DEEPSUPPORT – Interregional Deeptech and Photonics Support Network for Manufacturing

Europe is facing big challenges to meet its missions (UN SDGs, EU Commission priorities, technology sovereignty etc.) and to ensure international competitiveness of its economy, hence ensuring prosperity and well-being of its citizens. A necessary step towards these goals is the twin green and digital transition through innovation actions. “A New European Innovation Agenda” gives guidelines on how innovation - especially in Deeptech - can be facilitated through regional cooperation. Deeptech innovation, which is rooted in cutting edge science, technology and engineering, often combines advances in the physical, biological and digital spheres with the potential to deliver transformative solutions in the face of global challenges. It is an area of scientific services and mindset that needs to be developed and better spread among the target regions and consortium countries.
DEEPSUPPORT will leverage the ideas presented in the Innovation Agenda under “Promoting innovation ecosystems and tackling the innovation divide across the EU'' in regions in Austria, Finland, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia. By focussing on cooperation on a well-defined and praxis-oriented area (Deeptech and Photonics in manufacturing) where the partner-regions are all invested and have extensive expertise, we will provide a blueprint to extend the inter-regional cooperation after the project ends.
Photonics has been identified as an advanced technology for industry (ATI) as well as a key enabling technology (KET) by the European Commission in its new Industrial Strategy for Europe. The document sets out plans for the future of Europe's digital transformation, security and technological sovereignty by 2030. However, contrary to other KETs like robotics, life-science technologies or artificial intelligence, the public awareness of the potential of Photonics is limited. Therefore, its potential is not fully utilised in innovation systems throughout Europe. In particular it is not fully addressed in regional innovation strategies and hence SMEs miss out on opportunities of Photonics (as they often do not have the resources to have a deep understanding of technologies available to support their processes).
DEEPSUPPORT aims to establish an interregional Deeptech and Photonics innovation support network for manufacturing with the focus on Photonics. This will be facilitated through a joint supra-regional strategy with bestpractice measures for the use of Deeptech and Photonics to support European missions and company competitiveness. This strategy will be co-developed by relevant regional stakeholders from the government, research, industry and makers’ communities and include tangible steps that use the complementarities and cooperation potential of the regions to ensure cross-fertilisation. Through long-term cooperation and activities grounded in DEEPSUPPORT the innovation ecosystems should grow together and facilitate the KET Photonics in the various application areas relevant for the participating regions, while focusing on areas that support the European missions.