Hahn SchickardSolution for efficient milk quality monitoring

To improve Europe-wide access to service providers of key technologies, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum established an open innovation ecosystem in the KET4CleanProduction project together with 13 leading technology centres and seven representatives of the Enterprise Europe Network. Manufacturing SMEs received project funding to improve their technologies and production processes in terms of resource, energy efficiency and sustainability with two centres each.

Hahn-Schickard participated in ten of these projects and contributed its expertise internationally. In cooperation with the Spanish partner technology centre International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, a process for the food industry was developed for the SME OR-EL d.o.o. from Slovenia that uses an optical read-out device to detect mould toxins in milk.

The disposable cartridges used for this process have been redesigned so that they can be mass-produced in a resource-saving and cost-effective way. This eliminates the need for plastic consumables. In addition, the amount of chemicals is reduced and waste is not released into the environment because the cartridges are closed.

With the KET4CleanProduction project, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum facilitated micro-grants of 50,000 euros for transnational projects between SMEs and research service providers. Together with the project partners, an open innovation ecosystem was set up with a one-stop-shop online platform that provides Europe-wide access for SMEs to providers of key technologies. The focus is on technologies for clean production. Together with thirteen excellent research service providers from across Europe, competences were bundled here to bring SMEs forward.