 – 02.2022)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | https://www.ita-slo.eu/greenhull
AI REGIO
Regions and digital innovation hubs alliance for AI-Driven digitalization of european manufacturing smes
PROJECT OBJECTIVE | The goal of AI REGIO is to develop applications related to Artificial Intelligence for manufacturing SMEs, by making use of and enriching the cross-border network of so-called Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), competence centres from which companies can access skills and structures.
AI REGIO partners have identified three main areas of enhancement that currently prevent regional DIHs from addressing the new digital reality and limit offerings for manufacturing SMEs in the sector.
As far as policies are concerned, regional smart specialisation strategies for digital transformation in the manufacturing sector are inadequately coordinated and limit the scalability of innovations to European and global markets. AI REGIO will promote closer cooperation between European regions, EU and non-EU countries to ensure that innovations can be scaled up.
As far as technology is concerned, projects and initiatives do exist, but they tend to run too independently of each other and miss the opportunity to mutually benefit from the results. AI REGIO will build on the digital manufacturing platforms from previous EU-funded projects, such as BEinCPPS (www.beincpps.eu), MIDIH (www.midih.eu), L4MS (www.l4ms.eu/content/l4ms-project-home) and AI4EU (https://www.ai4eu.eu/) and help integrate these into Digital Innovation Hub offerings.
As far as business is concerned, current Digital Innovation Hub offerings are limited to Industry 4.0 applications focused on machine-to-machine interaction, advanced connectivity and big data analytics. They still don’t focus on AI-driven applications, which drastically change the relationship between autonomous systems and humans. AI REGIO aims to bridge this gap by further improving the network of regional and SME Digital Innovation Hubs, which will jointly conduct 30 AI-based application experiments.
COMET CLUSTER’S ROLE | As partner of IP4FVG (www.ip4fvg) –FVG Region’s Digital Innovation Hub network – COMET will create awareness around the topic of Artificial Intelligence, make SMEs and other interested parties conscious of AI-solutions potentialities and supporting them in the development of competences and resources.
COMET will implement an experimental use case for the development of an Intelligent DSS for predictive quality assurance.
PROJECT BUDGET | The project is co-funded by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement No 952003).
Total budget: € 9,200,080
EU funding: € 7,999,207
DURATION | 36 months (10.2020 – 09.2023)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | www.airegio-project.eu – https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/952003
MeMeVet
Mechatronics and Metallurgical VET for sectors’ industries
COMET Cluster is partner of MeMeVet – Mechatronics and Metallurgical VET for Sectors’ Industries, a project funded by the Erasmus+ Global Programme, KA2 Specific Programme – Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices – Sector Skills Alliance in vocational education and training.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE | MeMeVet aims to promote mobility of students and workers across the EU in the fields of mechatronics and metallurgy and to harmonize complementary educational skills required by the labour market through the development of an e-card to load all transversal skills and soft skills needed.
It involves 5 Member States: Germany, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovakia.
PROJECT BUDGET | The Project is co-financed by the Erasmus+ KA2 programme (Grant Agreement No. 591854-EPP-1-2017-1-DE-EPPKA2-SSA).
DURATION | 24 months (01.2018 – 12.2019)
FOR MORE INFORMATION | https://www.memevet.eu/it/
