Launch of the European POCTEFA FRAMES project

The FRAMES project is part of the European cross-border cooperation programme POCTEFA, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It aims to strengthen the resilience, competitiveness and modernisation of supply chains in the aerospace, space and defence (ASD) sectors within the French-Spanish border regions.

Driven by a structuring partnership bringing together key players in the industrial ecosystem — Aerospace Valley, AERA (Aragon), HEGAN (Basque Country) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Occitanie — FRAMES is a strategic initiative for manufacturing SMEs, at the heart of current industrial transformations.

The 18-month project has a total budget of €200,000, 65% of which is co-financed under the Poctefa programme.

Issues and context

European industrial supply chains, particularly in the ASD sectors, face major challenges:

• Increased vulnerability to international crises and logistical disruptions
• Increasing pressure for environmental sustainability
• Acceleration of technological changes related to Industry 4.0 and 5.0
• Challenges for SMEs to access the tools, knowledge and networks needed for their transformation

In this context, manufacturing SMEs — essential links in value chains — need to strengthen their capacity to adapt and innovate to remain competitive. The FRAMES project responds directly to these challenges by promoting an integrated approach combining technology watch, knowledge structuring, cross-border cooperation and networking of actors.

Project objectives

FRAMES has a central objective: to strengthen and modernize ASD industrial value chains by supporting the integration of advanced technologies by manufacturing SMEs.

This objective is broken down into several operational axes:

• Improving knowledge of the industrial capacities of SMEs at cross-border level
• Increasing the adoption of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies
• Strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of supply chains
• Fostering public-private cooperation and industrial partnerships
• Structuring a sustainable cross-border ecosystem

Project approach and content

FRAMES is based on an integrated approach based on several complementary dimensions:

1. Strategic technology watch

The project sets up a joint technology watch on the key innovations of the industry of the future, including:

• Physical industry: automation, robotics, cobots, advanced manufacturing, innovative materials, resource management
• Digital industry: artificial intelligence, big data, cybersecurity, ERP/MES/PLM systems
• Cross-cutting technologies: IoT, augmented reality, human-machine interfaces, digital twins

This monitoring aims to provide SMEs with concrete, accessible and directly usable information.

2. Support and knowledge transfer

Thematic webinars and workshops led by experts will be organized throughout the project in order to:

• Raising awareness of technological opportunities among companies
• Present concrete use cases
• Facilitating the appropriation of innovative solutions

3. Industrial capacity mapping

In-depth data collection work will make it possible to:

• Identifying the technological and industrial capabilities of SMEs
• Analyze their needs, challenges and development prospects
• Structuring a global vision of the cross-border ASD ecosystem

4. Development of a strategic catalogue

As the central deliverable of the project, the Industrial Capacity Catalogue will constitute:

• A detailed directory of SMEs and their skills
• A strategic analysis of the industrial ecosystem
• A decision-making and cooperation tool for public and private actors

This document will be available in both digital and print formats.

5. Connecting and revitalizing the ecosystem

The project will conclude with a final event including:

• B2B meeting sessions
• Targeted networking actions
• Mobilising the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to foster the development of transnational business-to-business partnerships

The aim is to generate concrete opportunities for collaboration and lay the foundations for sustainable cooperation.

Expected results and impact

Through its actions, FRAMES aims for structuring impacts on a cross-border scale:

• Strengthening cooperation between French and Spanish organisations
• Improving the competitiveness of manufacturing SMEs
• Accelerating the technological transformation of ASD value chains
• Creating a more resilient and integrated industrial ecosystem
• Sustainability of collaborations beyond the project