VIR2EM Archivi - Improvenet

XTEAM SOFTWARE PARTICIPATES TO THE VIR2EM PROJECT WITH AUGMENTED REALITY SOLUTIONS

Posted on February 22, 2022February 22, 2022 by wp_8524777

XTeam Software was founded in 1999 as a video game development company. The company has a long experience in game development to produce cutting-edge video games on a variety of platforms (desktop, mobile, XBox One, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4), game engines (Unity3D and Unreal) and technologies (VR, AR, holographic projection and AI).

XTeam Software has also dedicated several research and innovation activities in other fields, developing for example V/R systems in post stroke rehabilitation, specializing in Artificial Intelligence in neural networks since early 2000 and also developing gamification and user experience techniques in the industrial field. This commitment for research and innovation projects has led the company to participate in 8 Horizon2020 projects, collaborating with research centers and universities of excellence both in Italy and abroad.

Why joining the RIR Improvenet?

XTeam Software started to collaborate with Zamperla before Improvenet and therefore there was the will to join the RIR to develop a joint research project. Currently, the two companies are collaborating together within the VIR2EM project to develop an augmented reality system capable of displaying data collected by Zamperla’s machines in real time and remotely, with the possibility of immediate intervention and interaction between different operators located in different places.

How does the company see itself in the future?

The Research XTeam Software is already participating, thanks to VIR2EM, to two Horizon Europe consortia on extended reality and with Zamperla they think to realize a commercial product able to transmit data in real time.

The idea is to create solutions that are closer to Industry 5.0, able to exploit the data collected to achieve greater energy savings, to implement predictive maintenance and improve efficiency not only in terms of working time, but also machine time. Also, from the circular economy point of view, they want to create solutions able to save the use of materials, optimize the work of machinery in relation to the energy spent, apply artificial intelligence to help machines become smarter.

Stefano Tamascelli is a senior developer, with twenty years of experience in the development of innovative projects funded by the European program Horizon 2020, mainly in research and development of artificial intelligence algorithms.

UNIVE HELPS COMPANIES OF THE RIR IMPROVENET TO DESIGN NEW SOLUTIONS

Posted on December 21, 2021January 3, 2022 by wp_8524777

The researchers of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (DAIS) of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice are involved in the Project VIR2EM, thanks to their experience in issues related to the collection, management and processing of data, tools for designing and verifying complex systems and cybersecurity issues.

Why did Ca’Foscari University join the Improvenet Network?

Being part of the RIR IMPROVENET is a consequence of the will of the University, and of the DAIS department specifically, to strengthen applied research activities in the field of industry 4.0, with particular attention to the digitization of production systems and to the problems of security and reliability of systems.

IMPROVENET is an ideal environment to get in touch with companies interested in developing projects with a high innovation content, taking advantage of new knowledge acquired at university level and providing new incentives for academic research. This is combined with the possibility of connecting our students (in particular those enrolled in Master’s degrees and Phd in ICT) with entrepreneurial realities engaged in the forefront of innovation projects.

The objective is therefore to strengthen the collaboration between research groups of Ca’ Foscari and the research and development units of the partner companies, in order to carry out joint projects with positive effects on both sides, academic and entrepreneurial.

What will the University accomplish during the VIR2EM Project?

The activity, conducted by Ca’ Foscari within the project VIR2EM, develops along two parallel lines of research, resulting also in two prototypes:

– the development of a cyber-security assessment tool specifically for ICS (Industrial Control Systems), which refers to the main industry standards (in particular ISO 62443) and recognised best practices.

– the development of organisational tools to support virtualization and process monitoring in particular:

the analysis of the reorganization, from the point of view of human resources management and processes, needed by the introduction of the remote activity and its impact on the organizational plan
the analysis of the impact of new technologies on the business, in terms of best practices, requirements and performance indicators (KPIs), also in view of the development of new business models
the creation of a data collection and a platform for the analysis of the impact of remote technologies on business models

In detail, these results will be achieved both through the analysis of relevant scientific literature, through working groups within the scientific departments, and through interviews with the companies involved, in order to understand the current impact on local companies and in the process of adopting remote technologies.

