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WeldGalaxy Project Reaches Milestone

Fri, 26 February, 2021

The WeldGalaxy project aims to create a knowledge based transparent digital B2B online platform that connects end-users with arc welding equipment and consumables manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and technology and service providers. Recognised as a “key innovator” by the Innovation Radar, the platform is working towards enhancing the visibility and accessibility of EU-funded innovations to the public in order to demonstrate the technological and scientific advances that are being delivered by researchers and innovators around Europe.

Led by TWI in collaboration with ten partners across UK and Europe, the project has reached a key milestone, having been running for 28 months and completing its second iteration. The key highlights leading to the completion of this milestone are:

Launch of the 2nd Round of Open Innovation Calls (OICs)

After the success of its 1st round of OICs, the WeldGalaxy consortium launched its 2nd open call that promises funding and a unique support programme to 15 projects. Targeting the arc welding innovators, SMEs and Mid-Cap companies that are developing efficient, cost-effective and innovative arc welding equipment, consumables and processes, contestants are invited to apply through an online application form until 29 April 2021.

Launch of the alpha version of WeldGalaxy platform

The WeldGalaxy digital platform focusses on:

  • Increasing the visibility of EU manufacturers and global users of arc welding equipment to increase and support digitisation of manufacturing;
  • Enhancing experimentation and market uptake of off-the-shelf prototypes developed by EU SMEs; and
  • Boosting European competitiveness and market share in welding equipment, consumables and services.

The consortium released the alpha version of the platform that integrates:

  • Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) tool to query and retrieve searches on welding requirements, cost and life-cycle assessments (LCA) analysis
  • Computational welding mechanics simulation
  • Chatbot
  • Distributed ledger technology (DLT)
  • Ontology and data model

Launch of 1st Open Innovation Pilots (OIPs)

Aimed at SMEs and MidCaps, the WeldGalaxy project successfully concluded its first round of open innovation calls (OICs), shortlisting 10 winners who were invited to participate in the exclusive 6-month WeldGalaxy support programme. Technical and business mentoring support and funding of 100,000 Euros, has been provided to the winners and the programme concludes at the end of March 2021

 

The WeldGalaxy project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 822106.