Towards a European Industrial Renaissance
In the wake of the longest recession, the European Commission and the Member States are focusing on industry as a source of economic growth and employment.
Labelled the European Industrial Renaissance, the aim is to increase the share of industrial production from 15% to 20% of European GDP. The impact will be greater as industrial activity is a driver for business in other areas; ranging from raw materials and energy to business services such as logistics and after-sales services. Industry accounts for more than 80% of exports and its own research and innovation in Europe.
The role of maintenance and asset management in the industrial renaissance cannot be underestimated. Approximately EUR 450 billion is spent annually on the maintenance of industrial assets, of which an estimated EUR 10,000 billion is new value. More than 50% of industrial assets have a remaining economic life of more than 30 years. Industrial growth will have to be generated to a large extent from the existing industrial base. By upgrading assets, basic infrastructure can be adapted to future needs and remain competitive. Emerging industries also need appropriate maintenance approaches and technologies. Without technology and professional skills covering the entire asset life cycle, the industrial renaissance will not take off.
Maintenance and Asset Management contributes to achieving a wider range of societal goals. Extending the economic and technical life of assets reduces the ecological footprint of our society, while the integration of energy-efficient components and systems further contributes to industrial waste reduction and the conservation of natural resources. Workplace health and safety is crucial in industrial environments, where hazardous substances or extreme conditions pose a risk to maintenance staff.
The need for a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Maintenance
New technologies and new models of cooperation between asset owners and innovators are needed to achieve these goals. In several countries with a traditionally large industrial base, innovation programmes focusing on maintenance are emerging.
On a European level, however, innovation programmes are mainly technology-driven or industry-specific. There is limited alignment around multidisciplinary services, such as maintenance. To build on results from specialised institutes across Europe and to contribute to addressing the common challenge of enhancing the competitiveness of European industry, a coherent asset management agenda is needed.
This SRA is intended as a first step in identifying the major challenges and opportunities in Maintenance and Asset Management research. The SRA can form a basis for developing an implementation programme, where possible integrated into existing research platforms such as PPPs or programmes like Horizon2020.
This Maintenance SRA calls on the sector, and in particular the EFNMS, to take the following actions;
- Establishment of an international multi-disciplinary network in Maintenance R&D There is only occasional contact, coordination and cooperation between the large European research groups. A semi-structured network would enable the sharing of knowledge and development of partnerships and could lead to acceleration of the research efforts.
- Supporting the development of Maintenance Living Laboratories To bridge the gap between fundamental research and innovation, new instruments for cooperation between asset owners, innovators and researchers are needed. Building on experiences in the Netherlands and Germany, the establishment of a network of 'Living Laboratories' is proposed, where new technologies can be tested and validated in an operational environment. Such a network, sponsored by innovative asset owners, would enable field-testing and demand-driven technology development.
- Integration of the Maintenance SRA with other European programmes A deeper cooperation with established European innovation programmes is necessary. In particular, the creation of working groups and implementation agendas with the PPPs SPARC (Robotics), SPIRE (Chemical / Process Industry) and FoF (Manufacturing industry) would contribute to the creation of short-term opportunities.
Lees de Strategic Research Agenda for Europe (EN)
BEMAS Corporate Sponsors