The platform for the collection and synthesis of data will be realized with the collaboration of some partner companies that will then contribute to its population.

With which other RIR partners will the project be carried out?

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice is collaborating with several project partners, in particular: Beantech, SIPA, T2I, Uqido, Zamperla, Xteam, Galdi and Qascom, in order to achieve the intended project goals.

How do you see the University at the end of the project?

At the end of the project, it is estimated that the knowledge of researchers involved in the impact of remote activity and virtualization on business models will be increased, also through comparison with the problems that arise from case studies offered by partner companies. In particular, the results obtained may be translated into a more general methodology also applicable to companies outside the project, both partners of the RIR and in general belonging to the University’s territory. The applicability of the methodology will also be facilitated by the prototyping platform.

Agostino Cortesi is a full professor of Computer Science at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. His main research interests concern software engineering and in particular static analysis techniques for verifying the reliability and security of software systems. He has published more than 150 articles in international journals and international conference proceedings. He currently coordinates the Phd in Computer Science and is responsible for the working group of Ca’ Foscari for the project VIR2EM.

BROADENING HORIZONS, ACQUIRING KNOW-HOW AND STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS: ZAMPERLA BETS ON THE FUTURE 4.0

Posted on October 27, 2021October 29, 2021 by wp_8524777

Zamperla S.p.A. is a historical Italian company, founded in 1966, recognized as one of the world’s leading players in the amusement park attraction market.

It has a total of about 450 employees, distributed in 4 locations in Italy and 6 locations abroad, and with a turnover of over 100 million euros in 2019, exporting almost all the products and services, especially in the Asian and American markets.

Zamperla is particularly active and popular in the North American market, having contributed to the rebirth of one of the most famous parks in the world – Coney Island (NY) – a real showcase in which the company has the opportunity to install and try many of its new products, as well as being one of the major suppliers of theme parks, among others, Disney, Universal, Merlin Entertainments and Six Flags.

The company is also characterized by adopting an ethical and socially responsible approach, thanks to the commitment on issues of inclusiveness and disability related to attractions.

What are the expectations of joining IMPROVENET?

Being part of the Improvenet Network is linked to the growing need to broaden horizons, acquire know-how, speed in the development of products or services and become part of a consolidated network, says Fabio Berti, New Technologies Chief Engineer of Zamperla. These aspects will be more and more important for the companies in order to face the competitors at local and global level.

What innovations is ZAMPERLA developing within the VIR2EM Project?

With the project VIR2EM, financed in part by the Veneto Region, we want to continue the development of a service platform for industry. The basic elements of the project are those related to Industria4.0: all operations related to the collection and management of data, from the connection to the transmission of the same, from archiving to analysis in order to generate different outputs.

With which other RIR partners are you collaborating on the project?

The project started with the creation of an internal research and development group at Zamperla (ZEIT, Zamperla Entertainment Integrated Technologies). The complexity is high and required transversal collaboration with other realities, from universities to companies providing technology and services, up to the manufacturers of the industry. For example, we can mention the University of Venice for the analysis of business and cybersecurity, Xteam with which there is a consolidated relationship and Statwolf, involved in data management.

How do you see the company at the end of the project?

The competitive advantages obtained are linked to the “know-how” that will allow to develop the business complying with market standards, needs and expectations as well as a greater involvement of the IMPROVENET network as a partner. Finally, the aim is to develop a prototype of a service platform for a further phase of evaluation and development.

Fabio Berti, New Technologies Chief Engineer of Zamperla

Graduated in Electronic Engineering at the University of Padua, he began collaborating in Zamperla since 1996 with several roles as head of the electrical/electronic department, head of a research and development department of the ZEIT (Zamperla entertainment integrated technologies).

BEANTECH: ICT SOLUTIONS FOR DITIGAL TRANSFORMATION

Posted on August 25, 2021August 26, 2021 by wp_8524777

Fabiano Benedetti, CEO of the company, tells us the story of beanTech and we understand that the company is ready to accept the new challenges related to digital transformation and Industry 4.0.

