On November 29, 2023, a business delegation from the Czech Republic paid a visit to MADE Competence Center, with the aim of learning about the Italian business support model and exploring potential collaboration opportunities. During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to see concretely what processes and innovations the technologies applied to the demonstrators available in MADE4.0 are able to enable, improving the efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of the companies themselves.

MADE4.0 President Prof. Marco Taisch welcomed the delegation and gave a detailed presentation of the Competence Center’s goals and activities. He also provided clear insight into how the Competence Center grants its partners access to important European networks, thus contributing to the creation of an international network of expertise and know-how in the context of Industry 4.0

The meeting was attended by Michal Bucháček, Deputy Consul General, Jan Rafaj, President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and representatives of companies and industry associations from sectors as diverse as aerospace, automotive, software and the renewable energy sector.

The event is part of the broader context of the Czech-Italian Business Forum, which recently included an official visit to Italy by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, accompanied by a significant business delegation. The main objective of this Forum is to promote the development of new and strong partnerships, laying the foundation for closer cooperation in the field of innovation, oriented toward technological and sustainable development.

MADE Competence Center Industry 4.0 is continuing its commitment to supporting technological innovation and digital transformation of Italian manufacturing companies by hosting and co-organizing a leg of the Wearable Robotics Roadshow, Comau’s traveling event to discover MATE exoskeletons.

Started last September from Comau’s headquarters in Grugliasco (Turin, Italy), the Wearable Robotics Roadshow aims to introduce and test the benefits and different applications of MATE exoskeletons: among the solutions presented, the MATE-XT upper limb exoskeleton, designed to reduce the muscle load on the shoulders during repetitive activities that require keeping the arms raised for a long time, stands out. Also shown was the IoT version MATE-XT 4.0, designed to be connected with the enabling technologies of the smart factory. Finally, the new MATE-XB model, designed to relieve muscle fatigue in the lower back area in static positions while lifting loads from the floor, was presented.

The event offered participants the opportunity to learn more about the ergonomic and physical-muscular well-being benefits of MATE exoskeletons, as well as to learn about successful use cases through the testimonies of customers currently employing these devices in multiple industrial settings, from logistics to automotive and transportation, from assembly and goods handling to carpentry, construction, agriculture, textile production, and cleaning, painting and maintenance services.

Thanks to the interventions of INAIL researchers, the technical and regulatory reference aspects of occupational exoskeletons and those related to their use for the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were, in addition, discussed in depth.

MADE4.0 thus continues its commitment to innovation and supporting Italian companies in their technological growth and development.

The presentation evening of the Annual Report 2024 was held with great success at MADE – Competence Center Industria 4.0, seeing the participation of key figures from the Italian industrial and innovation ecosystem. The event was a crucial moment to reflect on the achievements of the past year and outline future strategies.

During the evening, the main goals and achievements of MADE 4.0 were discussed, highlighting the transition from a simple Competence Center to a Cultural Center. The goal was to strengthen MADE’s role as a leader in supporting the transformation and growth of Italian industry through the adoption of innovative models.

The event saw active and prominent participation from institutions, associations, and industry partners.