On 15–16 April 2024, the IDEALIST project was presented at the EUSALP Action Group 2 Plenary Meeting in Grenoble, France, bringing its vision for more resilient, innovative and future-ready European SMEs to a key forum dedicated to economic development in the Alpine Region.
During the meeting, Loïc Marin from CIMES, coordinator of IDEALIST, presented the project and its main objectives, planned activities and upcoming opportunities for manufacturing SMEs across Europe.
The plenary meeting gathered more than 30 members of the EUSALP community for exchanges on economic development, sustainable industry and Industry 4.0, providing a valuable setting to introduce IDEALIST and connect with organisations working on the competitiveness and transformation of European industry.
Bringing IDEALIST into the Industry 4.0 discussion
Industry transformation was a central topic of the meeting. The discussions highlighted some of the main challenges currently affecting European industry, including digitalisation, the green transition, pollution, resource management, data management and Artificial Intelligence.
IDEALIST was presented alongside other European initiatives addressing industrial innovation and regional development. The meeting materials described IDEALIST as a Horizon Europe project aimed at strengthening the capacity of SMEs across three key sectors: Energy-Intensive Industries, Aerospace & Defence, and Mobility, Transport & Automotive.
Supporting SMEs in anticipating change
At the heart of IDEALIST is a clear ambition: helping SMEs become active players in industrial transformation rather than simply reacting to disruption.
The project addresses challenges ranging from supply-chain vulnerabilities and shortages of critical components and raw materials to the green and digital transition.
For companies, this translates into practical opportunities. Through Strategic Foresight, SMEs will be supported in anticipating emerging risks, market changes and new business opportunities. Through Technology Uptake activities, they will be connected with advanced technology providers and innovation experts across Europe.
IDEALIST will also support companies in better understanding and reducing critical supply-chain dependencies, while creating opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, matchmaking, Learning Expeditions and international networking.
Expanding the project’s European network
Presenting IDEALIST within the EUSALP community at an early stage of the project helped extend its visibility beyond the consortium and opened new connections with organisations active in industrial development across the Alpine Region.
By contributing to this exchange, CIMES and COMET supported the project’s broader outreach and helped raise awareness of the opportunities that IDEALIST would progressively offer to industrial SMEs across Europe.
For further information, contact info@idealist-project.eu