Who is beanTech?

beanTech is a computer reality that supports companies by offering 360-degree solutions ranging from data acquisition to IT architecture, from customized software developments to internal process management, from business analysis to the implementation of sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms.

The company’s mission is to help manufacturing companies in the digitization process, offering end-to-end solutions through technologies such as AI, machine learning, cloud, data collection and analysis.

beanTech offers both solutions to optimize the process within the factory (MES, MOM, IoT, data collection from the factory) and solutions to innovate machinery and plants (predictive maintenance, monitoring, data analysis from a qualitative perspective).

Why and when did you decide to join the IMPROVENET Network?

Fabiano tells us that everything started after a project meeting with Prof. Alessandro Beghi of the University of Padua. “The competitive advantage of joining IMPROVENET was immediately clear, as the activities promoted are completely in line with the ones achieved by the company,” he continues.

In addition, the willingness to join IMPROVENET is also linked to the interest of creating new networks and knowing better some regional realities, combining different skills both from the solution providers and from pilot cases.

“It is necessary to know new partners and promote open innovation exchange”

What is the role of beanTech within the VIR2EM Project?

beanTech is collaborating with the company SIPA, which designs and produces plants for the packaging chain (drinks, food, cosmetics), in order to create a digital system for their machines distributed around the world, of high added value based on

• Asset monitoring system

• Predictive maintenance

• Remote control of installations

The idea is to improve the performance of machinery (thanks to remote management and predictive maintenance) and to change the nature of the relationship between the supplier of the machine and the user, enhancing a proactive collaboration. The ability to react to problems and changes is a competence that must be provided by the manufacturer of digitized machines, which however enjoys a preferential channel in terms of consulting, training and spare parts. All this with a view to improve the service and the after-sales.

What benefits will beanTech receive from the project?

Without doubt, the project will strengthen relations with an important customer, offering an end-to-end technology. This project will be an excellent starting point for testing new technologies in a sector such as packaging.

Furthermore, through the project it will be possible to design and implement architectures for web and mobile applications, with a particular attention to data management and processing on AWS platform.

What are the main challenges that a SME can face in the digital transformation process?

“We are witnessing an increase of Industry 4.0 technologies, but the main difficulty is to bring value and use these technologies consciously,” Fabiano says. For this reason, beanTech thinks that training and customer involvement are at the basis of the digital transformation process of a company. For that reason, beanTech guides its customers in the strategic choices to be adopted through its Academy.

Fabiano Benedetti: CEO & President

Fabiano Benedetti is the CEO of beanTech, an IT company with over 160 employees and 15 million turnover, which supports companies in the challenges of Digital Transformation and helps them to achieve the opportunities of Industry 4.0

GALDI CONTINUES ITS PROCESS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION THROUGH AI AND DIGITAL TWIN SOLUTIONS

Posted on July 27, 2021July 27, 2021 by wp_8524777

Galdi designs and manufactures complete food paper packaging solutions. The company is predominantly present in the international market, exporting over 80% of its turnover abroad and having subsidiaries in Russia, North Africa and the United States.

With over 800 machines installed around the world, Galdi supports its customers by offering them technology, training and technical assistance services to help them achieve maximum production efficiency.

Food safety is one of the greatest strengths of Galdi solutions, which package products such as milk, eggs, water, fruit juices but also dry products such as flour and cereals. The acquisition of Artema Pack S.r.l. has completed the possible packaging solutions that Galdi can offer, including the engineering and optimization service of the production line, also managing the subsequent stages of the process.

What are the expectations of joining IMPROVENET?

Antonella Candiotto, CEO and President of the company tells us the reasons that led the company to join the Network.

“We immediately believed in the project of the Regional Innovative Networks as a tool to support industrial development policies in industry 4.0 of the territory. The commitment to build an ecosystem of partners to share innovative technological projects with, is strategic.

