Manufacturing as a Service for the EU’s twin transition until 2040 (MASTT2040)

The EU-funded project “Manufacturing as a Service for the EU’s twin transition until 2040”, in short MASTT2040, addresses the “Manufacturing as a Service” (MaaS) challenges for the European digital and green transition up to 2040.

More and more manufacturing companies and marketplaces offer online services for the on-demand manufacturing of customized products, the provision of equipment and equipment services or services supporting the sustainability of manufacturing and the Circular Economy. This is what we regard as MaaS. Currently, MaaS is already transforming the manufacturing sector in Europe. In the fast-evolving landscape of MaaS, the EU faces the crucial challenge of navigating the uncertainties of emerging changes, disruptions, and opportunities in the sector. This uncertainty demands a strategic approach to guide decision-making in the European manufacturing industry up to 2040.

To support this strategic guidance, the MASTT2040 project uses participatory foresight methods to build a shared understanding, engage key stakeholders, and craft a strategic roadmap, identifying short, medium, and long-term development objectives of European manufacturing industry for MaaS. The project’s overall goal is to make MaaS a catalyst for circularity, embed sustainability in industrial approaches, enhance supply resilience, and propel Europe to the forefront of MaaS expertise.

Activities that will be conducted during the project:

• Analysis of best practices to advance circularity, decarbonisation, and sustainability of industrial production in the context of “Manufacturing as a Service” approach. These will be grouped in a casebook explaining towards industry the current state of play of MaaS approaches and best practices.
• Analysis of foreseeable developments and trends, including the potential advantages and disadvantages, regarding distributed Manufacturing as a Service vs. centralised manufacturing. A report and a strategic foresight manual will describe a 2040 vision for MaaS in Europe.
• Development of an implementation roadmap for the EU manufacturing industry to transform and to anticipate these changes considering three time frames (present-2030, 2030-2035, 2035-2040) showing concrete pathways and action plans on how to realise the most impactful scenarios.
• Development of policy recommendations for a supporting EU manufacturing standardisation strategy focusing specifically on the role of data,
• Actively engaging all relevant stakeholders within the MaaS and Circular Economy communities, from Horizon Europe projects and other relevant initiatives such as the Manufacturing Data Spaces and the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) for a strategic foresight in an inclusive and participatory manner and an effective transfer of information and technologies.
• Effective European wide dissemination and in-depth know-how transfer will enable take-up of results by partners (e.g. EDIHs) beyond project end.
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In MASTT2040, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum will contribute its expertise on future manufacturing /Industry 4.0, digitisation and technology transfer, its foresight know-how and its stakeholder engagement/ecosystem building expertise and will coordinate the MaaS roadmapping activities. Furthermore, Steinbeis will have a strong role in identifying and networking relevant stakeholders from a vast range of European manufacturing communities and beyond.

Further information:

• Funding: European Commission, Horizon Europe
• Funding budget for all partners: 971,087 EUR
• Project duration: 01/2024 – 12/2026
• Project partners: Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, DE; Sirris, BE; Cluster COMET, IT; Future Industry Platform, PL; THHINK BV, NL; 4CF The Futures Literacy Company, PL