Thanks to IMPROVENET, it is possible to establish a continuous cooperation with the network partners, which are universities, research centers, manufacturing companies. All of them can contribute to accelerate the process of mutual learning, raising the level of skills and improving the quality of the solutions adopted. The sharing of experiences also serves to spread knowledge and create greater value for all, even for those who did not participate directly in the project”.

What innovations is GALDI implementing within the VIR2EM Project?

The project involves the implementation of some enabling technologies, in addition to those already used by the company, both to allow the “dematerialization of products and services” and to make accessible the information and digital models developed, regardless of their geographical location.

The expected outputs are:

1. the realization of a Digital Twin of own products through the virtualization of the Engineering;

2. the remote and virtualization of after-sales services, through the implementation of a new IIot architecture and multimedia platforms for remote support;

3. artificial intelligence, to increase the part of predictive maintenance and anomaly detection.

With which other RIR partners are you collaborating on the project?

In order to realize the innovations described above, Galdi is collaborating with Statwolf (for the part related to artificial intelligence) and with the University of Verona (for the realization of the Digital Twin).

How do you see the company at the end of the project?

Galdi has always focused on people and innovation, the continuous updating of skills and the attractiveness of the best talents are essential to maintain and develop the competitiveness of the company.

Furthermore, the respect for environmental resources and the constant dialogue with the territory are important priorities for the company that for years has invested in environmental and social sustainability projects.

With the Project VIR2EM Galdi aims to become a Smart Factory, implementing the transformation of the company from a place of physical spaces to a virtual one, in which software platforms, products, services, projects and people are connected in synergy through a digital flow of information.

In addition, the project will enable the company to achieve quality and speed in product development and an improved after-sales support service for customers.

Antonella Candiotto, CEO & President

A second-generation entrepreneur, she became President and CEO of the family business, Galdi, in 2020. Oriented to innovation and growth, of the company and of people. She is stimulated by team work and by involving the team to overcome its limits.

STATWOLF: DATA-DRIVEN AND AI SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRY 4.0

Posted on June 2, 2021June 3, 2021 by wp_8524777

Statwolf Data Science is a company based in Padua, which works in the development of data-driven solutions and artificial intelligence for Industry 4.0.
The company was founded with the aim of bridging the gap between state-of-the-art methodologies in the field of machine learning and productive solutions.

The search for an ecosystem to fill the digital gap

Joining the Improvenet Network is in line with the search for an ideal ecosystem to carry out this mission.

This is possible through collaborations with the world of research, allowing the company to be constantly in touch with scientific innovation and through contacts with major industrial companies as well as solution providers, allowing Statwolf to develop and validate mutual interest solutions.

Statwolf is a partner of VIR2EM Project to develop advanced monitoring and prediction solutions in the Internet of Things (Iot) and Industrial IoT scenarios.

The collaboration with the industrial world in the project involves three major manufacturers of automatic machines in different fields:

Galdi for food packaging;
Sperotto Rimar for textile;
Zamperla SpA for the entertainment industry.

The solutions, developed alongside these industrial partners, have a double purpose:

Allowing manufacturers to provide a new interface usable by their customers to monitor the machines and their uses.

Ensuring that the machine manufacturers optimize thier own service operations, facilitating remote diagnostics, anticipating interventions and enabling analyses and comparisons between different machines.

The collaboration with the world of research involves instead the University of Padua for the development of anomaly detection and predictive maintenance approaches in the fog computing scenario.

An increased competitive advantage through RIR partnerships

From a technological point of view, Statwolf will develop new integrations with machines and tools and new Machine Learning features, expanding its technological offer.

In addition, thanks to the ongoing collaborations, Statwolf will have functionality and verticalizations in its platform for sectors such as textiles and the entertainment industry that are new to the company.

Gian Antonio Susto, co-founder of Statwolf and researcher at the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Padua.

Gian Antonio deals with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, developing innovative algorithms and methods and solutions for different industrial environments. Gian Antonio was one of the pioneers in developing predictive maintenance approaches through machine learning techniques. He is co-author of more than 100 scientific publications and patents, and has won four IEEE awards for contributions related to Artificial Intelligence applications in industry.